Baranovskii, M., Shvarsalon, S. [What You Need to Know about China]. Chto Nuzhno Znat' o Kitae.

Moskva-Leningrad, Moskovskiy rabochiy, 1927. 
12mo, 213, [1] pp., map. 

In original pictorial hardcover.
In good condition, small tears and losses of paper to covers, stains.

One of 6 000 copies printed.

This handbook provides insights into contemporary China, featuring articles arranged in alphabetical order. Topics covered include the Kuomintang of China, the Anfu Club, the Gentry, events of the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion, as well as figures like Li Dazhao, Wang Ching-wei, Tan Pingshan, and Chiang Kai-shek. Additionally, it offers information on agriculture, industry, trade, finance, history, society, geography, and culture. Notably, the article about Chiang Kai-shek is placed at the end of the book rather than in alphabetical order, where he is referred to as 'a traitor'.
The book features a map illustrating the borders of China during the Chinese Revolution of 1925-1927, along with two detailed maps of Shanghai and Nanjing.
One of the authors, Sergey Shvarsalon, was the stepson of the famous Russian poet Vyacheslav Ivanov. He pursued studies in the UK and Switzerland before the Revolution. Following the Revolution, Shvarsalon worked at the Institute for Economic Research and the Central Committee of the Communist International. From 1922, he served in the Soviet embassy in Beijing and later as a TASS correspondent. However, he was arrested in 1932 and spent five years in prison. In 1941, he faced accusations of espionage and was executed. Consequently, the edition was banned.

We couldn't trace any copy of this edition in the USA or European libraries via OCLC.