[Christian antiquities and archaeology].

[Christian antiquities and archaeology]. Typographie de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences, Saint Petersbourg, 1871. Six issues, 64 pp., with 59 plates in total, many in colour; some spotting. Contemporary green calf, gilt lettering to spine; worn. This set includes 4 issues on Novaya Ladoga and 2 - on Fessaloniki. I issue: Title, 11, [2]pp., with 11 plates, including 1 double page; II issue: Title, pp. 13 - 22, with 8 plates; III issue: Title, pp. 23 - 26, with 6 plates, with extra plate; IV issue: Title, pp. 27 - 31, with 13 plates, with extra plate; V issue: Title, pp. 33 - 49, with 8 plates of 9; VI issue: Title, pp. 51 - 64, with 13 plates, including 1 double Complete set of this periodical for the year 1871 published in the years 1862—1865, 1871—1872 and 1875—78. It was one of the rst example in Russian publishing history of colour photoengravings. Especially interesting are the four issues showing religious pieces from Staraya Ladoga (Old Ladoga) that was inhabited already in 753, which makes it one of the oldest Russian cities. Staraya Ladoga is thought to have been the rst capital of ancient Russia from where the Varangian Rurik was reigning in 862 - 865. Having preserved many of its historical sites Staraya Ladoga has become most admired places for Rus- sian artists in XIX century. Ayvazovskiy, Rerikh and Kustodiev have commemorated these views in their masterpieces. Vasily Prokhorov (1818-1882)- Russian historian, archaeologist and professor of Christian and Russian antiquities course at the Academy of Fine Arts, he was greatly engaged in collecting objects of ancient art. For this purpose he undertook many trips around Russia in 1863, 1867, 1869, 1871-1875 and from 1862 to 1877. “Christian antiquities and archaeology” magazine that he edited and published was a great success and its main advantage lied in the wealth of illustrative material - images of ancient monuments and works of Byzantine art from Kiev, Novgorod and Pskov, Vladimir and Moscow. Provenance: E. T. (gilt initials at foot of spine); Nikolay Dronnikov (signature to upper y-leaf).