Bookvica

[A SOVIET MAGAZINE FOR BOOK ENTHUSIASTS] Na knizhnom fronte: Byulleten’ [i.e. On the Book Front: A Bulletin]

Item #2020

Moscow; Leningrad: Gos. izd-vo, 1929-1931. #1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9, 10-11, 12, 13, 14-15, 16, 17-18, 19, 20-21, 22-23, 24-25, 26-27, 28-29, 30-31, 32-33, 34-35, 36-38, 39-41, 42-44, 45-46 of 1929. Overall, a year set of 1929 (46 issues). 24.6x17.1 cm.

All issues in original publisher’s illustrated wrappers. Most issues with the tears of the spine, occasional soiling, all issues but two (#30-31, 39-41) are ex-library copies: the magazines were discharged from Biblioteka TGPI im. V. I. Lenina or Biblioteka GPIG im. V. I. Lenina, which now doesn’t exist, #30-31 with a slightly loose rear wrapper, otherwise all in a very good condition.

A year set of 1929. All issues but two with illustrated wrappers by the Soviet book illustrator Evgeniy Avaliani (1904-1943).
A very rare set of the Soviet bibliographical magazine issued by the bookselling association of State Publishing House in 1929-1930. During the first year, the print run of the magazine varied from 10,000 to 15,000 copies. From 1932 to 1935, the magazine came out under the title Knizhnyy front [i.e. Book Front], in 1936-1937 and 1939-1940 the title changed again, now to Sovetskiy knizhnik [i.e. Soviet Bibliophile]. All issues, except for December, are edited by Mikhail Basov (1898-1938). He faced persecution from the head of the press departments of the Siberian Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and relocated from Siberia to Moscow a year earlier. During his editorship, Basov served as the Head of the Trade Sector of the State Publishing House of RSFSR. He likely relinquished the editorship when deciding to return to Siberia, where he assumed the role of Head of the East Siberian Regional Branch of the Association of State Publishing
Houses of the RSFSR. In 1937, Basov was arrested on charges of “counter-revolutionary activity” and executed in Irkutsk in 1938.

The magazine focuses on the promotion of books/library practices and includes the following sections: “Chronicle of the Book Business,” “Literary Chronicle,” “Issues of Book Propaganda,” “Abroad,” “Library in the Red Army,” “Study of Reader Interests,” etc. The periodical regularly updates on books published by the State Publishing House of the RSFSR, providing a book trade chronicle and highlighting strategies for book propaganda. The magazine also features reviews for “ideologically correct books” in line with the Soviet party’s official stance. Recommended editions include Ya. Shvedova’s Obidy [i.e. Grievances] (The author illustrates the absurdity of the frantic fear of severing ties with the village), B. Gorbatova’s Nash gorod [i.e. Our City] (The story depicts the decay of part of the party organization, the struggle, and the victory of its healthy working part), etc. An interesting section reports on international book events, such as Le Salon International du Livre in Paris, World Children’s Book Conference in Geneva, short-term book courses from booksellers in Brandenburg, Thuringia, and Saxony, etc.
Almost every issue features black-and-white photographs, showing modern editions, libraries, book fairs, and book kiosks. Numerous tables analyzing book production, library business, and publishing consumption in the USSR and abroad are also present.

Price: $1,950.00

Status: On Hold