Lot #42: Rare 1969 Latvian Emigré Edition: I.S. Turgeņevs – Mednieka piezīmes (Vol. I) / Tilts

Beautiful, collectible copy of Ivan Turgenev’s classic short story collection, Mednieka piezīmes (A Sportsman's Sketches). This is Volume I of a planned two-book set ("stāsti un noveles 2 grāmatās"), translated into Latvian by K. Lejnieks and published in 1969 by the historic emigré publishing house Tilta apgāds in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The book features a striking, stylized cover design explicitly credited on the inner leaf to the noted Latvian diaspora artist and poet, Ojārs Jēgens ("Ojāra Jēgena vāks"). Collector’s Notes & Historical Significance: • The Publisher (Tilta apgāds): Founded in Minneapolis by Latvian refugees who fled the Soviet occupation following World War II, Tilta apgāds became a vital cultural bridge ("Tilts" means bridge in Latvian). It served to preserve Latvian language, literature, and identity in exile. Emigré printings from this house were produced in limited quantities primarily for the diaspora community, making them highly collectible artifacts of Cold War-era Baltic history. • The Author & Work: Ivan Turgenev's A Sportsman's Sketches (1852) is a masterpiece of Russian realist literature. Its vivid depictions of the hardships of peasantry are historically credited with helping influence Czar Alexander II to abolish serfdom. • The Language & Diaspora Appeal: Books like this were strictly banned or heavily censored behind the Iron Curtain in Soviet-occupied Latvia. Finding a Western-printed, non-censored translation printed in the United States highlights a unique historical moment of literary preservation. Pickup category timeslot {A}