One and a half hundred book rarities and autographs were sold at the auction of the Literary Fund

ST. PETERSBURG. The II auction of rare books was held in the Northern capital.

The protracted crisis, the outflow of capital and a decrease in the activity of potential buyers inevitably affect the auction sector. Organizers of sales of intellectual rarities are getting used to price moderation and greater thoroughness in the selection of rarities put up for auction. The period of adaptation to new realities is in full swing, although true treasures are finding new owners in any situation.

At the second auction of the Literary Fund, held on March 4, less than half of the lots were sold. But what! In the complete works of Lomonosov 1803-1804. a considerable number of works by a scientist and poet unknown to the general public are included. Ladies salon albums with verses by Pushkin and poets of his circle in magnificent bindings, with engravings and illustrations aroused considerable interest. The eighth book of the famous almanac “Northern Flowers”, published in 1832 in memory of its founder Anton Delvig in favor of his family at the initiative of Pushkin, went into good hands. The auction participants were also interested in a souvenir tablecloth with a map image, issued after the opening of the railway connection between Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1851.

In a family, a rare edition of Mauritius Wolf will be handed down from generation to generation - the bilingual dictionary “Favorite Book of Children”, “Treasure Island” by Stevenson, published by Peter Soikin, a well-known popularizer of scientific achievements and a discoverer of a new direction in book publishing. Books and photographs with autographs of Maximilian Voloshin, Valery Bryusov, as well as Boris Chicherin, one of the founders of constitutional law in Russia, have replenished some collections.

Pleased auction and lovers of painting. Among the lots sold are a complete collection of engravings by the Dutch artist Adrian van Ostade, "Notes by the rector of the Jordan Academy of Arts" from the collection of the legendary bibliophile Yakov Grebenshchikov, rare editions with works by Grigoryev, Ermolaeva, Rozanova, Ostroumova-Lebedeva, Burliuk, Chagall. Of great interest was the poetry collections and drawings of the poet, artist, translator Vladimir Aleinikov, presented in the Second Russian Avant-Garde section.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru