Koster [The Bonfire], no. 12, 1940

Leningrad: Central Committee of the Komsomol, 1940. Mezernitsky, Yury (cover design). Original illustrated wrappers. Item #614

26 x 20 cm. 67 pages: illustrations. Text in Russian. Very good copy with only a few stamps on the first page.

A nationally circulated, Russian monthly magazine focusing on literature and art, specifically designed for schoolchildren. Established in 1936 by the "Children's Literature" publishing house, it holds the distinction of being the sole children's magazine published during World War II, including throughout the siege of Leningrad. Remarkably, during several of the toughest months, the magazine continued its publication through radio broadcasts. Starting in spring 1942, for approximately two years, it aired poems, stories, fairy tales, and war reports bi-monthly through loudspeakers.

The magazine has featured works by notable authors such as S. Marshak, K. Chukovsky, O. Berggolts, E. Schwartz, L. Uspensky, K. Paustovsky, E. Charushin, V. Bianki, M. Zoshchenko, L. Panteleev, among others.

Price: $70.00