Piast, Vladimir Alekseevich (1886 - 1940)	Ograda. Kniga stikhov. Spb., Izdanie T-va M.O.Vol´f, 1909. 95 p.	€275,00

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Small 8vo, decorative publisher´s covers. Book designed by Grigorii Narbut (Hryhorii Narbut) Collection of poems by a symbolist poet close to Alexander Blok and Sergei Makovskii circles. After Piast´s scandalous arrest (mentioned in Victor Serge´s famous 'Open letter to André Gide', although with some inaccuracies) and his imprisonment, the book was withdrawn from all Soviet libraries.In some cases copies were removed to Spetskhran but on many occasions copies went straight into furnace. Burning banned books was a common practice in the Soviet Union from 1917 and till early 1950s. Starting from mid -1950´s banned books were sent to pulp mills. The book was also banned for sale via state owned antiquarian bookstores till late 1950s. His name became non-existent in all publications on the history of 'Silver Age' poetry till late 1950. Very rare in original covers. Stricking covers in blue and black and ornamental title page designed by Heorhiy Ivanovich Narbut, 1886 - 1920. Narbut was a Ukrainian artist. His family had origins of ancient Lithuanian nobility and Narbut was very proud of it, stressing it on many occasions. Moved to St.Petersburg in 1906. Studied with Ivan Bilibin and Mstislav Dobuzhinskii. In 1909, Narbut continued his studies in Munich at Simon Holósy Art school. After his return from Munich became a full member of 'Mir Iskusstva' group already in 1909.He was the designer of many banknotes and stamps in independent Ukraine (1918). See: Makovskii, Sergei Portrety sovremennikov [...] (2000), Vladislavlev, V. Russkie pisateli. Opyt bibliogarficheskogo posobiia [...] (4th edition, 1924 Not in MOMA.