Search Results: Authors starting with P from Bookvica

Moscow: Gos. izdatel'stvo, 1927. 212 pp., 1 portrait. 20x13,5 cm. In original full cloth with lettering on the front cover. No dust jacket. Slightly tanned binding, small hole in front flyleaf, ink inscription on verso of t.p., otherwise very good and clean internally. Traces of pencil note "an enemy of the people" are on the frontispiece (above a photo portrait). This term was used towards the poet since he had won the Nobel Prize (1958). First edition. One of 2000 copies produced. Scarce in very good condition. A collection of verses by writer and poet Boris Pasternak (1890-1960) that were earlier printed separately. It includes the series "My Sister, Life" and "Themes and Variations". The late 1920s - early 1930s saw a short period of official recognition of Pasternak's works. He took an active part in activities of the Union of Writers of the USSR and N. Bukharin suggested naming Pasternak the best poet of the Soviet Union. This edition was sold out and reprinted in 1930. Worldcat shows… Read More

Moscow: Tsentrifuga, 1917. 94 pp.+ 2 pp. of ads. 23x15 cm. In original wrappers with title mounted. Slightly faded, some foxing on front cover, minor tear of spine, otherwise very good. Signed by the author on a leaf inserted: "To dear sister Olya, with regular for relatives feeling of tenderness, guilt and disarray about swiftness of life. From Borya. 15.XI.40. Peredelkino". By 1940, the Soviet authorities changed their attitude towards Boris Pasternak. He was criticized for "detachment from life" and "worldview that didn't correspond to the era". They unconditionally demanded an ideological restructuring of his poetry. In 1936, he settled in a dacha in Peredelkino where he lived intermittently until his death. Pasternak began signing his earlier publications, since he was banned from printing new ones. First edition. One of 500 copies produced. The second book of poetry by Boris Pasternak (1890-1960). The collection includes poems written in 1914-1916, under influence of futurism. The year 1917… Read More

St. Petersburg: Izdanie P.P. Soikina, 1899. 103 pp. 18x10,5 cm. In original wallpaper wrappers. Good, spine is repaired with paper stripe, foxing, a couple of ink marks. First and only edition. Extremely rare. The memories of people around Pushkin and their relations that were gathered by the poet's nephew Lev Pavlishchev. Worldcat shows 3 copies in Indiana University, Library of Congress, Stanford University.

Leningrad: izd. i tip. Akad. nauk, 1932. 36 pp. 17x13 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Fine. First edition. Very rare. With the dedication leaf: "Dedicated to the deeply respected comrade Alexei Vasilyevich Martynov on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of his outstanding scientific, teaching and practical work from the grateful author". Martynov (1868-1934) was a noted Russian surgeon and head of the Surgical Clinic of the Moscow University. A friend of Pavlov, he successfully operated on Ivan who was struggling from gallstone disease in 1927. AN INTERESTING WORK ABOUT HYSTERIA WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE GREATEST PHYSIOLOGISTS OF ALL TIME, IVAN PAVLOV (1849-1936). The study presented in this book is based upon the concept of the conditioned reflexes developed by Ivan Pavlov and up to date considered his greatest achievement. In the early 20th century, the scientist examined the activity of the salivary glands in dogs. After a series of experiments, Pavlov discovered that the… Read More

Kyiv: tipografiya T-va I. N. Kushnerev i K. Karavayevskaya, №5, 1912. New Book. 50 pp.: ill. 16.8x24.1 cm. In the owner's quarter cloth binding with original wrappers is preserved. Fine condition. Scarce. First edition. With 35 black and white illustrations showing specimens of church architecture from the past of Moscow and Novgorod. AN EARLY RUSSIAN BOOK ABOUT MOSCOW AND NOVGOROD'S CHURCH ARCHITECTURE WRITTEN BY GRIGORY PALUTSKY (1861-1924), A UKRAINIAN ART HISTORIAN AND RESEARCHER OF ANCIENT UKRAINIAN ARCHITECTURE AND ICON PAINTING. The edition can be divided into two sections. In the first section, which deals with the church architecture of Novgorod city, the author distinguishes three time periods: 1) the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century - six-pillar churches of the Byzantine type, 2) The end of the 12th century - four-pillar churches characterized by the clash of Byzantine and new motives 3) The end of the 13th century until the second half of the 14th century - the… Read More

Vilnius: B.A. Kletskin, 1916. 47 pp. 22,5x16 cm. Original illustrated front cover preserved. Good. No back cover, front cover and spine repaired with paper, tears of edges and soiling, the early 1920s Soviet bookshop's stamps on t.p. and front cover. Extremely rare and remarkable wartime edition of Vilna publisher Boris Kletskin (1875-1937) that contains the first publication of Isaac Peretz's story about the founder of Hasidic Judaism, Baal Shem Tov. Vilnius and the rest of Lithuania were occupied by the German Army from 1915 until 1918. Thousands of Jewish refugees appeared in the country; the Jewish intelligentsia tried to do everything possible to organize the publication of new books, but it was extremely difficult. Most of the Yiddish publishing centers were occupied. Military censorship was fierce - the Jewish press was completely banned by the decree of the high military command in July 1916. Kletskin was considered the first genuine publisher of modern Yiddish literature. He had founded the… Read More

Leningrad: Gosizdat, 1926. 103 pp.: ill. 18.5x14 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Tears of the spine and edges of the wrappers. Otherwise in a good condition. Scarce. First edition. Wrapped design by B. Pyatunin. An interesting publication dedicated to the theatrical property and the peculiarities of its creation. Written by Anatoly Petrov in 1926, this book is one of the earliest Soviet publications on the subject matter. In the introduction to the edition, the author emphasizes the absence of domestic literature on theatrical property, which became an incentive for the compilation of this book. The edition consists of 8 sections and opens with a brief overview of the essence of the theatrical property. In the following sections, Petrov focuses on imitations of theatrical props and provides information, a kind of recipes, for the production of various items: books, furniture, vases, sausages, pastry, vegetables, fruits, boxes, lampshades, cases, cheese, pots, knives, daggers,… Read More

St. Petersburg: Akvilon, 1923. 49, [7] pp.: ill. 27x22 cm. In publisher's color lithographed illustrated wrappers. Rubbings and small tears, edges are chipped, tears and small losses of the spine, owner's signature on p.1 and markings on the back endpaper, rare foxing of the wrappers, very light stain of the inner side of the lower end of the wrappers. Otherwise a very good clean copy. 1 of 1000 copies. First edition. Kuz'ma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939) was a major modern Russian and Soviet painter, teacher and writer. Being mostly a painter he was experimenting with literature during all of his life. In 1921 Petrov-Vodkin travelled to Turkestan (Uzbekistan) with an expedition organized by Academy of History of Material Culture to study architectural monuments. He was amazed by the colors of Samarkand, called it ''the land of turquoise revelation'', and the result came in a form of 'Samarkand series' which is regarded by many as the acme of his artistic career. This book was compiled from… Read More

Leningrad: Lenpartizdat, 1934. 95 pp.: ill. 22,5x15,5 cm. In original oversized blank wrappers and photomontage dust jacket. Edges of dust wrappers restored, some stains of correction fluid on first and last pages, minor spot on t.p., otherwise very good. First and only edition. Rare. Photomontage design of dust jacket and layout were created by graphic artist Mikhail Razulevich (1904-1993). He was engaged in the design of Soviet children's and nonfiction books in the 1930s. His montages were applied for holiday decorations as well. Another highly evaluated book is 'The Story of the Five-Year Plan' reprinted and redesigned by Razulevich several times. Art historian Mikhail Karasik called Razulevich "Lissitzky of children's books". In the dust jacket design, a large figure of the former party leader stands among industrial structures built in the early 1930s, machinery, an airship and airplanes launched. Razulevich combined them as objects of an expanded paper model observed by Lenin. Crowds of… Read More

Kiev: Kultur-Lige, 1930. 221, [2] pp. 21x15 cm. In original constructivist wrappers. Uncut. Fragment of the spine lost, tears of covers, contemporary Ukrainian institute stamps and notes, otherwise very good. Lifetime edition. One of 3000 copies. In Yiddish. This book came out as a part of a Kultur-Lige series 'Bibliotek Yidishe shrayber' [Library of Yiddish Writers], issue 14, with the introduction by Jewish literary critic Boris Orshanskii (1884-1945). Constructivist cover design combines typographic linear borders and a drawn element. All issues of the series were published in the similar designs differing the main color only. Founded in Kiev in early 1918, an organization Kultur Lige enlisted practically all the Yiddish cultural, political, scholarly figures of any fame that lived in Ukraine. It rapidly increased the number of independent branches outside Ukraine and gained the leading position in Jewish social and cultural life. Jewish kindergartens, schools, evening courses, art and… Read More

Moscow: Pishchepromizdat, 1939. 288 pp.: ill., schemes. 20x14 cm. In original cardboards. Rubbed and soiled, crease of spine after title page, foxing on front endpaper and t.p. First and only edition. One of 3000 copies. Very rare. Comprehensive work on construction of all details of a butchery complex. During the period of industrialization in the USSR, along with the development of heavy industry, there was a task to create a powerful food industry to supply the population with food. A special organization All-Union Design and Construction Trust 'Miasokhladostroi' was established under control of the People's Commissariat of Food Industry of the USSR. In 1929-1940, more than 20 large meat plants were built in Moscow, Leningrad, Baku, Semipalatinsk, Orsk, etc. In 1936, statesman Anastas Mikoyan visited the United States to get acquainted with the latest technologies and managed to achieve the rapid development of the food industry. The new butchery combinats were equipped with advanced machinery;… Read More

Leipzig: F.C.W. Vogel, 1864. [4], 1168, [1] pp. 8vo. Contemporary quarter-leather binding with a blind-stamped title on the spine and sprinkled edges. Covers rubbed, pre-revolutionary library label on front endpapers. Otherwise fine. The first edition of the major work on field surgery by one of the greatest military surgeons. Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-1881), the world-famous Russian surgeon, is considered a founder of contemporary surgery and topographical anatomy, the pioneer of the use of plaster bandages and etherization in field hospitals. Ivan Pavlov credited him with placing surgery on a scientific footing. The German edition predates the Russian. Pirogov's Grundzuge quickly became the standard reference work. The book describes the development of field hospitals and field surgery, scrutinising issues such as triaging and medevac, and the classification of traumas. It was based on his experiences in the Crimean War in 1853-1856 during which he introduced the mass use of ether in… Read More

Kharkiv: Na varti, 1930. 32 pp. 18x12,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Slightly rubbed, numbers and publisher's stamps on front cover and title page, otherwise very good. One of 7000 copies. In Ukrainian. The anonymous constructivist cover design features a photomontage of three film stills from "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) by Sergei Eisenstein: "Potemkin" itself; the crew alongside weapons; and a key scene. In this last film still, sailors who refused their meal and were judged guilty of insubordination, stand on the foredeck, a canvas cover thrown over them and a firing squad with rifles lined up before them. It is the turning point for the sailors; the moment that the mutiny became inevitable. Apart from the film stills, two pre-revolutionary newspaper clippings about the battleship and "the first victory of the revolution" are incorporated into the montage, just behind the image of the warship. The book itself is about the historical events which took place on board the battleship… Read More

Vologda: Severnyy pechatnik, 1927. 65 pp. 19x12 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Tears of the spine, wrappers detached. Otherwise internally clean copy. Scarce. First edition. AN INTERESTING WORK DEDICATED TO THE STUDY OF SLEEP PHENOMENON. Published in 1927, this brochure attempts to illuminate biological peculiarities of sleep. The book was written by the noted Soviet entomologist, zoologist, and one of the most prolific science popularizers of the time, Nikolay Plavilshchikov (1892-1962). In the edition, the author sheds light on the external and internal characteristics of the state of sleep and unfolds their correlation with such factors as alcohol, hypnosis, drugs, etc. The book offers a brief historical overview of both foreign and Soviet sleep theories and extends upon the topic of sleep deprivation with an emphasis on its causes and effect on the viability of animals and humans. The edition came out as a part of the series published by the State Timiryazev… Read More

Leningrad: Lengikhl, 1933. 276 pp.: ill. 19,5x13,5 cm. In original illustrated cardboards. Binding rubbed, small fragments of covering paper lost, ink signature on p.3, otherwise very good and clean copy. First and only edition.One of 5250 copies produced. Russian edition of the novel 'Der Kaiser ging - die Generale blieben' (1932) published during Plievier's life in the USSR. The author, German writer Theodor Plievier (1892-1955) was blacklisted in Nazi's Germany for his first novel, "Des Kaisers Kulis" [The Kaiser's Coolies]. Plivier emigrated to Leningrad, then settled in the Samara region where he began to create a novel about Volga Germans but was forced to burn the manuscript. In 1941, he was evacuated to Central Asia, then returned to RSFSR. He joined the National Committee of Free Germany and wrote an anti-war work "Stalingrad". After WWII was over, Plievier came back to Germany. Soon he became disillusioned with the policies of Soviet communism. Covers and six half-titles were designed by… Read More

Moscow; Leningrad: Gosudarstvennoe izdatel'stvo, 1926. 104 pp.: ill. 20,5x14,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Small tears of spine, some soiling and creases of covers, some foxing, small blank fragment of t.p. lost, otherwise very good. Signed by the author on the title page. First and only edition. One of 5000 copies. Rare. For Soviet mass consciousness, this American case when a religious group attacked the theory of evolution was close to other acts of violence adopted by the church. So it was immediately denounced in the atheist state. In this book, Soviet historian and economist Nikolai Poletika (1896-1988) retells the trial process and elaborates on fundamental Christianity stressing its class (bourgeois) nature. Poletika was appointed "own correspondent" of 'Leningradskaia Pravda' from London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Washington and other capitals of the world - actually, he had to base on foreign newspapers and write without leaving the USSR. In 1928, Poletika made a report on the… Read More

Kiev: Ukrteakіnovydav, 1930. 28, [2] pp.: schemes. 18x13 cm. In original avant-garde wrappers. Spine and tear of p. 31-32 repaired, small spots throughout several pages, stains around rusty lower stamp, otherwise very good. First and only edition. One of 4000 copies. A collection of articles by Ukrainian critic and writer Oleksii Poltoratskyi (1905-1977), a member of the avant-garde group 'Nova Generatsiia' (1927-1931) that was formed by Mykhailo Semenko and promoted international modernism instead of classic heritage. Soon after this book had come out, Poltoratskyi was hired as an editor in the Odessa film studio of the VUFKU (All-Ukrainian Photo Cinema Administration). Two of four articles were previously printed under the pseudonym Ol. Ozerov in various periodicals. The texts were first gathered in a book edition. Poltoratskyi overviewed contemporary achievements in Ukrainian cinematography, highlighting the most prolific and talented directors, significant examples of live-action and… Read More

2nd ed., revised. Moscow: Gileya, 2007. 550 pp., 32 ill., facs., port. 21x13 cm. In original illustrated binding. Fine. The subject of this book is Russian futuristic book, the art of the beginning of the 20th century which united creative minds of different members of Russian avant-garde - poets, artists, publishers like V. Mayakovsky, A. Krutchyonykh, D. Burlyuk, V. Khlebnikov, V. Kamensky, V. Tatlin, N. Goncharova etc. In addition this book is supplied with updated catalog of futuristic books (1909-1916) and valuable illustrations.

Moscow: S. Skirmunt, 1901. Unofficial edition. VI, 264, 499 pp. 13x19.1 cm. In owner's contemporary half-leather binding. General wear and rubbing, pre-revolutionary library stamp ("A Library of the Z. K. ZH. D. Employee Control") on the front endpaper, title-page, p. III, rear endpaper, and the recto of the rear board. Otherwise internally clean copy. Scarce. First unofficial edition. This curious edition offers a rare insight into the history of women's rights in Russia. In the mid-19th century, Tsarist Russia was dominated by a conservative-patriarchal system that limited women (except the upper stratum) to weak social and legal protection, lack of political rights, and inability to actualize professional knowledge. This concept was the basis of legislation, supported by both the highest bodies of state power and significant part of the country's population. Interest in the study of women's rights in Russia emerged at the end of the 19th century, when the share of female labor in factories and… Read More

St. Petersburg: typ. Akademii Nauk, 1891. [2], 78 pp. 22,5x15,5 cm. Without wrappers. Very good, occasional foxing, with later spine and back cover. Very rare. Offprint from Sbornik otdeleniya russkogo yazyka i slovesnosti Akademii nauk (V. 52, #7) [i.e. Digest of the Department of Russian Language of Academy of Sciences]. This is a book of very valuable additions to ''Biographical Index of Russian Female Writers'' by N. Golitsyn (St. Petersburg: typ. V.S. Balasheva, 1889). Nikolai Golytsyn (1836-1893) was a Russian bibliographer. During his life he'd been gathering information on Russian female writers. Even though the index was criticized by his contemporaries this was a very important first work of such kind. Ponomarev's additions consisted of two parts: review of the index and supplement to it. In the first part he tried to answer the question 'in which genres female writers were mostly working' and gathered their names into thematic groups - fiction, bibliography, drama, history, natural… Read More