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Desiat' let Kitayskoy Narodnoy Respubliki ("The Tenth Anniversary of the People's Republic of China"). First and only edition, first printing, of this richly illustrated celebratory photobook welcoming a decade of socialist China, presented to a member of the official Soviet delegation to the festivities. Such an exquisite publication was only ever printed in small numbers and distributed as a gift; five copies are now held in institutions, and we have been able to trace just a couple at recent Russian auctions.The design of the present work, ostentatious compared to most Chinese publications from the 1950s, adds lustre to the historical landmark that it commemorates. It chronicles the jubilant tenth anniversary celebrations held on and around 1 October 1959 (China's National Day). It begins by reprinting addresses by political luminaries including Zhou Enlai, Lin Biao, Deng Xiaoping, and Song Qingling, followed by vistas of famous post-1949 architectural landmarks such as Tiananmen Square and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution. Moving to the programme of events itself, photos of a meeting and banquet held in the Great Hall of the People accompany shots from the National Day parade showing fireworks, dancing, and flowers.As expected, images of leaders abound. Mao and Khrushchev feature prominently, with shots of them on the Tiananmen rostrum designed to emphasize their joint leadership of the fraternity of Communist nations. A significant portion of the book is also devoted

• Printing: first

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