The 'Prague' edition of Shevchenko's Kobzar, published by Oleksandr Rusov on behalf of the Kyiv Hromada.

Published in exile after Tsar Alexander II signed the Ems Decree in 1876 at the expense of the Kyiv Hromada it's first uncensored edition of Kobzar. Members of the Hromada bought the publication rights from Shevchenko's two brothers, Mykyta and Yosyp in Kyiv in 1874 for a huge sun of 5000 rubles. There were in fact two separate volumes published in Prague, a larger volume with 414pp (which we have here) and a slimmer volume with 275pp. The second volume was published in a much smaller edition and included 18 poems from Shevchenko's 'Big Book', it is much scarcer than this first volume and they are seldom seen together (if ever). The present volume, which includes Turgenev's fond recollections of time spent with Shevchenko is also rare, with only four copies located in OCLC (Ohio State, the University of Illinois, National Library of Poland and the British Library).

First uncensored edition, 8vo, (22.6 x 15.2 cm); frontispiece portrait, with forewords from Ivan Turgenev and Iakov Polanskiy, 19th-century ownership to title, foreword and p.1, closed tear to p.31, minor staining including some small marginal damp stains to frontispiece; near contemporary brown leather binding, blindstamped with vine design and decorative corners to upper cover, fleuron to lower cover, upper cover gilt ruled, a very good copy; xxii, 414pp., errata leaf.