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[SOVIET MODERNISM] Borisov, L. Leonardi 2: [Rasskazy] [i.e. Leonardi 2: [Short Stories]]

Borisov, L.

Leningrad: Izdatel’stvopisatelei v Leningrade, 1928. Item #1544

135, [2] pp., [5] pp. of ads. 19.6x14.4 cm. In original illustrated dust-jacket. Loss of the wrappers, neat restoration of the dust-jacket, slight wear to the extremities. In a good condition.

Scarce. First edition.

Remarkable constructivist dust-jacket by the experimental theatre director and scenic designer noted for his work with the Petrograd Comedy Theatre Nikolay Akimov (1901-1968). His most notorious production was the cynical version of Hamlet (1932) in Vakhtangov theatre (Shostakovich wrote the score for that particular performance), with Ophelia as a drunken prostitute and the king’s ghost as a mystification arranged by Hamlet.One of the most multifunctional figures in Soviet modernism, Akimov also distinguished himself as a talented poster and book designer.

The edition was compiled by the famous Russian novelist Leonid Borisov (1897-1972) in 1928. His literary career took off immediately after the publication of the popular novel Khod konem [i.e. Knight’s move] in 1927. The present edition features two short stories, Leonardi 2 and Zavival’shchik Vol’demar [i.e. Waldemar the Hairdresser]. The former, a novel about two circus performers, became the inspiration for the wrapper and dust-jacket design. Leonid Borisov went down in the history of Soviet literature as the author of numerous writings, among which most noted are: Akvarium [i.e. Aquarium] in 1928, Seans okonchen [i.e. The Session is Over] in 1934, Ves’ma vozmozhno[ i.e. Quite Possible] in 1933, etc.

Worldcat locates copies of the edition in Columbia University in the City of New York; Yale UniversityLibrary; University of California, NRLF; Getty Research Institute; British Library, St. Pancras; BavarianState Library.

Price: $350.00