Rare 1957 Soviet Book: Humor and Satire Anthology (Gorky, Mayakovsky, Sholokhov) | Tsar to Soviet Books

Rare 1957 Soviet Anthology: "Humor and Satire" (Goslitizdat, Moscow)

Product Overview

Explore the deep, sharp, and highly creative landscape of 20th-century Russian comedic writing with this original 1957 Soviet hardcover compilation. Published in Moscow by the prestigious Goslitizdat (Государственное издательство художественной литературы), Humor and Satire: Stories, Feuilletons, Pamphlets, Fables, Epigrams, Parodies (Юмор и сатира) is a brilliant historical monument to mid-century Soviet literary expression.

Adorned with original cream-colored textured cloth binding featuring bold red and black constructivist-influenced mid-century typography, this heavy volume is a standout addition to collections of classic Russian literature and Soviet social history.

From Revolutionary Satire to Soviet Realist Comedy

This massive anthology avoids a strict chronological layout, grouping its contents by thematic focus to allow readers to contrast style, tone, and delivery. It brings together some of the most prominent voices of the era:

• Early Soviet Classics: Features Maxim Gorky’s biting "One of the Kings of the Republic" (Один из королей республики), the revolutionary verse of Vladimir Mayakovsky, and the political poetry of Demyan Bedny.

• Masterful Dialect & Prose Humour: Includes selected scenes from Mikhail Sholokhov’s famous Don Cossack cycles (featuring the humorous exploits of Grandfather Shchukar), alongside works by Sergei Mikhalkov, Leonid Panteleev, Mikhail Pustynin, and Aleksandr Tvardovsky.

• Diverse Comic Mediums: Over 560 pages spanning a highly varied selection of short humorous stories (рассказы), satirical columns (фельетоны), social pamphlets (памфлеты), traditional fables (басни), epigrams (эпиграммы), and literary parodies (пародии).

Complete Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Юмор и сатира (Humor and Satire)

• Publisher: Goslitizdat / State Publishing House of Fine Literature (Гослитиздат)

• Publication Date: 1957 (Moscow, USSR)

• Language: Russian

• Binding: Original textured cloth boards, black/red embossed graphic title

• Page Count: 566 pages

• Classification: Soviet Satire / Russian Humor / Mid-Century USSR Literature

Condition & Preservation Report

• Exterior Condition: The heavy cream cloth boards are highly rigid and clean, showing minor, natural shelf-toning and light spotting. The typography remains incredibly crisp, sharp, and unfaded.

• Binding Strength: Exceptionally tight, firm, and square. The book retains its original shape perfectly with no hinge wobbling or structural fatigue.

• Paper Quality: Clean, unmarked pages with standard, light age-toning typical of 1950s Soviet paper stocks. Free from marginal notation, library stamps, bookplates, or page tears.