VOLTAIRE, FRANÇOIS MARIE AROUET (1694-1778) Histoire de l'Empire de Russie sous Pierre le Grand Par l'Auteur de l'Histoire de Charles XII. T. 1. [S.l.], 1761. – XLVIII, 379 pp.; 17 x 10.5 cm. In French

In a contemporary full leather binding. Gilt tooling to the spine and edges of the boards. In good condition. Wear to the binding, losses of leather along the edges of the spine and upper board, spine partially detached from the text block, minor soiling and damp staining to the endpapers and first leaves, foxing. ‘Histoire de l'Empire de Russie sous Pierre le Grand’ was commissioned from the French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire by the daughter of the emperor, Elizabeth Alexeyevna, through her favourite I.I. Shuvalov. Work on the book lasted seven years, from 1756 to 1763. Voltaire carefully consulted representatives of the patron in order to avoid controversial issues. The first volume was published in 1759, but was not accepted in Russia. Voltaire was offered to buy back the print run and prevent its circulation, but this did not occur. The second volume was published only in 1763, and in the meantime Voltaire issued several revised editions of the first volume. The first Russian edition of this work appeared only in 1809 and remains its only translation to this day.