JOST A MON

The idle ramblings of a Jack of some trades, Master of none

I've been somewhat obsessed with Russian art for a bit.  A few months ago, the obsession combined with avarice when I heard about the publication of the Encyclopedia of the Russian Avant-Garde, a three-volume masterpiece edited by D. Sarabyanov and V. Rakitin, featuring contributions from 170 specialists. It contains biographies of artists great and small, movements major and minor, groups, collectives and manifestos, and illustrations of fine calibre for every aspect of this great period of art. The editors had laboured over it for more than 10 years, and the final product looked like a beaut - superb production values and, dash it, a limited print run. The few copies that remained after the bulk had been sent to museums and archives were priced at tens of thousands of rubles. 

Eru Ilúvatar,
I've been good this year. Can I please have the Encyclopedia of the Russian Avant-Garde? I promise to be good next year as well.
Fëanor

I found one online store selling the book. The price, as I said, was eye-watering, even when converting to pounds sterling. Recently the ruble collapsed to less than half its original value and I took a look at the website again. The book was no longer available! Drat and damn! Those pesky Russians, obviously trying to safeguard their money, had gone on a buying spree. They bought large-screen TVs, property in London, and this encyclopedia. Morgoth alone knows when copies will emerge for sale again.

There was talk about electronic versions and French translations, but where are they, I ask. Where?

Ilúvatar, what are you going to do about this?

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