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an open book with a picture of a man on itan old book with a red and black cover sitting on top of a tablean old book opened to show the title of a novelan open book that has a picture of a man on it
Hermitage Fine Art

878 - SMIRDINE, A.F. (1795–1857), THREE EDITIONS
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Estimate €100 - €120
Sale commission
Description
SMIRDINE, A.F. (1795–1857), THREE EDITIONS 1) FONVIZIN, D.I. Sochineniya Fonvizina [The Works of Fonvizin]: [in 2 vols.]. 2nd ed. St Petersburg: printed by the Office for the Preparation of State Documents, 1847. [4], 712, III pp.; 17.5 x 12.5 cm. (Complete Works of Russian Authors). Contemporary half-leather binding, ribbed spine decorated with gilt metal tools, leather corners. Very good condition. Slight wear, a few foxing spots, owner’s inscription on the half-title page. 2) DERJAVIN G.R. Sochineniya Derzhavina [Works of Derzhavin]: [in 2 vols.]. 2nd ed. Saint 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, spined with gilt metal. Good condition. Some wear and foxing. Super-ex-libris ‘M.Zh.’ in gilt at the foot of the spines. 3) ROSTOPCHIN F.V. Sochineniya Rastopchina (grafa Feodora Vasil’evicha) [Works of Count Fyodor Vasilievich Rostopchin]. Saint 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, leather missing at the ends of the spine, slight water stains, foxing. Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin (1763–1826), a general of the infantry, a favourite of Paul I and the architect of his foreign policy, served as military governor and governor-general of Moscow during the Napoleonic invasion. He is also known as a writer, patriotic journalist and memoirist. Sm.-Sok. 1071. Alexander Filippovich Smirdin (1795–1857), Russian bookseller and publisher. His main achievement was to make books more affordable, to recognise literary works as an asset, and to strengthen the link between literature and the book trade. His work played an important role in the history of the Russian Enlightenment. In the late 1840s, Smirdine undertook the publication of works by Russian authors, beginning with Lomonosov, Trediakovsky and others, aiming for editions that were as complete as possible but in a compact format and with small type, so that each volume could be sold at a low price. In total, 70 books by 35 authors were published. The ‘Complete Works of Russian Authors’ collection was a great success and sold out quickly. At the buyer’s request, we would be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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About the sale RARE BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS: Antique books § Autographs, rare editions, photographs § Works on paper
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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