SMIRDIN A.F. (1795-1857), THREE EDITIONS

1) FONVIZIN D.I. Sochineniya Fonvizina [Works of Fonvizin]: [in 2 vols.]. 2nd ed. St Petersburg: printed by the Expedition for the Preparation of State Papers, 1847. [4], 712, III pp.; 17.5 x 12.5 cm. (Complete Works of Russian Authors). Contemporary half-leather binding, spine with raised bands and gilt decoration, leather corners. Very good condition. Minor wear, occasional foxing, ownership inscription on the half-title. 2) DERZHAVIN G.R. Sochineniya Derzhavina [Works of Derzhavin]: [in 2 vols.]. 2nd ed. St Petersburg: printed by Ya. Trey, 1851. Vol. 1. XII, 738 pp.; Vol. 2. X, 798 pp.; 17 x 12.5 cm. (Complete Works of Russian Authors). 2 vols., contemporary half-leather bindings, spines with raised bands and gilt tooling. Good condition. Some wear, foxing. Gilt supralibros ‘M.Zh.’ at the foot of the spines. 3) ROSTOPCHIN F.V. Sochineniya Rastopchina (grafa Feodora Vasil’evicha) [Works of Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin]. St Petersburg: printed by A. Dmitriev, 1853. 364, II pp.; 17.5 x 12 cm. (Complete Works of Russian Authors). Contemporary half-leather binding. Good condition. Some wear, losses of leather at the spine ends, light damp staining, foxing. Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin (1763-1826) was a general of infantry, a favourite of Paul I and head of his foreign policy, and Military Governor and Governor General of Moscow during the Napoleonic invasion. He is also known as a writer, patriotic publicist and memoirist. Sm.-Sok. 1071. Alexander Filippovich Smirdin (1795-1857) was a Russian bookseller and publisher. His principal achievement lay in making books more affordable, in recognising literary works as capital and in strengthening the connection between literature and the book trade. His activity played a significant role in the history of Russian enlightenment. In the late 1840s Smirdin undertook the publication of the works of Russian authors, beginning with Lomonosov, Trediakovsky and others, aiming at editions as complete as possible but in a compact format with dense type, so that each volume could be sold at a low price. In total, 70 books by 35 authors were issued. The series ‘Complete Works of Russian Authors’ proved highly successful and sold rapidly.