Двенадцать [The Twelve], by Alexander Blok (Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бло́к; 1880-1921). St. Petersburg: Алконостъ, 1918. Russian.
Third edition (out of a total of three editions printed in the year the poem was written), with illustrations by
Yuri Annenkov (Юрий Павлович Анненков; 1889-1974), considered his most famous work.
The poem "The Twelve", which describes a march of twelve revolutionary soldiers through the streets of Petrograd while a storm rages around them, was written by Alexander Blok in January 1918, just months after the Bolshevik Revolution. The poem, now considered one of the most famous works in Russian poetry, received harsh criticism upon its publication. It is said that after writing it, Blok felt that his literary career had come to an end.
61, [3] pages. 33 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Original cover detached; with tears and minor wear at the margins.
MoMA 171.
