Ivan Tolstoy Presents almanac CONNAISSEUR In LENINGRAD

The latest issue of the historical and cultural almanac Connaisseur is dedicated to the Leningrad phase of St. Petersburg’s history (1924-1991). Untold stories from the past, dramatic destinies, family histories. This is not the life of officialdom, nor the life of institutions. These are stories of people struggling to preserve their integrity in the face of the 20 th century’s horrors, and portraits of artists and scientists, who carried their work and their gifts through this time.

In this issue: An ambush in Gumilev’s room The humor of Russia’s oriental scholars N. Lapshin’s illustrations to the Travels of Marco Polo beat the competition in New York The attack on pre-war bibliophiles The golden age of Leningrad’s book covers Unpublished letters by the graphic artist V. Konashevich The Leningrad tram: art in the city under siege Family sagas of the Gukovskys, Gordins, and Lozinskys The theater director and artist Nikolai Akimov, as remembered by his students and friends The photographic art of Nina Alovert Jazz as freedom: Gennady Golshtein and Seva Novgorodsev

In two volumes, 1400 pages containing more than 2000 illustrations. Much of the material is being published for the first time.