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[ANIMATED MOVIES IN THE USSR] Mul’tiplikatsionnyy fil’m: Stat’i: N. Khodatayeva, I. Vano, A. Ptushko, S. Boguslavskogo [i.e. Animated Film: Articles by N. Khodataeva, I. Vano, A. Ptushko, S. Boguslavsky]

Item #2389

Moscow: Kinophotoizdat, 1936. 286, [2] pp., 1 color frontispiece: ill.: 196 black and white ills. 24,7x17,4 cm. In original publisher’s cloth binding. Binding slightly worn, light damp stain in the upper right corner throughout the copy, but otherwise in a very good condition.

First edition. Rare. 1 of 2,000 copies. Text in Russian.

A groundbreaking publication and the very first Soviet book on the development of animation in the USSR, featuring articles by the Soviet pioneers of the industry – Nikolay Khodataev, Aleksandr Ptushko, Sergei Bugoslavsky, and Ivan Ivanov-Vano. By the time the book was released in 1936, animation had been part of Soviet cinema for only a decade, with the first animated
films appearing in 1924–1925. During this period, Soviet filmmakers gained experience in both stop-motion and hand-drawn animation. The publication not only documented this formative era but also served as a commemorative edition marking the first ten years of Soviet animation.

In the introduction to the book, film director Grigori Roshal clearly defines the primary goal of Soviet animation: “establishing a distinctive style within the framework of socialist realism.” Interestingly, he also references Walt Disney’s films as an aspirational benchmark for Soviet animators, while at the same time describing Mickey Mouse as a «bourgeois caricature distilled to its essence.» The main sections of the edition offer an in-depth examination of all stages of animation production. Nikolai Khodataev provides a detailed study of animation as an art form,
analyzing the role of rhythm in movement and composition, the expressive potential of animated visuals, and the specific genres of comedy and fantasy. Ivan Ivanov-Vano contributes a section on hand-drawn animation, while Aleksandr Ptushko discusses stop motion techniques using puppets and three-dimensional figures. Sergei Bugoslavsky addresses the technical aspects of sound and music in animation. The authors collectively emphasize animation’s unique ability to create stylized, highly expressive worlds that transcend realism. A special focus is placed on the equipment and technical processes involved in animation production.

The book is richly illustrated, featuring numerous photographs of early animation apparatuses and stills from some of the earliest Soviet and international animated films, including rare images from lost films such as O. Khodataeva’s Veselaya Moskva [i.e. Merry Moscow] (1934) and A. Ivanov’s Tarakanishche [i.e. The Cockroach] (1927). Other featured films include Skazka o pope i o rabotnike yego Balde [i.e. The Tale of the Pope and His Workman Balda] (1936, M. Tsekhanovsky), Pochta [i.e. The Mail] (1929, M. Tsekhanovsky), Sen’ka-Afrikanets [i.e. Senka the African] (1926, D. Cherkes, I. Ivanov-Vano, Y. Merkulov), and Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926).
Importantly, the book also served as the first-ever animation textbook in the USSR, making surviving copies from its scarce 2,000 print run in collectible condition exceedingly rare.

No copies found in Worldcat.

Price: $1,200.00