During the exploration of old part of library fund, certainly encounter the publication, which was earned the great famous in various sciences, technology or art, but nowadays-is little known.
In the literature fund of KPI library saved the book, which devote to the life and works of the famous Italian Leonardo da Vinchi – painter, sculpter, engineer, inventor (Volynsky A.L. Leonardo-da-Vinchi. – Kyiv: Type: S.V. Kulzhenko, 1909. – 498 p.)
The author of the book – Yakim Lvovich Volynsky (1861-1926), literary and theater critic, historian and theoretician of art, philosopher, writer. He was born in Zhytomyr, studied at Petersburg university in law faculty; included to Scientific-literary community of the universe. After graduation he received the degree of the candidate of law, but devoted himself to literature. Alian “Volynsky” he had chosen as commemoration about birth in Volyn.
In 1892 Volynsky had headed the department of criticism in popular Petersburg’s magazine “Severny vestnyk” and wrote an article, which devoted to the works of Lev Tolstoy, F. Dostoyevsky, Ivan Gonchar. Then he had published him philosophical work “Teological-political doctrin of Spinoza” and the book of reflactions about biblical stories influences on the works of Russian poets. But the top of the writer works in XIX and XX is considered monography, devotes to Leonardo da Vinchi.
Creativity of da Vinchi had being interested by Volynsky in 1896, during traveling around Italia. The first readers of exploration became members of “Severny vestnyk”, where the work was being published during 1897-1898. A separate edition of this book published in St. Petersburg 1900 in A.F. Mark’s publishing house.
In Preface of the book talls: “… with the exaption of England, I was able to visit almost everywhere, where his works were saving, genuine and disputed, steps of his artistic influences and the atmosphere, between which he had lived and develop his works. For understand this human, as Leonardo da Vinchi, you need to see Italy by your own eyes and not through the train’s window, with fast moving from one famous place to another, slowly making your way though the places, which are have to be operate in his soul though the colors paints of his nature, characters of their horizonts. You must know Toskana, Florence with her surroundings, da Vinchi, Ankiano, need to know Lobardya, it is necessary to travel by hourses to Romanya and Umbria, to feel the atmosphere, which breathed this Italian genuine.
Volynsky’s book had very big response and had been noted by experts – the historians of art. Almost immediately the book was translated into Italian language, and some time later the author received the title of Milan’s habitant. The big collection of collected documents and materials about life and works of legendary masters had being became the part of Milan’s memorial library Leonardo da Vinchi and received the name “The of Yakim Volynsky”.
Traveling around Europe, acquaintance with masterpieces of Greece, Italy and other counries have greatly expanded the rage of creativity interest of writer. For himself he had opened ancient theater, ritual basis of the ballet – from the ancient Greeks to the rapid development of ballet art at the beginning of XX century. Volynsky was well acquaintance with celebrities such as Marius Petipa, Anna Pavlova, Mykhaylo Fokin, Aysedora Duncan, often met with them, and written much about their creativity. Explorer was considered an authority in this kind of art.
In Soviet times the activity of Volynsky was connected with publishing house “Vsesvytnya literatura”, during some time he had headed the petrograd’s department of writers community.
The writer died in 1926 and was buried in St. Petersburg.
The book, which is now kept in the fund of rare books of our library consider as the second edition. She printed in Kyiv publishing Stephana Vasylovycha Kulzhenko – one of the best and moderner in Russia empire at the turn of XIX-XX century. In preface to second edition the author tell about new editions and amendments: …For new edition of my work abou Leonardo da Vinchi, I reviewed big amound of bibliography and arts material. Since 1900 to nowadays I never stopped to follow the literature of Leonardo. I made a few new travel around the Europe, visited Ambuaz and Klo-Luse, learned drawings and manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinchi in Vundzore and British museum. Various apocryphal attributed to Leonardo da Vinchi and I explored during last 4 years those material, which situated in a private collections of Italy and France.
Special for a real edition I have been to times in Milan, for assessed and broaded my outlook in “Racoolta Vinciana”.
My scientific travel during last years and works on book material in library not only didn’t shake my common critical thinks about Leonardo da Vinchi and the Renaissance, but further strengthened it. A Titanic figure of da Vinchi I see now in the same lights, which I saw her ten years ago.
So, The second book edition featuring with historical evidence and some details and clarifications, which previously was unknown for author.
The Book considers of six parts: The legend about Leonardo. His life; Intermezzo; The Devil art; Addenda; Mental genius Leonardo da Vinchi; Resources. Materials.
In Last chapter collect unique biographic and bibliographic material: the biography of Leonardo da Vinchi, which was written by Giorgio Vazary – famous historian of architecture and arts; spiritual Testament of Leonardo da Vinchi and separate fragments from his self-written works; catalogue of the art works of the master.
The book is decorated with reproduction of paintings, which was drew by artist.
(You can read the book of Y. Volynsky in the hall of rare and valuable edition(room №2, third floor)