In London, July 8, will be auctioned Sotheby's «Continental and Russian Books and Manuscripts». The catalog includes 111 lots. Only 36 of them can be attributed to the Russian.

history of Russian sales of books in the world's auction started a long time. Russian books, most avant-garde, was composed in specialized catalogs of Russian bid by the auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips, as a rule, twice a year. There were Russian books at auctions, and West Germany and later in small quantities, they began to appear in the specialized international tenders of those firms. But only in 2005, the house Sotheby's for the first time, prepared and conducted an auction dedicated to Russian books, promising to conduct such auctions in the future twice a year. In 2006, Sotheby's followed suit and the auction house Christie's, also announced a Russian book auctions. The first four auction firm Sotheby's held up to June 2007, adding to them and Russian photography. Then, in November 2007, due to lack of adequate number of Russian books and photographs offered for sale at auction, auction catalogs of Russian bookstores have become diluted by European books. Auction house Christie's in November 2006 and 2007 also held two full-scale auction of Russian books, calling them «Remarkable Russian books and manuscripts». The proportion of books on the Russian avant-garde of those auctions was insignificant compared to other books. Announced by Christie's on June 12, another Russian book auction because of the absence of an adequate number of books moved to a later date.

Starting a small review of the upcoming July 8 auction Sotheby's, I would like to note that the Russian avant-garde represented only 12 lots, and their initial price (estimeyt) correctly balanced in relation to quality. The exception is, perhaps, only a lot number 70 - «recondite gniga» Kruchenykh and Alyagrova presented at the auction owner from France and is tentatively estimated at 20 000-30 000 British pounds. The point is that proposed to sell a copy of only 9 linocut O. Rozanova that occurs in almost all the print run of this book, published in the number of 140 copies. Only a small number of copies of a 10 linocut, and these copies of the most valuable and rare. For example, a copy of 10 linocut was sold at auction Sotheby's 9 June 2005, the over 50 400 British pounds sterling, with estimeyte 12 000-15 000 pounds. My particular concern in the proposed sale to the original is a collage of the heart and attached to the buttons. The main cause for questioning the authenticity of the heart, made of lilac paper, which I had never seen any in almost 10 copies, which I kept in the hands, nor in the literature that describes this edition. All known to me the original copies were with the heart of the bright red lacquered paper thin. Genuine button bonded to the heart, bone, and should in no case the plastic, which would be contrary to the creation of books. To my regret, illustration of the directory is not an auction to determine the authenticity and conformity with the time of the collage. Paper hearts, even if judged by the catalog pictures, clearly do not patent, which is contrary to the intent of the O. Rozanova.

preferred a copy of the second edition of «Games in Hell» Illustrated Kazimir Malevich and Olga Rozanova (lot number 67). It is indeed not as rare as the first edition in 1912, (having a circulation of only 300 copies), but on thin paper (much of this edition was published on the poor, yellowish, and thick paper) and in very good condition.

overstated, in my opinion, the price of the lot number 69 «roaring Parnassus». While this publication was included in the list of the books seized by censorship, obviously, the ban was later lifted, and the late antique market (including auctions), this publication has been repeatedly met.

Journal «Ultramarine» № 2 (lot number 72) malotirazhen and mad rare. But this instance of the auction catalog, I had to describe to a collector from Ukraine several years ago and in it, if I recall correctly, there is no back cover and possibly the last few sheets!

Of the other lots of Russian books for collectors interested in high demand today: «Monument domestic muzam» (lot number 95), with a great, in my opinion, estimeytom 10 000 pounds, and, of course, intravital «Eugene Onegin »Alexander Pushkin in 1833 to 15 000 pounds (lot number 96). A similar copy of this edition was sold at auction in Moscow on 1 March this year when 75 000 U.S. dollars (based on percent of the auction house).

Anatoly Borovkov,

expert of the International Confederation of

antique and art dealers (MKAAD)