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[PALACE FOR THE SOVIET YOUTH] Dvorets pionerov i oktiabriat [i.e. Palace of Pioneers and Octobrists]

Odessa: Detizdat, 1935. Item #490

123 pp.: ill., 6 ill. 30x23 cm. In original grey cloth with embossed lettering and design, with mounted red cloth flag, illustrated endpapers. Original dust jacket lost. Slightly rubbed, some defects of the rear endpapers, note on the front flyleaf (To the memory of 7th Congress of Soviets of the USSR/ 6 February 1935/ To son Gerard from father), otherwise very good and clean internally.

First and only edition. One of 5000 copies. Very rare.

An attractive edition dedicated to the very first Pioneer Palace in the Soviet Union. It was officially opened 6 September 1935 and launched the chain of Palaces over the country. Actually, it partly began to work earlier and this book combined the dreams of future institution and the achievements of few existed clubs. Being completely free of charge, the Palace initiated interest in labour, creativity and amateur talent activities. Many rooms were dedicated to various sport, cultural, technical, artistic and young naturalist clubs. Kharkiv Pioneer Palace was special, it was opened only to honor pupils who received the recommendations of the school teachers and the approval of the pioneer organization. It was definitely Palace of Pioneers which contained the first club of Arctic researchers in the country as well as the first club of firefighter assistants, the first geological clubs. There were electric, technical, chemical laboratories where the boy or girl could conduct a small power station or learned to construct the whole vehicle, small appliances (and tested its power consumption). For the educational purposes the children also watched films and attended exhibitions there.

The book has several sections, including ‘Creators of Models’, ‘Art to the Children’, ‘For the Iron Muscles, For the Steel Nerves’, ‘Friendship with a Book and a Newspaper’, ‘Club of the Young Arctic Researchers’. The last one is the most impressive, with the opening portrait of explorer Otto Schmidt, the plans of exploration, the children’s connection with the contemporary explorers and then - the trip itself to Kola Peninsula. The edition was co-created by the large group of artists: the illustrations by I. Daits, V. Nevskii, M. Glukhov, G. Bondarenko, the linocuts by P. Pitenko, I. Kuchkin, V. Burachkovskii, D. Zeldovich, F. Kostomakhin, D. Gromov. Each section is richly illustrated with the designs and photographs of the rooms and laboratories, the portraits of pioneers. The book contains 6 colorful full-page designs of the rooms reproduced from architectural projects, the margins present the small curious sketches of the children. Photographs were produced by B. Zelinger, E. Bryzgalin, among their works are the portraits of party leaders P. Postyshev and S. Kosior. In fact, they initiated this institution for the children’s joy and shortly after that implemented the Stalinist repressions.

A lesser known photo-book on Soviet children propaganda.

Not in the Worldcat.

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