Valuable and unique gift books are still arriving in the IUL’s Slavic and East European Studies Collection. Sometimes they fill gaps in multi-volume sets, other times they expand the collection’s unique titles list, and still other times they shorten its desiderata list. The gift book featured in this post falls somewhere in the realm of this valuable and unique gift books the collection receives.
This is a large-format 34-volume facsimile edition of medieval Russian manuscripts. It is heavily illustrated (with around 16,000 illustrations) and tells the history of Russia and the world. It was originally produced in the 16th century. At least one contemporary source is not hesitant to pinpoint the purpose of this work: education of the children of the Russian tsar Ivan IV (1530-84). Another Russian source characterizes it as the major work in the genre of medieval Russian chronicle. Our collection already has an incomplete set of a previous facsimile edition of this set. Now with the acquisition of this complete set, the Slavic and East European Studies Collection Office checks one item off of its desiderata list.
This gift collection came from a foreign mission, the Russian Embassy in Washington DC, which also makes it a unique gift. Thus far—only counting the past ten years or so—our Slavic and East European Studies Collection received gift books from two foreign embassies: the first time was in 2009 when the Croatian Embassy donated about 200 Croatian literary works; and three years later, the Macedonian Embassy sent us English translations of about 120 contemporary Macedonian literary works.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the President McRobbie’s Office and the Russian and East European Institute with regard to the acquisition of this collection. It was originally addressed to the IU President McRobbie’s Office. Director of the Russian and East European Institute, Professor Sarah Phillips, forwarded their inquiry about these 34 volumes to the librarian for Slavic and East European studies, eventually allowing this valuable set to find home in the IUL.
If you have any questions regarding this title please contact the librarian for Slavic and East European Studies, Wookjin Cheun (wcheun@indiana.edu. 812-855-9413)