Bashilov, Boris (pseud. for Boris Platonovich Iurkevich)

[RUSSIAN DP] V morya i zemli nevedomye… [Into Uncharted Seas and Lands…]

[Munich]: Iunost, [1946]. Item #1241

21 cm. 139 pages: illustrations. Text in Russian. Cover design by Konstantin Kuznetsov, a notable DP artist, who also provided illustrations within the text. A good copy with light wear along the edges.

This historical novel about Russian explorers during the Great Northern Expedition (1733–1743) was part of an ambitious historical series envisioned by Boris Platonovich Iurkevich (1908–1970), who wrote under various pseudonyms, including Boris Bashilov and Mikhail Tamartsev. Iurkevich edited the journal "Razvedchik" [The Scout] while at the Mönchehof camp before relocating to Munich, where he established the publishing house "Iunost" in 1946. This book was the first of his publications for the displaced persons (DP) community. (Penka, Philipp S. 2012. “Temporary spiritual sustenance”: The print culture of Russian displaced persons in post-war Germany (1945-1951). Harvard Library Bulletin 22 (1): 58-91).

The novel brings to light little-known historical events, focusing on the bold explorations of Russian seafarers in the early 18th century. It highlights their quest to discover the fabled lands of João da Gama in the vast Pacific Ocean and the remarkable 1732 voyage of navigator Ivan Fedorov to America, an expedition that occurred nine years prior to the famous journeys of Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov.
Set against the backdrop of locations such as Okhotsk, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Moscow, and the expanses of the Pacific, the novel vividly portrays the daring ventures and challenges faced by Russian explorers.

Price: $300.00