BOULGAKOV, M.A. (1891–1940) Rasskazy [Short Stories]. [Leningrad]: Zinoviev State Printing House, [1926]. 58, [3] pp.: ill.; 15 x 11.5 cm. (Illustrated humour library of the magazine ‘Smekhatch’; no. 15). Illustrations by N. Radlov. Fair condition. Cover missing. Scuffing, soiling, tears to the edges, first and last pages detached, owner’s inscriptions on the title page. The collection brings together the serialised stories ‘Inflammation of the Brain’, ‘The Golden Correspondence of Ferapont Ferapontovich Kaportsev’, ‘The Flying Dutchman’, ‘A Nasty Character’, ‘The Water of Life’, ‘A Daily Paper of Precious Stones’, ‘A Place on Wheels’, ‘The Egyptian Mummy’ and others. During Mikhail Bulgakov’s lifetime, three collections of his short stories were published in the USSR: ‘Diaboliade’, published by Nedra in 1925 (reprinted in 1926), the collection from the ‘Illustrated Humour Library of Smekhach Magazine’ (1926) and ‘A Treatise on Housing’, published by ZiF (1926). In 1926, the OGPU raided Bulgakov’s home and seized his diary and the typewritten copies of ‘Heart of a Dog’. At the same time, the Soviet press began to criticise him fiercely. Despite the success of his plays, from 1930 onwards his books were no longer printed and his plays disappeared from the theatre repertoire. One of the three editions of the writer’s works published in the USSR during his lifetime. At the buyer’s request, we will be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.