Bibliophile, Bibliologist, Researcher of the Book Art (on the 60th Anniversary of Mikhail Vadimovich Seslavinsky)

Abstract

The article is devoted to scientific, exhibition and collecting activities of Mikhail Vadimovich Seslavinsky, candidate of historical sciences, full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, leader of the modern Russian bibliophile community, Chairman of the Council of the National Union of Bibliophiles. His scientific and popular science works in the field of book history, bibliography, art of the book, history and modern state of Russian bibliophilia are analyzed (in total — more than 40 book publications, including major monographic works, about 300 articles, reports, notes, publications of documents, as well as interviews with figures of the book and bibliophile world). The scholar has made a significant contribution to the study of the history of bookbinding, Russian children’s books, the work of Russian artists-emigrants in France, the book heritage of poets and artists of the Silver Age (O.E. Mandelstam, M.I. Tsvetaeva, A.A. Akhmatova, A.N. Benois) and many other topics. He also proposed original approaches to the definition of book rarities that came out from under the printing press in the twentieth century.Large-scale exhibition projects prepared on the basis of his personal bibliophile collection were considered. The role of M.V. Seslavinsky as the creator and head of the National Union of Bibliophiles, chairman of the editorial board of the journal “About Books” was noted.