Extremely rare collection of letters of Catherine II published in a limited edition of not more than 250 copies; from the library of the tutor of the children of Alexander III.

This luxurious commemorative publication was prepared by academician Bychkov (1818–1899), who served as a keeper of the Department of manuscripts at the Imperial Public library and later as its Director. The book includes texts of 38 letters written by Catherine II herself in Russian or French to her close circle and European royalty, as well as her other writings on various topics, the originals of which were kept in the Public library. The edition benefits from a high quality production: it is printed on expensive thick paper, each page is adorned with gilt decorative border with Empress's monogram and the text is accompanied with facsimile of original manuscripts.

In the paper presented at a conference at the Russian Academy of Sciences an employee of the Russian National Library Gradova states that as few as 70 copies of the publication were printed. It contradicts a description of the edition given by Berezin, who claims that the run was 250 copies. Gradova's paper also includes a description of a frontispiece apparently included in the publication and mentioned as well by Berezin, which reproduces a portrait of the Empress by D.G. Levitskiy presented to the Public Library by Nicholas I in 1851. It seems that the frontispiece was not originally bound in all the copies of the work, as examples in the collections of public libraries in Europe, including the Russian State Library, and in the USA do not include it.

The offered copy comes from the library of Ferdinand Thormeyer (1858 - 1944), a tutor of French language and literature to future tsar Nicholas II and his siblings. Born and brought up in Geneva, Thormeyer emigrated to Russia as a young man where - in 1886 - he took up a position at the Russian court. He left Russia in 1899, five years after the death of Alexander III, but maintained contact with the Imperial family. Even after the revolution he kept corresponding with the Grand Duchesses Olga and Xenia, who emigrated managing to escape the sad fate of the rest of the family.

Quarto (27 x 22.5 cm). Title, [4], 160, 10 pp., with 6 facsimile, without a portrait of Catherine II as usual. Contemporary calf over pebble-cloth boards, spine gilt ruled, with gilt lettering to two compartments; rubbed, marginal repair to lower board.

Berezin 84; a report by B.A. Gradova "Autographs of Catherine II in the collection of the Manuscript Department in RNL" presented at the international conference at the Russian Academy of Sciences, August 1996.