Search Results: Titles starting with O from Bookvica

Leningrad: Ateney, 1924. 244, [1] pp. 12.8x17.6 cm. In owner's contemporary binding with the original front wrapper mounted on the front board. Light staining and foxing of the front board, Soviet bookshop stamp on the recto of the rear board, previous owner's ink inscription on the title-page. Otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 6,000 copies. Design by the famous Russian graphic artist Sergey Chekhonin (1878-1936). Translated from English by the Russian writer and journalist V. Azov (Vladimir Ashkinazi) (1873-1941). At different times, Ashkinazi attended lectures at the universities of Paris, Zurich, and Bern. In 1906, Vladimir moved to St. Petersburg and undertook the issuance of the journal Blagoy mat [i.e. Good Swearing], which was banned after the first issue for the publication of a letter from the Socialist-Revolutionary E. Sazonov. After the October Revolution, Ashkinazi worked in the publishing house Vsemirnaya literatura [i.e. World Literature] and printed under… Read More

Moscow: Partizdat, 1935. 74, [2] pp.: ill. 26,5x20 cm. In original illustrated cardboards with gilt lettering. Covers rubbed and slightly soiled, otherwise very good and internally clean. Second edition. One of 10000 copies printed. Design by Alexander Rodchenko who co-worked with his best collaborator and the art editor of this book Varvara Stepanova. They put the laconic portrait of Lenin's 'red proletarian mind' to the front cover and composed the constructivist inner design in black and red. This is a collection of articles and speeches of Joseph Stalin on the initiator of Soviet Communist Party. The book includes the most notable pieces published in the Soviet press in 1920-1932, with the photographs and portraits of Lenin. Among the texts, an excerpt from the first ever large interview which Stalin gave to the foreigner, the famous biographer Emil Ludwig; the fragment of the interview with the First American Trade Union Delegation; the notes, appeared in Lenin's last years and the speech for… Read More

Berlin: Odesa committee for saving of Bessarabia, 1922. 187 pp. 26x17 cm. Original printed wrappers. Bits of spine from the top and bottom are missing. Partly uncut. Very good condition for such fragile edition. First and only edition. On the title page 'as a manuscript' stated. Bessarabia, which is now spread across Moldavia and Ukraine, in 20th century was a part of Russian Empire as 'Besarabskaya Guberniya'. Romanian troops entered Bessarabia back in December 1917, following the order of the commander of the Romanian Front, White General Shcherbachev, to protect warehouses and roads and restore order. The advance of the Romanian troops in Bessarabia met with an armed rebuff from the retreating Bolshevik units. On March 27, 1918, during the intervention, Sfatul Tarii (the temporary proto-parliament) voted on the unification of Bessarabia with Romania. The vote resulted in 86 in favor, 3 against, and 36 abstentions, with most of the representatives from the German, Bulgarian, and Gagauz minorities… Read More

Odessa: DOTOB, 1929. 64 pp.: ill., 2 folding charts, one of them loosely inserted. In original wrappers with constructivist design. In very good condition. Covers slightly restored, a couple of colored pencil marks on photographs, otherwise very good condition. Both covers were designed in the constructivist style. The front one shows the montage consisting of the theater building, people's march, notes, hammer and sickle, a toothed wheel above it and letterpress design of DOTOB (an abbreviation of Odessa State Theater of Opera and Ballet). The composition was drawn by Ukrainian artist G.S. Gural'nik. The back cover was decorated with the theater's logo. This interesting and richly illustrated edition features avantgarde performances staged at this theater in 1929-1930. Among them were plays designed by Anatol Petrytskii (1895-1964), one of the key figures of Ukrainian theatre design who also worked on posters and books. Petrytskii was involved in experiments of Murashko and Exter, studied under… Read More

Moscow: Gosudarstvennoe izdatel'stvo politicheskoi literatury, 1939. 16 pp.: portr. 20x13 cm. In original printed wrappers. Near fine. A copy of the first half of a huge printrun of 10 million copies (as credited). Report of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Viacheslav Molotov (1890-1986) given at a session of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on August 31, 1939. The Treaty, also known as Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was signed on August 23, 1939. It included the Secret Protocol, which defined the borders of Soviet and German spheres of influence across Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Bessarabia. In this edition, Molotov announced why the pact was needed in those circumstances, stressing failure of the Triple Alliance Negotiations between the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France. According to this text, the treaty was announced with pomposity, humor and criticism of English and American press, as usual. At the same time, details of the pact were omitted. The report ends with… Read More

Kharkiv: Trud, 1927. 93, [2] pp. 17x12,5 cm. In original publisher's wrappers. Lower part of the spine chipped, some stains on the front cover, Soviet bookshops' stamps on the back cover, tiny owner's label with number on the inner part of the front cover. Otherwise a near fine clean copy. 1 of 3000 copies.  First Russian edition. Originally articles 'Bibliothekarische Reiseeindrücke aus Amerika' by H. Escher were published in 1920-1923 (Zurich). Russian publisher made quite a few shortenings because original works were printed in magazines as impressions and memories - such format didn't meet the requirements. In editor's opinion it didn't affect the essence of the subject. The goal for this edition was set to introduce Russian reader to all innovations in modern American librarianship which within known limits can be brought to Soviet practice. This edition contents articles on Librarianship, Special libraries, How American public libraries reach out to readers, Library and School, The… Read More

St. Petersburg: de L'Imprimerie de L'Academie Imperiale des Sciences, 1853. 403-548, [2] pp. 4vo. Original blue wrappers with a decorative border on the covers. Uncut. A very good copy. The front cover detached from the spine, tears on the spine and covers, two spots on the end cover. Rare. First and only edition. Report on discovering and measuring the Saturn rings. Otto Vasilevich Struve (1819-1905) was a Russian astronomer, a leading member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, second in the unique astronomical dynasty which lasted for more than a century. He started working with his father at Pulkovo Observatory and headed it between 1862 and 1889. The American astronomer Benjamin Gould said that Struve made Pulkovo Observatory "the astronomical capital of the world". Struve discovered more than 500 double stars, observed planets and their satellites, comets and nebulae. He won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1850. Among his many achievements he also measured the rings of… Read More

Chernigov: Drukarnja Gub. Zemstva for B. Grinchenko, 1900. 42 pp. 17,5 x 12 cm. Contemporary cardboard covers. First edition. In Ukrainian, but printed using pre-1917 Russian orthography. Overall good condition. Front and back cover attached to the cardboard presumably crafted by the library. Soiled boards, damp stains. Rubber stamps and ink marks on front and back cover & title, some illegible. Numerical stamp and ink marks on p. 42. One of the stamps visible on the front board and title is of Biblioteka 1-oi Ukrains'koi kooperatyvnoi Prosvity Tarasa Shevchenka. Prosvita, est. 1868, was a Galician Ukrainophilic organisation that focused on enlightenment, promotion of Ukrainian literacy and spreading yet unpopular ideas of an independent nation-centric Ukrainian state. It opposed both Russophiles and Westerners and played an important role in providing a stream of Ukrainian-language books during the late 19th century. Tovarystvo managed to print thousands of titles, was responsible for setting up… Read More

Moscow: V Universitetskoi tipografii, 1882. [2], 104 pp. 25x16,5 cm. In original printed wrappers with decorative frame. Tears of the spine with small fragments lost, some foxing, otherwise very good. First and only separate edition. Extremely rare. This is a thesis in applied mathematics that was written by Nikolay Zhukovsky (1847-1921), the founder of the Russian aerodynamics and contributor to world mechanics and aviation. The issue of motion stability was raised by A. Routh and N. Zhukovsky independently. The works were carried out, going from one start but in different directions. That point was noticed by Zhukovsky, when he got acquainted with already published Routh's book, and became the reason to finish his own work. Zhukovsky indicated the key difference in the preface and positioned both books as complementary to each other. Worldcat doesn't track this edition.

Moscow: Goslitizdat, 1935. 267 pp.: ill. 22.7x15.5 cm. In original publisher's cloth binding. Soiling of the boards. Otherwise near fine. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 3,000 copies. Edited by L. Okhitovich. Binding by L. A. Epple. A theoretical work on the practice of film shooting by one of the greatest soviet movie directors. Lev Kuleshov (1899-1970) went down in history as one of the greatest Soviet directors and the author of movies that became classics of world cinematography - Neobychaynyye priklyucheniya mistera Vesta v strane bol'shevikov [i.e. The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks] (1924), Po zakonu [i.e. By the Law] (1926), Velikiy uteshitel [i.e. The Great Consoler] (1933), etc. His discoveries in the field of film editing, including the famous "Kuleshov Effect", became the basis of the foundations of the language of cinema and the practice of filmmaking. In this book, which came out in 1935, Kuleshov shares his experience in film shooting and provides a… Read More

21 black and white photographs depicting Alexander Solzhenitsyn's triumphant return to his homeland after 20 years of exile. 1994. Each photo 6,7x9 cm. Fine. First and only edition. One of 150 copies produced. Very rare. Eager to reacquaint himself with a country "altered beyond recognition," Solzhenitsyn landed in Vladivostok on May 27, 1994, and embarked upon a cross-country journey to Moscow. The photographs depict Solzhenitsyn and his wife, him meeting with people, visiting a bazar and a hospital, delivering a speech in the state duma, etc. Most likely, the pictures were taken by Yuri Feklistov, a photojournalist contributing to the Ogonek [i.e. Spark] magazine. He became an assistant of cameramen Yuri Prokofiev, whom Solzhenitsyn asked to accompany the family and to film the return. It was Prokofiev who recommended to the Solzhenitsyns that they offer the BBC to pay for the trip in exchange for the right to make a film about their return. The company bought two carriages from the Ministry of… Read More

Moscow; Leningrad: Gos. izd-vo, 1929 (Moskva: tip. «Krasnyy proletariy»). 154, [6] pp. 18x13.6 cm. In original publisher's cloth binding with illustrated dust-wrappers by Boris Titov. Tears to the dust-wrappers. Otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 2,000 copies. Dust-wrappers by Boris Titov (1897-1951), a Soviet graphic artist, book illustrator, and an absolute record holder of the USSR in terms of the number of books designed. After studying for a short time at the Faculty of Medicine of the Imperial Moscow University in the late-1910s, Boris decided to devote himself to painting and entered the 2nd State Art Workshops. From 1922, the artist shifted his focus to book design and already by the mid-1920s managed to achieve recognition as one of the leading Soviet book illustrators. For almost 30 years, the artist mainly designed covers, bindings dust jackets, title pages, headpieces, and occasionally illustrations for books by such authors as A. Adalis, D. Bedny, A. Gaidar,… Read More

Moscow: Gosstroiizdat, 1934. 172 pp.: ill., 5 ill. 29,5x21,5 cm. In publisher's cloth with red lettering. General soiling, title page is toned, owner's signature on the front board and title page. First edition. One of 4000 copies. Illustrated throughout with numerous black and white drawings and photographs. The main subject of this textbook is a series of aspects of spatial composition in architecture. The author based this material on his own 10 year experience of teaching at Moscow architecture university first year students basics of composition (the discipline was called "Space"). First this discipline appeared in VKHUTEIN in 1923 'as a result of a long fight at the architecture department between different views on architectural method'. The author used materials from that discipline, 'the most valuable parts'. In general the book is dedicated to simply what resources and tools to use and how an architect can operate them. It became important not to lose touch with the reality, but also he… Read More

Moscow: Molodaya gvardiya, 1941. #1 of 1931. 20 pp.: ill. 21.7x29 cm. In original photomontage wrappers. Tears of the spine with text affected (minor), foxing of the wrappers. Otherwise in very good condition. Scarce. Printrun varied. In 1931 the magazine was published with the printrun of 75,000 copies. An early issue of one of the most famous Soviet travel magazines with two photomontages inside. From the early 1920s, Soviet society was characterized by the growing interest in travel and local history. To exercise hegemony over the tourist sphere, the Communist government established the Society of Proletarian Tourism and Excursions in 1930. Founded on the basis of the Soviet Tourist and the Society of the Proletarian Tourism, the OPTE encouraged mass travel through organizing tours and public speeches, as well as publishing its periodical organ Na sushe i na more [i.e. On Land and on Sea]. The leading Soviet travel magazine was printed from 1929 until 1941 and introduced the readership to… Read More

Moscow: Ogonyok, 1941. No.18. 25 of June 1941. 24 pp. 32x25 cm. Original illustrated wrappers. Good condition. This issue of 'Ogonyok' was the first one printed after Germany began the war against Soviet Union on the 22 of June 1941. Boris Efimov's iconic caricatures on the front wrapper (a Soviet soldier slaughtering Nazi pig). Other caricatures by Efimov on pages of this issue. They were among the first ones created in this context. On p.1 of the issue the proclamation by Molotov is printed - it's a print version of the speech he made on 22 of June about the start of the war against Nazi Germany.

[Moscow]: Onti. Glav. red. stroit. lit-ry, 1935. 359 pp.: ill. 26.2x18.4cm. With dust-jacket. In original cloth binding with the letterpress design on the front board and the spine. Neat restoration of the dust-jacket, previous owner's inscription on the front board (in pen) and its verso (in pencil), a couple of last pages lack small fragments of the upper margin (no text affected). Otherwise in a very good condition. Extremely rare with the dust-jacket. Third revised edition. First edition published in 1932. Dust-jacket and book design by the artist, V. O. Velem. Introduction by the Soviet constructivist architect and city planner, Nikolai Kolli (1894-1966). A richly illustrated handbook compiled by one of the most famous Soviet experts in the sports architecture, Sergey Zverintsev and specialist of physical culture, S. Nesterov. From the late 1920s, involvement in physical culture and sports came to be viewed as the perfect snapshot of the New Soviet Person and the ideal testimony of the "happy"… Read More

Moscow: Sel'khozgiz, 1937. Vlll, 285 pp., 2 ill., portr.: ill. 25.5x17.7 cm. In original publisher's brown cloth. Light staining of the boards, previous owner's inscription on the title-page. Otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First edition. Translated from English under the editorship of Nikolay Vavilov (1887-1943). The last work by Thomas Morgan (1866-1945) that was printed in the USSR in the first half of the 20th century. This is the first Russian translation of selected works of Thomas Morgan, an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist, and science author who won the Nobel prize in medicine in 1933 for discoveries elucidating the role that the chromosome plays in heredity. The edition features 17 articles written by the author and concentrating on such topics as sex-limited heredity in drosophila, mode of inheritance of two sex-limited traits in the same animal, application of the theory of pure lines to sex-limited heredity and sexual dimorphism, etc. The importance of the book,… Read More

Moscow: Izd-vo Akad. nauk SSSR, 1938. 96 pp.: ill. 16,3x12,5 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Couple of pale small stains on the wrappers, otherwise in very good condition. Previous owner's stamp and inventory number on the title page. Scarce. Third edition. First and second editions published in 1927 and 1932 respectively. Compared to the first edition, this third edition features additional information on the Sun. The study of lighting techniques by one of the greatest Soviet physicians Sergey Vavilov (1891-1951). Three years after this edition was published, Sergey Vavilov's brother, a prominent Russian and Soviet agronomist Nikolay Vavilov (1887-1943) was sentenced to death for receiving criticism from Trofim Lysenko, whose anti-Mendelian concepts of plant biology had won favor with Joseph Stalin. Although his sentence was commuted to twenty years' imprisonment, he died in prison in 1943. The book came out as a part of the series Akademiya nauk stakhanovtsam [i.e. Academy of… Read More

Moscow: Sovremennye problemy, 1927. 45 pp.+3 pp. of ads. 18x13 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Spine restored, some stains occasionally. First and only edition. One of 10 000 copies. This early Soviet publication was compiled by younger sisters of Sergey Esenin, Ekatherina (1905-1977) and Alexandra (1911-1981). The book came out two years after his death, as "one of the humble wreaths on the grave of the unique poet". Folk ditties represent oral traditions reacting to all changes in daily life. It became the background for the major topics, connecting with relations between people. This book collects five sections: "Suffering-love", "Dancing-mocking", "Betrayal-jealousy", "Separation-disappointment", "Friendship, marriage, etc." In them, compilers gathered songs of various sizes that are united or not by a common plot and some characters. Ditties created in the 1920s witnessed how tractors were making noise in fields while patriarchy adjacent to the attempts of Soviet women to act as equal… Read More

Paris: Imp. de Navarre, 1939. 343 pp. 18,5x13 cm. In original printed wrappers. Spine and front cover slightly restored, ink signature on t.p. covered up with sticker, otherwise very good. First Russian edition of a devotional book Streams in the Desert sharing ideas of One Mission Society. Its author, Lettie Burd Cowman (1870-1960) was an American writer and one of the cofounders of the Oriental Missionary Society (later One Mission Society). Together with her spouse Charles, Cowman moved to Asia and organized Bible Training Institutes in Japan, Korea and China. The book Streams in the Desert was originally published in English in 1925. At the time of Communist atheism, this work was translated into Russian and spread in emigre circles beyond the country. Yet, this particular edition became the beginning for the Oriental Missionary Society to work with Russian people. Later the book was officially published several times after the dissolution of the USSR. In 1993, the Moscow Evangelical Christian… Read More