#BK1523
1926
104 pp.: ill. 20,5x14,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Small tears of spine, some soiling and creases of covers, some foxing, small blank fragment of t.p. lost, otherwise very good.
Signed by the author on the title page. First and only edition. One of 5000 copies. Rare.
For Soviet mass consciousness, this American case when a religious group attacked the theory of evolution was close to other acts of violence adopted by the church. So it was immediately denounced in the atheist state. In this book, Soviet historian and economist Nikolai Poletika (1896-1988) retells the trial process and elaborates on fundamental Christianity stressing its class (bourgeois) nature. Poletika was appointed “own correspondent” of ‘Leningradskaia Pravda’ from London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Washington and other capitals of the world – actually, he had to base on foreign newspapers and write without leaving the USSR. In 1928, Poletika made a report on the origin of World War I and a more than two-hour report caused a great public reaction. He was one of the first Soviet scholars to seriously study the history of the outbreak of the First World War on an extensive documentary basis. His books were published and reprinted until he managed to emigrate to Israel in 1973. After that, his name and input were hushed up.
Cover design was created by Evgenii Belukha (1889-1943). In 1912-1913 he studied at the Higher Art School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, then at a studio of V. Shukhaev in 1918. Initially, Belukha worked under the pseudonym E. Nimich. He designed books, primarily using lithography and etching.
Worldcat shows copies located in Princeton, Wisconsin and Harvard Universities.
