[ALMANAC. PUSHKIN]. Al’manakh na 1838 god. [Almanac for the year 1838]. St Petersburg: at the Press of the Ministry of War, 1838.

[ALMANAC. PUSHKIN]. Al’manakh na 1838 god. [Almanac for the year 1838]. St Petersburg: at the Press of the Ministry of War, 1838.

The rare first edition of ‘one of the best Russian literary almanacs’ (Smirnov-Sokol’skii). Highly rated by the severe critic V.G. Belinsky, it was the first to be produced by V.A. Vladislavlev. The genre had reached its nadir at the time, disregarded as an expression of low popular literature. Vladislavlev transformed the formula and created a successful periodical, later published under the title Utrennjaja Zarja (Morning Dawn) from 1839 to 1843. This issue featured works by Pushkin, Ershov and Dmitriev. The handsome illustrations were made by Russian artists including S.F. Galaktionov and A.G. Venetsianov. Rare in institutions and on the market: RBH records no other copies being offered at auction. Smirnov-Sokol’skii, Moia biblioteka, 1550; Al’manakhi, 459.

Octavo (165 x 106mm). With the engraved title and 5 plates (lacking pp.101-102, minor mainly marginal spotting). 19th-century Russian crimson half sheep, marbled boards, spine tooled and lettered in blind (small repair at head of spine, hinges rubbed in places). Provenance: unidentified contemporary inscription (verso of first plate) – pencilled inscription ‘1736’ (last page).

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