Silver corner in the form of a double-headed eagle from a tray copy and front cover of volume III [Imperial hunting in Russia, late 17th and 18th centuries. 1902]

Introduction. About the interest of every Russian.

In Soviet times, the attitude to antiquarian books, to put it mildly, was different. Any collector who started collecting in the 1960s and 70s has a story ready: how the Brockhaus and Efron encyclopedia (almost any book masterpiece can be inserted here) was brought into waste paper for a volume of Conan Doyle. But there is a book that was valued in the days of any empire - both Russian and Soviet. And any man in the street, far from books, having cast one glance at her, understood that something very valuable was in front of him. I'm talking about 4 volumes of N. I. Kutepov "Grand Duke, Royal and Imperial hunting in Russia", which are most often abbreviated as "Royal Hunt".

In our time, when the price is set by the market, its value at auctions ranges from 100 to 200 thousand dollars, when we hear the price, we wave our heads: "an absolute masterpiece." In the days of Soviet second-hand book dealers with traditional receivers, prices were set by the state and were reflected in the price list catalogs of the USSR. With all due respect to these catalogs, they did not set criteria for book value (although the 4-volume edition in question was listed in the “Russian History” section of Mosbukkniga, No. 189, with a value of 1250-1500 rubles). For me, the moment was indicative when, in order to show me, the boy, the "Royal Hunt", my father negotiated with the Department of Rare Books of the University. For understanding: I could see the rest of the book rarities from my father's acquaintances.

The value of the book at all times was provided by a combination of components: kings (read - empire), hunting and magnificent illustrations. The words "empire" and "hunting" have always caressed the ears of the Russian people. No wonder the spiritual father of the publication, Emperor Alexander III, said about him: "This work is all the more desirable because it is of interest to every Russian". The book from the moment of its release, having a huge price tag - 50 rubles per volume, has always been a success.

Recently, many articles about this edition have appeared, most of them posted on the Internet. So my note is a sort of summary of these articles; however, there are some developments. Initially, my plan was to describe each volume of the publication separately and include illustrations. But it turned out our mutual friend gpib (Historical Library) gave us all a gift by scanning all 4 volumes and laying it out for free and did not say anything. See the link at the end of the post. So now you don’t have to sell a couple of apartments to look through a masterpiece. And I can focus on the description of the edition.

How it all began.

Thanks to this edition, Alexander III went down in history as a hunter. Although, if you read the works of historians, the tsar preferred fishing to hunting (remember the famous: “Europe can wait until the Russian tsar catches fish”). The emperor expressed his desire to create a work on the history of royal hunting in Russia, not holding a wild boar at gunpoint, but while inspecting the hunting grounds in Gatchina. The order was given Head of the Imperial Hunt Prince Dmitry Borisovich Golitsyn, and he, in turn, forwarded it to his deputy, Colonel Nikolai Ivanovich Kutepov. The biography of the colonel, and after writing the publication, I do not cite the major general, in WiKi is fully revealed .

General Kutepov at a costume ball in 1903 dressed as a falconer and watercolor by Samokish N. "Falconer".

Kutepov N.I. was not a professional writer, but the talent of a researcher and a good organizer was fully revealed while fulfilling the royal commission. Numerous archives have been studied, many materials from them are reproduced in the publication.

He attracted scientists and collectors to work. Not only used their materials (numerous engravings in the publication from the famous collection Dashkov Pavel Yakovlevich (1849-1910)), but also by their advice. Among them: A. F. Bychkov, V. V. Stasov, N. P. Likhachev, A. A. Favorsky, S. L. Shiryaev, S. N. Shubinsky, S. A. Belokurov, N. P. Pavlov -Silvansky, A. V. Polovtsov, G. V. Esipov, V. P. Lambin, I. M. Gubkin.

It is not surprising that the colonel became a first-class specialist in the history of Russian hunting. It was he who was entrusted with writing the corresponding article for the "Encyclopedic Dictionary" of Brockhaus and Efron (vol. XXXVII a, pp. 808-811).

The initial result was the publication in 1893 of "Aide-memoire on the state of affairs in compiling the Collection of Materials Concerning the History of the Grand-Ducal, Tsarist and Imperial Hunts in Russia". A sort of, as it is fashionable to say now, a roadmap for a future edition.

The circulation of the book was 10 copies and was intended solely for the royal person. The binding was appropriate: on a dark green background in the middle - an imperial double-headed eagle embossed with gold, clutching two hunting horns in its paws; in the lower right corner there is an inscription in gold embossing: “1891-1893. G.Gatchino.

Researchers point out that there was also a trial edition: it was also published in a circulation of 10 copies, later it was increased by 35 copies. But I did not find information about it, and there are discrepancies in the articles, so I do not dwell on it.

After the content of the essays was approved by Alexander III, it was decided to involve the best artists in the publication, and to entrust the publication itself Expeditions for the preparation of state papers(we talked about the predecessor of Goznak in, in the future I will definitely dedicate a separate note to this printing house).

The emperor himself did not live to see the publication of the first volume. The memory of him is captured in the publication - in the dedication: “This work is reverently dedicated to the blessed and eternal memory of the great sovereign Alexander III, begun according to his royal desire, fulfilled according to his thoughts”, and in the design of books. On the cover of the binding of volume I is the monogram of Alexander III with the image of the imperial crown in the rays of the sun.

The success of the publication is certainly the work of the best artists. Worked on it the most Samokish Nikolay Semyonovich. He is the author of the design of the bindings of all volumes (ornaments, endpaper drawings) and he made 173 miniatures in the text.

Even an incomplete list of authors whose works are presented in the "Hunt" includes the entire color of Russian painting: E. E. Lansere, A. N. Benois, L. S. Bakst, K. V. Lebedev, A. P. Ryabushkin, L O. Pasternak, V. I. Surikov, A. M. Vasnetsov, I. E. Repin, V. A. Serov, A. S. Stepanov, A. K. Beggrov, F. A. Rubo, A. V Makovsky N. E. Sverchkov, V. I. Navozov, P. P. Sokolov, M. A. Zichy, Ya. I. Brovar, A. E. Karneev, V. G. Schwartz, V. Yakobi.

Kutepov himself supervised the work of painters and the head of the artistic part of the Expedition, a professional engraver Gustav Ignatievich Frank. He played the role of a playing coach: he made one of the five etchings - "Fyodor Nikitich Romanov-Zakharyin-Yuriev" from the original by I.E. Repin for the 2nd volume.

The publication uses the entire available set for reproduction of images: autotype and chromolithography, heliogravures and etchings.

T. 1. - Great princely and royal hunting in Russia from the 10th to the 16th centuries. - N.S. Samokish and V.M. Vasnetsov.
T. 2. - Royal hunting in Russia of Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. XVII century. - V.M. Vasnetsov, K.V. Lebedev, I.E. Repin, A.P. Ryabushkin, F.A. Roubaud, N.S. Samokish and V.I. Surikov.
T. 3. - Royal and imperial hunting in Russia. Late 17th and 18th centuries. – A.N. Benois, A.M. Vasnetsov, E.E. Lansere, K.V. Lebedev, L.O. Pasternak, I.E. Repin, A.P. Ryabushkin, N.S. Samokish, A.S. Stepanov, V.A. Serov and V.I. Surikov.
T. 4. - Imperial hunting in Russia. End of the 18th and 19th centuries. - A.N. Benois, K.V. Lebedev, L.O. Pasternak, I.E. Repin, N.S. Samokish, Zichy M.A. and A.S. Stepanov.

Many researchers note that there should have been volume 5 dedicated to the reign of Alexander III. But Kutepov did not have time to describe the time in which he lived. By the way, the fourth volume was published after the death of the general, thanks to the efforts of the widow, Elena Andreevna.

Specially for this edition was cast font "medieval" and developed a special kind of coated paper.

Circulation of "royal books of high quality" and edition options.

There is no reliable information about the circulation of beautiful volumes of the “in quarto” format. Researchers suggest that the circulation of the first volume was 400 copies, the rest - 500. The publication had several versions.

Tray option. Full leather bindings with silver corners in the form of double-headed eagles. 84 sample of silver. Triple gold trim and moire endpapers. Each volume is in a special case, lined with cloth from the inside. (I am typing, but my own hands do not obey from such delights).

The usual option. Half-leather bindings. On the top covers of both versions, decorative symbolic compositions were executed with gold and color embossing.

The authors of some descriptions mention a simple version of the publication - paper publishing covers. I deeply doubt that part of the limited edition came out in simple paper covers (for independent binding), I have never seen a mention of such a form among the auctioneers.

Part of the circulation is numbered, as modern authors suggest, the number of numbered copies was very small (it was definitely up to 190 (this copy was exhibited by AD "On Nikitsky"). On the contrary, both Burtsev and Berezin (N.B.) in their catalogs say that all copies were numbered.

There are references that the bindings were made workshop of Kirchner Otto Frantsevich (Kirchner Otto Francevich). I readily believe it: he had the status of "Supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty."

French edition

The expedition published the same edition in French.

Coutepoff, N. La chasse grand-ducale et tsarienne en Russie. S.-P.: Expedition pour la confection des papiers d "etat, 1896-1900.

The translator was Dr. Alexis Lurus. Under this mysterious nickname, a journalist was opened Wolf Alexey Andreevich(? -1901) (Masanov I.F. Dictionary of pseudonyms of Russian writers, scientists and public figures: In 4 vols. T. 3. M., 1958. S. 318).

The design practically did not differ from the publication in Russian. The changes were not significant (for example: the spelling of the title was done in the Gothic style).

Only 2 volumes were published, with a circulation of 200 copies. Why the publication did not come out to the end - I did not find the answer.

instead of a conclusion.

"Royal Hunt" is a typical example of a valuable, but not rare publication. In fact, it is always on sale (at the moment there are at least two offers, the price, however, is a cosmic 12 million rubles).

Sources:

Contemporary articles:

• Piggot E. "Graceful, luxurious, artistic ..." (About the book by N. I. Kutepov "Royal hunting in Russia")// Antiques. Art and collectibles. M., 2002. No. 3. pp. 26-31;
• Aksenova G.V. “Grand-Ducal, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia” by Nikolai Kutepov / N. I. Kutepov. Grand Duke and Royal hunting in Russia. - M., 2002;
• Aksenova G.V. Russian book culture at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries: Monograph.– M.: MPGU, 2011. 200 p.;
• Vlasova R.I. Illustrations and artistic design of N. I. Kutepov’s essays “Grand Duke, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia” Volume I // Museums of Russia: searches, research, work experience. Collection of scientific papers. SPb., 2005. No. 8. [page is not always available];
• Bortsova E.A. Old Russian motifs in the book works of N. S. Samokish (on the example of N. I. Kutepov’s publication “The Grand Duke, Tsar and Imperial Hunting in Russia) // Bulletin of Slavic Cultures. M. 2014. No. 4 (34).

Historical documents:

Bibliographic indexes and catalogues:

Vengerov A. and S. Bibliography. 1647–1977 in some kingdom. Book I No. 109;

N.B. [Berezin, N. I.] Russian book rarities No. 146. (II part p. 36);

Burtsev A.E. "A Comprehensive Bibliographic Description of Rare and Remarkable Books". SPb., 1901, vol. I, no. 156, p. 110;

Antiquarian catalog JSC "Mezhdunarodnaya kniga" No. 44. "Art and Anniversary Editions (a book in an elegant design)". M. 1934, No. 171. ($50);

Bibliographic index of literature and recommended prices for the section "Russian History" Mosbukkniga, No. 189;

Anofriev N.Yu. Russian hunting library. A complete list of books and brochures with brief reviews about each of them. Brest-Litovsk, 1905, pp. 38-39;

Schwerdt's collection of. Hunting, Hawking, Shooting books. Vol. I, p.p. 291-292;

The Paul M. Fekula collection. A catalogue. N.Y., 1988, No. 2575;

P.S. True, I did not quite understand why the bibliographic description indicated: 2nd edition. (Samples with a circulation of 10 to 35 copies without illustrations, it seems, cannot be considered as 1 edition).

I wanted to draw attention to the bookmarks on copies of the GPIB. According to them: Volume 1 belonged to Bobrinsky Alexey Alexandrovich (1852-1927). Volume 2 - Count Kutaisov Konstantin Pavlovich, volume 4 - Library of the Russian Historical Museum of Alexander III.

"Grand Duke, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia" - an article about the unique work of Nikolai Kutepov and the history of its creation

Kutepov N. "Grand Duke, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia"

This four-volume edition is one of the best examples of book publishing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The historical essay covers a large period in Russian history, from the first princes of Ancient Russia to the reign of Emperor Alexander II, and tells not only about the history of hunting, but also about the lifestyle of Russian monarchs and their hobbies.

The book contains unique historical material from the moment the Old Russian state was formed until the end of the 19th century. The publication provides evidence of the prevalence of hunting, the abundance of game and the use of hunting products; references in chronicles about the beliefs of the people related to hunting; the meaning of royal hunting is everyday and political; sending birds of prey and falconers to foreign lands, with the addition of information about the purpose of the embassies, the reception of ambassadors and special circumstances.

There are also excerpts from the hunting diaries of the kings with a description of the royal hunts, places of production of this or that hunt, special circumstances accompanying the hunt, and so on; certificates of organization and personnel of bird and dog hunting, beavers, hunting horses, hunting equipment; bear and lion fun; hunting spells, beliefs and more. The book is one of the best works of Russian book art. Immediately after its publication, the edition became a legend and a bibliographic rarity.

The author of the idea of ​​creating such a book was Emperor Alexander III, who expressed a wish to write the history of the royal hunt in Russia. The publication was to be illustrated by the best Russian artists. This order was given to the Imperial Hunting Department, in which N.I. Kutepov served as the head of the economic part of the Imperial hunt.

Since Kutepov's place of service was in Gatchina, it can be said that the book "Grand Duke, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia" was born here. In 1893 was published " Aide-memoire on the state of affairs in compiling the Collection of Materials Concerning the Grand-Ducal, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia”, a kind of detailed plan for a future book. In the center of the cover of the copy kept in the Russian State Library (Moscow), an imperial double-headed eagle was depicted clutching two hunting horns in its paws, and in the lower right corner there was an inscription “ 1891–1893 Gatchino».

N.I. Kutepov did a lot of research work, collecting all the documents on the history of hunting known by that time in Russian archives and libraries. The Notes, which make up almost half of each volume, contain the texts of authentic historical documents. Until now, this work is unsurpassed in the richness of the collected materials.

In the service of N.I. Kutepov was distinguished by good organizational skills, which helped him in creating an excellent team of artists who worked on the design of the "Royal Hunt". The book contains works of famous Russian artists - I.E. Repin, F.A. Rubo, V.A. Serov, V.I. Surikova, L.O. Pasternak, A.P. Ryabushkina, A.M. and V.M. Vasnetsov and many others. The author of the cover design of the edition, drawings of endpapers and many illustrations in the text was Nikolai Semenovich Samokish- one of the outstanding graphic artists of the late XIX - early XX century.

"Royal Hunt" N.I. Kutepova contributed to an increase in interest in book graphics and illustration, thereby developing the art of decorating books.

The essay appeared in several editions. The book was originally bound in dark green calico without illustrations, with minimal embellishment in the form of modest endings that close the chapters. The work received the highest approval. After that, N.I. Kutepov set about publishing the book in the form that Alexander III dreamed of. The publication was carried out in the printing house of the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers, which was considered the best printing house of that time in Russia. The equipment of the printing house made it possible to produce beautiful fonts, reproduce the drawings of artists, and make silver corners in the form of double-headed eagles. High-quality paper was used, expensive materials for luxurious bindings. Interest in bibliophile publications, which are works of art in the book business, was characteristic of that time, and this book became such.

First volume, dedicated to the history of the grand ducal and royal hunting in Russia from the 10th to the 16th centuries, was published in 1896 year. The book contained a dedication "To the Blessed and Eternal Memory of the Great Sovereign Alexander III", which was reproduced in all subsequent volumes. Second volume, telling about the royal hunt in the 17th century, was published in 1898 year. Copies using the most expensive materials were intended for offerings to high-ranking officials, people who assisted in the publication of the book.

In design third volume published in 1902 year, artists - members of the artistic association "World of Art" took part: L.S. Bakst, A.N. Benois, E.E. Lansere. The works of these artists, although they made up only a part of the illustrations and design of the "Royal and Imperial Hunt", immediately changed the appearance of the publication, giving it new qualities. Participation in this project was of considerable importance for the "World of Art" and for the history of Russian book graphics. In this work, new principles for the design and illustration of books on a historical theme were developed, the foundations were laid for the graphic style of the World of Art association, where a deep knowledge of the culture of the depicted era was combined with a flight of fancy, an understanding of the requirements of book specificity with the freedom and flexibility of artistic language.

Fourth volume, dedicated to the eras of reign from Paul I to Alexander II, was published in 1911 year after the death of N.I. Kutepov, which followed on December 23, 1907 (January 11, 1908). The work was completed thanks to the efforts of his wife Elena Andreevna Kutepova.

The book (volumes 3 and 4) repeatedly mentions the Gatchina lands where the emperors hunted and the history of the Jaeger settlement, which was built in the middle of the 19th century in Gatchina. In the fourth volume you can see illustrations dedicated to Gatchina: A. Benois “Walk of Emperor Paul I with his retinue through the Menagerie in the mountains. Gatchina", "Walk of the Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich with his wife Alexandra Fedorovna and retinue in the mountains. Gatchina, N. Samokish, Priory Palace in the mountains. Gatchina", "Gatchinka River Valley in Menagerie", "Imperial Gatchina Farm".

Grand ducal, royal and imperial hunting in Russia - the history of creation

"This work is all the more desirable because it is of interest to every Russian ". With these words he accompanied Emperor Alexander III in May 1891 his wish to compile the history of the royal hunt in Russia, expressed to the head of the Imperial hunt, Prince Dmitry Borisovich Golitsyn and the head of the economic department, Colonel Nikolai Ivanovich Kutepov during a round of hunting grounds in Gatchina.

N.I. Kutepov did a great deal of research work, having studied a large number of materials on the history of royal hunts in various Russian archives and libraries. In "Notes", which make up almost half of each volume of the "Royal Hunt in Russia", N.I. Kutepov gave the full texts of the original historical documents with which he worked. The scientific value of the materials collected by N.I. Kutepov, is also confirmed by the fact that he was entrusted with writing an article for F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron, dedicated to the royal and grand-princely hunting in Russia (see v. XXXVIIa, pp. 808-811).

In 1893, N.I. Kutepov published "Aide-memoire on the state of affairs in compiling the "Collection of materials relating to the history of the grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunts in Russia", where he gave a detailed plan for the maintenance of his work for the time period up to the 17th century inclusive. "Memorandum" was published in a dark green binding, in the middle of the front cover there is an imperial double-headed eagle embossed with gold, clutching two hunting horns in its paws; G. Gatchino".

In 1893-1895. in the printing house of the Main Directorate of Appanages in St. Petersburg, the history of the royal hunts, written by N.I. Kutepov, was published for the first time. This edition was exclusively small-circulation and had no illustrations; its purpose explains letter from N.I. Kutepov to the artist V.V. Vereshchagin, with whom he was familiar from the time of hostilities in Bulgaria:

"Dear Vasily Vasilyevich! Here's my brainchild for you: please don't swear, and most importantly, this edition came out in only 10 copies, especially for comrades of good people - so far, quite like His Majesty has not seen him yet - yes, it has not yet been completed literary, and requires a strong and careful proofreading. I published it hastily in this form also because it needs to be illustrated - there is a small fraction of drawings and things of monuments"(State Tretyakov Gallery, f.17, N 806, b / d).

The design of the binding of the edition of the Main Department of Appanages is similar to the binding of the "Memorandum", only it is full-leather, and the dates indicated on it are 1893-1895. The endpapers are made of light "moire" paper, the edge is covered with gilding. Of the decorations in the text, only modest typographic endings are used.

In May 1894, N.I. Kutepov presented the first volume of the "trial" edition to Alexander III, for which he was awarded royal gratitude and permission to illustrate the edition by the best Russian artists. To do this, it was necessary to find a printing house equipped with very good reproduction equipment. "Great-princely, royal and imperial hunting in Russia" 1896-1911, as you know, published Expedition for procurement of state papers, which by the indicated period was considered the best printing house in Russia.

The expedition was founded in 1818, at the direction of Emperor Alexander I, as a government agency for the production of banknotes and other securities. Along with its direct activities, the Expedition was actively engaged in the publication of books. Being a state institution and therefore not being constrained by funds, the Expedition was able to equip its workshops with the most modern equipment. The high level of technical equipment of the Expedition, as well as the presence of leading Russian specialists in the field of printing in its staff, made it possible to produce everything for the publication, which was originally conceived as luxurious: and beautiful fonts (" Royal hunting in Russia"was typed in a then new typeface" medieval"), and silver corners in the form of double-headed eagles, and high-quality paper, which has practically not changed its color over a century, and magnificent reproductions of watercolors, tempera and other drawings by artists. artists of the turn of the century - V.M. Vasnetsov, I.E. Repin, A.N. Benois, V.A. Serov, L.O. Pasternak, A.P. Ryabushkin, V.I. reproduced by chromolithography, and the vignettes of the artist N.S. Samokish, which adorned all 4 volumes of the publication, were photographically autotyped.For the chromolithographs pasted into the book, a special kind of thick paper with a relief surface was used. Also, there were captions for the drawings.

Responsible for the reproduction of visual material in the publication was the head of the artistic part of the Expedition, a professional engraver Gustav Ignatievich Frank, who also executed the etching "Fyodor Nikitich Romanov-Zakharyin-Yuriev" from the original by I.E. Repin for the 2nd volume. Here it should be mentioned that, along with autotype and chromolithography, 4 etchings are placed in the "Royal Hunt in Russia" (one mentioned above, in the 2nd volume, and three in the 3rd volume of the edition, from the originals of V.I. Yakobi ), as well as two heliogravures (in the 2nd volume, from the originals by V.I. Surikov and K.V. Lebedev).

More than any other artist, The Royal Hunt in Russia owes its memorable image to Nikolai Semyonovich Samokish, one of the outstanding book graphic artists of the turn of the century. It is he who is the author of the design of the bindings of all four volumes of the publication, as well as the drawings of the endpapers and illustrations in the text (except for the third volume, where the vignettes, along with N.S. and L.S. Bakst). Pen drawings by N.S. Samokish, depicting foot and horse hunters, wild animals, weapons, hunting dogs and birds, were often accompanied by the use of ornamental elements from ancient Russian manuscript books (in the first two volumes of the publication).

A separate group of illustrations is a suite of drawings by N. Samokish for L. Mey's poem "The Redeemer", dedicated to the hunting of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. These illustrations are a combination of graphic drawings, ornamental frames and the text of the poem, written in an old semi-charter. In such an original way - "text in text" - the part of the 2nd volume, reserved for notes, is illustrated. It is known that The Redeemer, illustrated by N.S. Samokish, was also published as a separate edition.

N.I. Kutepov was not only the author, but also the publisher of his historical work. He invited famous Russian artists to illustrate the book, conducted creative and organizational correspondence with them (for example, discussed plots for illustrations, negotiated the amount of fees, etc.), made the final selection of works for reproduction together with G.I. Frank, was kept abreast of the content of all stages of the publishing and printing process in the Expedition, and subsequently resolved issues related to the distribution of the book.

Four volumes of The Royal Hunt in Russia, as is known, were published in 1896, 1898, 1902 and 1911, respectively. The reason why almost ten years elapsed between the publication of the 3rd and 4th volumes, we learn from letters from the wife of Nikolai Ivanovich Kutepov - Elena Andreevna Kutepova - to the artist A.N. Benois, who took part in illustrating the III and IV volumes of the "Royal Hunt in Russia" (a letter in a mourning frame):

"Dear Alexander Nikolaevich, you, of course, know about the terrible grief that befell me, Nikolai Ivanovich died, he died suddenly on December 23 (29-? - indecipherable) December .- The work of his IV volume will not stop and I will be allowed to finish it and publish IV volume. So I ask you to continue your work and if you need anything - any information, please contact me - as I am aware of all the work of my late husband"(GRM, f. 137, item N 1120/1, January 25, 1908)

According to the elegance of design (purple binding with gold embossing, designed by N.S. Samokish in the Empire style, gilded edge, polychrome illustrations-inserts, silk lace) is the last volume of "Royal Hunt in Russia", published with the participation of E.A. Kutepova , in no way inferior to its "predecessors". From her letters to A.N. Benois, we learn that she discussed the drawings of artists for the 4th volume directly with Emperor Nicholas II: " ... I was waiting for a letter from G.I. Frank, where, at my request, he would inform me that he received the picture from you, but before my return to St. I have seen and maybe I will find it necessary to show it to His Majesty, as I do with all the paintings that I received after the death of my husband"(GRM, f. 137, item N 1120/3, July 22, 1908)

The last volume of "Royal Hunt in Russia" ends description of hunting at the court of Alexander II, with the reproduction of a significant number of sketches from nature artist M. Zichy, who repeatedly accompanied the emperor on his trips. Illness and death prevented N.I. Kutepov to highlight that period of the imperial hunts, in which he himself was a direct participant and organizer - the period of the reign of Alexander III. Perhaps this material would have been the final, 5th volume of the deluxe edition.

The appearance of each new volume of the "Royal Hunt in Russia" was accompanied by responses in the press, of which the reviews published in the journal "Historical Bulletin" are of the greatest historical and bibliological interest: reviews by P. Polevoy on the 1st and 2nd volumes (1896 .- T. LXIV, May. - P.676-678; 1899 .- T.XXY, February.- P.683-687) and S. Shubinsky's review of the 3rd volume (1903 .- T.XC1, March.- S.1136-1137).

N.I. Kutepov's publication was exhibited at several exhibitions, the most representative of which were: the exhibition "Art in a Book and Poster", held as part of the All-Russian Congress of Artists in St. Petersburg in December 1911 - January 1912. (the 3rd volume of the edition was shown), and the International Exhibition of Printing and Graphics in Leipzig, 1914. (all 4 volumes were exhibited).

"Royal Hunt in Russia" was published in several versions of binding: - full-leather binding, with silver corners of the 84th test in the form of double-headed eagles on the front cover (except for the 4th volume, which had no corners), with a triple gilded edge, in dust jacket in the color of the binding with a double-headed eagle embossed in gold (this version was supposedly intended for offering to high-ranking officials). In such copies there were fabric endpapers, as, for example, in a copy of the 4th volume from the library of Nicholas II (State Hermitage Museum)
– flyleaf and nachzatz moire, on the flyleaf
- Emperor's cypher embossed with gold;
- in calico binding with a leather spine, with a triple gilded edge, with paper endpapers, designed by N.S. Samokish (a similar version was prepared for retail sale; could be purchased at a price of 50 rubles per volume).

In addition, at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. - in the heyday of bibliophilia - they could not help but release numbered copies of such a wonderful edition, using the most expensive materials and in special cases lined with cloth from the inside. The numbers were listed on the volume's title page, which precedes the table of contents, and also on the slipcase label; apparently, there were at least 150 numbered copies (the maximum of those encountered was No. 137).

The circulation of the "Royal Hunt in Russia" was, apparently, small, due to the significant material costs for the publication of "high-quality royal books", as N.I. Kutepov called his brainchild. This explains the fact that the "Royal Hunt in Russia", especially its complete set, is extremely rare on the modern antique second-hand book market.

Kutepov Aleksey Mitrofanovich (September 10, 1929 February 28, 2004) is an outstanding Russian scientist in the field of theoretical foundations of chemical technology, who contributed to the development of the theory of hydromechanical, mass transfer and thermal processes. Biography ... ... Wikipedia

In a number of Turkic languages, kutep means short-legged. (F) The second, no less probable basis of the surname may be another Turkic word with the meaning of brave. brave. (B) From the letters of visitors I myself Kutepov and have long been interested in the origin of our ... ... Russian surnames

Alexander Pavlovich (1882 1930), general of infantry (1920). Member of the Russian-Japanese 1904-05 and World War I 1914-18. During the Civil War, he commanded a corps of the Denikin army, a corps and the 1st army in the Wrangel army. Emigrated ... Russian history

Alexander Pavlovich Kutepov September 16, 1882 (18820916) January 26, 1930 Place of birth Cherepovets, Novgorod province, Russian Empire ... Wikipedia

Kutepov Russian surname: Kutepov, Alexander Pavlovich (1882 1930) Russian military leader, one of the leaders of the White movement. Kutepov, Pavel Alexandrovich (1925 1983) the son of the previous one, an employee of the Department of External Church ... ... Wikipedia

Konstantin Vasilyevich Kutepov (1854-1911) Russian theologian writer. Archpriest, graduate of the Kazan Theological Academy (graduation of 1881, course XXII). His main work: "The Sects of Whips and Eunuchs" (Kazan, 1882, master's thesis; 2nd ed ... Wikipedia

Nikolai Petrovich Kutepov Russian theologian, archpriest. Pupil of the Kazan Theological Academy. His most important works: "History of the Donatist Schism" (1884, master's thesis), "A Brief History and Doctrine of Russian Rationalist and ... ... Wikipedia

Soviet aircraft designer. He worked in the Design Bureau of S. V. Ilyushin, was a deputy. general designer. Led the development of the IL 38 ... Big biographical encyclopedia

Books

• Russian hunting (leather binding), Kutepov N.I. Four volumes of this...
• Russian hunting, Kutepov N.. The book is printed according to the text of the rare edition "Grand Duke, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia" by the remarkable Russian historian Nikolai Ivanovich Kutepov. Four volumes of this...

With illustrations. Rare edition of the complete works of Major General Kutepov N.I. in IV volumes from the collection of rare folios of books of the library of Count Kutaisov K.P. Four volumes of this fundamental work were created between 1896 and 1911. Published at the end of the 19th century, a multi-volume essay by Major General Kutepov N.I. about the “Grand-Ducal, Tsar and Imperial Hunting in Russia”, immediately became the most remarkable monument of the book art and cultural history of Russia, as well as a valuable bibliographic rarity and an object of desire for many second-hand collectors. This work is still unsurpassed the largest collection of archival materials on the history and culture of hunting in Russia and in Russia. (List of volumes see below).

Author - Kutepov N.I. - a well-known historian, major general, head of the economic part of the Imperial hunt. In his four-volume work, he collected unique archival material on the history of hunting in Russia and in Russia since the formation of the ancient Russian state of the 10th century. until the end of the 19th century. The notes contain the texts of authentic historical documents: the works of Russian historians, notes of foreign travelers, annalistic and documentary evidence, literary works, excerpts from the hunting diaries of kings, and much more. Until now, this work remains unsurpassed in the richness of the collected historical materials.

The book tells about the development of hunting, about the intricacies of dog and falconry, about hunting life, equipment, beliefs and spells, about breeds of dogs and horses, hunting grounds, about the composition of the ranks and servants of royal hunting, about its everyday and political significance.

More than 2000 pages of text of antique folios are accompanied by many wonderful illustrations made in the technique of chromolithography. The best Russian artists of that time were involved in illustrating the publication. The publication contains more than 1850 illustrations made by a galaxy of famous artists who worked on the design of the “Grand-Ducal, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia”: Repin I.E., Rubo F.A., Serov V.A., Surikov V.I., Stepanov A.S., Pasternak L.O., Lebedev K.V., Ryabushkin A.P., Lansere E.E., Benois A.N., A.M. and V.M. Vasnetsov. The author of the cover design of the publication, drawings of endpapers and many illustrations in the text is Academician Nikolai Semenovich Samokish, one of the outstanding graphic artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "Grand-Ducal, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Russia" by Major General Kutepov N.I. is a true masterpiece of the art of graphics and decoration of books.

On our site you can download the book "Royal hunting in Russia. Historical essay. T. 2" Kutepov N. I. for free and without registration in djvu format, read the book online or buy the book in the online store.