MOSCOW, 21 Mar. The first posthumous edition of Mikhail Lermontov's poems was sold for 850,000 rubles in St. Petersburg, the press service of the Litfond auction house reported.
«Bibliophiles were pleased with the opportunity to purchase all 4 volumes of the first posthumous edition of Mikhail Lermontov's poems (St. Petersburg, Typ. Ilya Glazunov and Comp., 1842-1844) for the collection. Moreover, for the first time, a portrait of the poet, made in the technique of lithography based on a Russian drawing, is included. artist, lithographer, academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts Kirill Gorbunov. 
Also presented at the auction was Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel «Poor People» with a mysterious inscription made shortly after the death of the author himself. The title page says: «To the newborn Nikolai from Charon on February 11, 1881.» The book went under the hammer for 280 thousand rubles.
The final bid for the publication of Arkady Gaidar's «The Tale of a Military Secret, of Malchish-Kibalchish and His Firm Word» with drawings by the Soviet artist Vladimir Konashevich almost doubled as a result of the auction.
The edition was issued in two versions: in hardcover and in cover. A copy was put up at the auction in the publisher's cardboard binding. For him gave 340 thousand rubles.
This is one of the rarest children's books of the 20th century, according to the press release, the words of the famous bibliophile and researcher of book culture Mikhail Seslavinsky.
The edition of Daniil Kharms «Game» was also sold for 100 thousand rubles. This is another rarity from the section of children's literature with illustrations by the artist Vladimir Konashevich.
The shortlist for the Sergei Mikhalkov Art Competition was announced earlier.
February 28, 08:00