Inscribed presentation copy. An excellent example of of this extremely rare work on St Petersburg, inscribed to Secretary of State Vladimir Ivanovich Panaev. It was compiled by the noted cartographer and statesman, Major-General Nikolai Ivanovich Tsylov who became famous for his address books and the topographical atlases of Saint Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo. In 1849, under the orders of the Chief of police, Tsylov published the first street atlas of the city with a section on each of the thirteen districts.

The present work includes the plans for each of the thirteen districts along with indexes detailing the palaces, street names and churches of each section. This edition is supplemented with five tinted lithographs, portraits of the Tsar and Peter the Great as well as 8 additional plans (the 1849 edition only having one general plan of the city for that year). Tyslov had consulted the city's archives and libraries to create plans starting from 1700, tracking how the boggy delta of the Neva was transformed into an established European capital of marble and stone. It's fascinating to see how the buildings and canals built up over the previous 150 years, spreading over the Vasilyevsky and Petrogradsky islands.

Tsylov's publications were printed in very small editions, possibly by subscription and had already become bibliographical rarities by the turn of the 20th century. The inscription from Tsylov to Panaev suggests that the two worked together and is wonderfully familiar for 19th century Russian civil servants. It reads, 'Your Excellency | Vladimir Ivanovich Panaev | sincerely and with the deepest respect your always devoted | N. I. Tsylov | 23rd May 1853 or the last day of my residency in the Liteyniy District | Farewell!'. Vladimir Ivanovich Panaev (1792-1859) was a privy councillor and secretary of state, reporting directly to Nicholas I.

First edition, small 4to (26.5 x 20.5 cm); ink inscription to upper flyleaf, illustrated with two frontispiece portraits, 5 tinted lithographs (minor foxing to margins), 22 plans in colour, tissue guards in different colours, drawing to tissue guards; contemporary dark green cloth, blind stamped, title in gilt to upper cover, spine gilt ruled, minor wear to binding, a very good copy.

Obolianinov 2894.