SOVIET

The parallel which Bertrand Russell showed between Marxism and Christianity is apparent in this piece of quasi-religious propaganda, which presumably emanates from the Communist Party of Great Britain. It is printed in red on one side of a 20 x 29 cm piece of shiny paper, scarcely thicker than tracing paper. Lightly aged, and with creasing and wear to extremities. The text, which translates part of a letter sent by Stalin to the Rabochaya Gazeta on the first anniversary of Stalin’s death, reads as follows: ‘Remember, love and study Lenin, our teacher and leader.

Peteris Cedrins possessed an interesting dual heritage: born in the US to exiles from communism, he grew up in Chicago, was educated at Bard College (NYS), and settled in Latvia on the fall of the Soviet Union. He published in English and Lavian in the US, UK and Latvia. See the appreciative obituary by Jeffrey Sommers, posted on the ‘Counterpunch’ website on 11 August 2022: ‘Memoriam: Latvia’s Peteris Cedrins, Last of the National Poets’.

Biographical details regarding Humphreys are hard to come by. He features in two Times reports of the indisposition of the pianist Cyril Smith in Moscow in 1956 (8 May and 9 June). On his award of the OBE in the 1958 New Years Honours List he was described as 'lately First Secretary and Medical Officer at Her Majesty's Embassy in Moscow'. On his retirement in 1987 he was described as 'Col. T. V. Humphreys, O.B.E., M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O.

On 6 x 7.5 cm slip of paper, laid down on a piece of card. In good condition, lightly aged. A good firm and large signature, reading 'I. Maisky'.

After the February Revolution and abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, Kerensky, as Minister of War, was the dominant figure in the provisional government that held power until overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution. According to Semion Lyandres, 'The Fall of Tsarism', along with Lev Stepanovich Tugan-Baranovskii and G. N. Tumanov, Captain G. A. Iakubovich 'belonged to the troika of Kerenskii's most trusted military aides during his tenure in the Provisional Government'. 4pp., foolscap 8vo. First page headed: 'Council of Peasants' Delegates. | 24th. May 1917.

Three issues, printed paper wraps, 4to, some staining and rusted staples, mainly good+. "An interesting perspective on world affairs and Cold War issues". As far as I can trell from COPAC and WorldCat, no British or US library hold any issues.

Landscape 8vo album, containing eighteen leaves in embossed light-green card, each carrying a 17.5 x 23.5 cm black and white photograph. In embossed brown waxed imitation-leather cloth. Lightly-aged but good. The first photograph is of Shuster, and this is followed by three photographs each carrying numerous portraits of tutors, the rest of the photographs each carrying a portraits of a number of students, superimposed over images of Kiev, and of the students on their courses. A few photographs carry texts in Russian by Russian leaders.

5pp., folio. Duplicate typescript on three leaves. In fair condition, on aged paper. The first article, produced on the eve of Indian independence, begins: 'Moscow radio broadcast an account of a lecture given by Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Zhukove on "The Situation in India" at the Polytechnical Museum in Moscow.' It proceeds with a summary of Zhukov's lecture, the view he expounds including the following: 'Britain's new policy derives from the economic changes which took place in India during the years of the Second World War.

3pp., 8vo. In fair condition, single-spaced, on three leaves of aged and worn paper, held together with a small rusted pin. Designed to clearly state the party line. Begins: 'If we want to understand what is going on, we must understand the Background.' Sections titled 'The Background' and 'The Attitude of Britain' follow. A key section reads: 'But whatever people think - the Russian Government decided that the time was ripe to take control of the Baltic. They were not frightened of Finland or the Finns - but they were apprehensive of Finland in conjunction with the great powers.

The three items are each 4pp., 4to, in bifoliums, and uniform in design. Each carrying a number of articles in small print. Each on aged paper and with wear to margin along outer edge, but with text clear and undamaged. No. 5 includes articles titled: 'Referendum Results', 'Poland's National Day', 'Polish-British Relations', 'Poland's Independence and Freedom Secured | M. Bierut speaks to Democratic Party Congress', 'A Polish Economic System'. No. 14 has in it articles on 'Mr. Byrnes v.

1p., folio. Printed in red. Sixty lines of text. In fair conditon, lightly aged and worn. The first paragraph reads: 'The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia has provoked the expected emotional outburst from the reformist Left, tailing as usual behind the hypocritical phrases of the British ruling class, who weep over "poor Czechoslovakia" while actively supporting the 100-times-worse suffering inflicted by the US on the Vietnamese.

114pp., 4to. Typescript by May Hemery Ltd in black and red ink, with pages on rectos only. In black card covers, with label on front. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear, in worn covers. See Steve Nicholson, 'British theatre and the Red Peril: the Portrayal of Communism 1917-1945': 'Originally called 'Face to Face', 'Comrade Detective' was translated, designed and produced by Herbert Marshall on the suggestion of the wife of the Soviet Ambassador.

One page, 8vo, fold marks, good condition. I've been hoping for an opening so as to make that excursion to Gerrards Cross, but alas it has not opened. Now I am completely involved in a Shaef [SHAEF = Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force] press job and hope to be over the water very soon - so such delights fade from view. || It's a disappointment - it would have been fun to dish the dirt with you - but there's always after the war and by that time they'll be more dirt."BBC website headline: "Cedric Belfrage, the WW2 spy Britain was embarrassed to pursue"

One page, 8vo, fold marks, good condition. I've been hoping for an opening so as to make that excursion to Gerrards Cross, but alas it has not opened. Now I am completely involved in a Shaef [SHAEF = Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force] press job and hope to be over the water very soon - so such delights fade from view. || It's a disappointment - it would have been fun to dish the dirt with you - but there's always after the war and by that time they'll be more dirt."BBC website headline: "Cedric Belfrage, the WW2 spy Britain was embarrassed to pursue"

Crisply printed on one side of a piece of 9 x 14 cm card, with Boyd's signature in blue ink, and Vassall's name typed. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Headed in gothic letters 'Central Criminal Court', with the rest reading: 'PRESS PASS | The holder is authorised, as a Press Representative, to obtain admission to the Court during the trial of [typed: 'WILLIAM JOHN CHRISTOPHER VASSALL'] | This pass does NOT entitle the holder to a seat.

15pp., 16mo. Fair, on aged and lightly-worn paper. In an 'Introduction' on the reverse of the title, Henderson explains that he thinks 'a second edition of the pamphlet would be timely, the more so that the presentation of Polish-Soviet relations in their true perspective is of great importance to the Allies.' In writing the pamphlet his 'purpose was primarily to reply to Mr.

12mo, 8 pp. Slight damage from rust of paperclip, otherwise good, on aged paper. Priced at '0d'. Photograph of Ehrenburg on p.3. The slug carries the code 'CP/C/31/4/43.', the last three elements indicating the date of publication. Scarce: COPAC only lists a microfilm reproduction at the British Library.

The story on nine numbered 4to pages, with a covering page carrying the title: 'THE BATTLE OF THE WAVES FOR FREEDOM. | By Maxim Gorki.' On the rectos of ten 4to leaves, attached by a brass pin. Text clear and complete at 26 lines to the page. On worn, discoloured paper (watermarked 'CONQUEROR | LONDON'), with loss to extremities. Mrs Gill's purple oblong stamp in bottom left-hand corner of reverse of last leaf: 'Mrs.

Small 4to, 61 pp, with the first four pages unpaginated and the last ones paginated 1-57. In notebook of good laid paper, in decorative boards. Text clear and complete. Very good, on lightly-aged paper; in worn and chipped wraps, with 'U.S.S.R.' on spine and front board. Various addresses by Whelan inside the front cover, with the date 1936 amended to 1945 and 1950. Pages of slogans and abbreviations are followed by the notebook itself. The volume intersperses notes on the visit (ending at p.31) with extracts of quotations, statistics and other matter about the Soviet Union.

Good, bold signature on slip of laid paper (presumably cut from letter) roughly 3.5 x 11.5 cm. In good condition. Simply reads 'Beatrice Webb'.

Bifolium (dimensions of the two leaves 14.5 x 22.5 cm), 4 pp. Printed on light-green paper. Lightly worn and creased with one short closed tear. Contains 14 photographs of riders engaged in impressive stunts, including riding through flame, riding upside down and in a pyramid formation. No trace of existence of the troupe appears to have survived. Although in costume, to the ignorant eye they do not look particularly Cossack, and their signatures are not written in Cyrillic. The names, which do not yield any clues either, include 'A Boulanoff' and 'N. Golouboff'.

Dimensions of photograph roughly nine inches by seven wide. Aged, lightly creased and a little scuffed. Slight loss to bottom right-hand corner of border, not affecting image. A bespectacled Malko in a double-breasted pinstripe jacket, in the act of conducting, baton aloft, and with violinist in the background. Malko has written his inscription over his torso, beginning 'Cnacudo', and giving the date 1949.

English linguist and traveller (died 1923), founder (in 1893) and president of the Anglo-Russian Literary Society. One page, 16mo. Very good. Bearing the Society's stamp. 'I thank you for your kind invitation for the 28th Inst, of which I will be pleased to avail myself, if able to go to London. Has our old friend, your predecessor, resigned the Secretaryship, & is his address the Liberal Club as before? If you and any friends care for music, I enclose a Card.' Signed 'Ed. A. Cazalet'.

33 pages, 8vo. In original printed wraps, with cartoon of Khrushchev on front wrap. In good condition, with slight spotting and staining to front wrap. Rust stains from staples and from paperclip at heads of front wrap and first leaf. Offsetting to inside of front wrap from newspaper cutting of article by Walter Lippman, 'WHAT KHRUSHCHEV DID NOT SAY ABOUT THE TERROR | Stalin Insufficient as Scapegoat'. Introduction by 'A STUDENT OF SOVIET AFFAIRS'. Internally subtitled 'The unmasking of Stalin'.