Vintage 1947 Soviet Book: Saltykov-Shchedrin Selected Works | Tsar to Soviet Books

Classic 1947 Soviet Folio Edition: "Selected Works" by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin

For collectors of Russian classical literature, antiquarian Soviet book bindings, and scholars of 19th-century social satire, this 1947 original Soviet hardcover volume is a foundational post-war publication. Published in Moscow and Leningrad by OGIZ – State Publishing House of Fiction (ОГИЗ – Государственное издательство художественной литературы), Selected Works (Избранные сочинения) compiles the core satirical oeuvre of Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Bound in a patterned sage-green cloth hardcover with an intricate geometric lattice design, central diamond title plate, and ornate gilt-banded spine, this ~600-page folio edition was prepared with an introductory monograph and commentaries by literary scholar A. Lavretsky.

The Golovlyov Family, History of a Town & Complete Satirical Tales This anthology brings together Shchedrin’s most influential social and political satires:

• The Golovlyov Family (Господа Головлевы): Unabridged text of his monumental novel dissecting the decay of the provincial serf-owning nobility, immortalizing the hypocritical figure of Porfiry "Iudushka" Golovlyov.

• The History of a Town (История одного города): The devastating satirical chronicle tracing the absurd and brutal history of the city of Glupov through its succession of grotesque governors.

• Social Prose & Essays: Complete texts of The Monrepos Refuge («Убежище Монрепо») and Abroad («За рубежом»).

• Complete Satirical Fairy Tales (Сказки): Over 25 allegorical fables exposing Tsarist bureaucracy and social inequality, including The Tale of How One Peasant Fed Two Generals, The Wise Gudgeon, The Wild Landowner, and The Selfless Hare.

• Archival Tipped-In Plates: Illustrated with an engraved author portrait and a full-page reproduction of Oskar Klever's historical drawing depicting Saltykov-Shchedrin's 1848 dispatch into Vyatka exile («М. Е. Салтыков-Щедрин отправляется в ссылку в сопровождении фельдъегеря»).

Complete Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Избранные сочинения (Selected Works)

• Author: Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin (М. Е. Салтыков-Щедрин)

• Text Preparation & Introductory Article: A. Lavretsky (А. Лаврецкий)

• Publisher: OGIZ – Goslitizdat (ОГИЗ – Государственное издательство художественной литературы, Moscow–Leningrad)

• Publication Date: 1947 (Moscow–Leningrad, USSR)

• Language: Russian

• Binding: Original publisher's patterned cloth hardcover, gilt-stamped spine

• Page Count: ~600 pages with tipped-in art plates, headpieces, and notes

• Classification: Russian Classical Literature / Social Satire & Realism / Soviet Post-War Fine Editions

Condition & Preservation Report

• Exterior Condition: Original sage-green patterned cloth boards are clean, flat, and rigid with crisp geometric embossing, bright spine gilding, and minor handling wear at board tips.

• Binding Integrity: Exceptionally firm, square, and tight text block with intact hinges.

• Page & Plate Quality: Interior pages, historical plates, and commentary sections are clean and unmarked, exhibiting uniform light cream age-toning typical of 1940s Soviet publishing paper stocks. Free from marginal notation, underlining, library stamps, or owner signatures.

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