Snegirev, Gennadii [Blue Tuva]. Golubaia Tuva. 

Illustrations by Ivan Bruni. 

Moskva, Izdatel’stvo “Malysh”, 1965. 
8vo, [44] pp.incl.wr., ill. 

In original pictorial wrappers. 
Near very good condition, minor tear to front cover.

First edition. The only edition with these illustrations. 

This book offers a glimpse into Tuva, in southern Siberia – its taiga landscapes and the traditional way of life of the people who inhabit it. It explores how they live: hunting bears and sables, fishing, herding reindeer, and maintaining a profound connection with the natural world.
The author, Gennadii Snegirev (1933–2004), was a writer and traveler who journeyed extensively throughout the USSR, including the Commander Islands, Tuva, and Central Asia, capturing the essence of these remote regions in his work.
The book’s illustrations were created by Ivan Bruni (1920–1995), the son of renowned avant-garde painter and graphic artist Lev Bruni. His mother was the daughter of Konstantin Balmont, a prominent Symbolist poet and key figure of Russia’s Silver Age. Ivan Bruni studied at the Art Academy of Latvia and the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow under the guidance of Vladimir Favorsky. From 1959 to 1962, he served as the chief artist at the Detskiy Mir publishing house.

OCLC locates one copy of this edition only, held by Stanford University Library.