[SYNOPSIS OF TOLSTOY] Kratkoe izvlechenie iz Evangeliya v perevode L.N. Tolstogo [i.e. The Brief Extraction From the Gospel by L.N. Tolstoy]
1902. Item #214
Manuscript. 89 pp. 22x17,5 cm. Inscription ‘K. Gorbachev. Moscow. 1902’ on the endpaper. Owner’s contemporary binding. Brass corners on the front cover. Good condition. Handwritten notes to unrelated book at the back.
The rare example of the handwritten summary of Tolstoy’s adaptation of Gospels. It was made in early 1890s and were not allowed to be printed in Russia. The printed version was made in Geneva in 1892. That edition was banned from distribution in Russia. This copy was made by unknown follower of Tolstoy named Gorbachev in 1902. Most probably he was making a short summary from the Geneva copy of Gospels or another handwritten copy (p. 1-54). On pp. 54-89 ‘The overthrow of hell and its restoration’ an article by Tolstoy reproduced in full.
The brass corners on the binding and the way this book was produced (copying from another copy) makes an allusion to Slavonic
manuscript tradition – indeed prior to XVI century that is how the actual Gospel could have been produced. It also correlates with old-
Believer tradition as copying from manuscripts were the main way for them to multiply their books until they were allowed to print without restrictions in 1906.
Price: $1,800.00