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Japan. Very rare essay by a repressed Soviet diplomat.

Japan. Very rare essay by a repressed Soviet diplomat.

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Illustrated covers / Japan
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G.G. [Japan]. Iaponia.

Series Nashi sosedi [Our neighbors].
[Cover by L. Feinberg?].

Moskva-Leningrad, Moskovskiy Rabochii, 1927.
12mo, 70 pp., map.

In original illustrated wrappers. 
Near very good condition, minor losses to spine extremities, owner marks in pencil (incl. in Japanese to title page).

One of 6 000 copies printed. 

This essay about Japan was authored under a pseudonym, but it is believed to be the work of Georgii Astakhov (1896-1942), a Soviet diplomat renowned for his involvement in negotiating the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Treaty of 1939.
From 1925 to 1928, Astakhov served as the Head of the Press Bureau and the 1st Secretary of the Embassy in Japan. Moreover, in 1928, he published another book titled 'Japan' under the pseudonym 'G. Gastov' at the same publishing house as this essay.
In February 1940, Astakhov was arrested on charges of participating in an anti-Soviet conspiracy and espionage for foreign intelligence services. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and died in a labor camp.

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

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