PASTERNAK, Boris - Doctor Zhivago. Russian edition (Cyrillic). PUBLISHERS ARCHIVAL COPY with stamp.

Published by Feltrinelli Editore, Milano, Prima edizione, November 1957. 8vo., 566 pages - First authorized Russian trade edition - from the archive of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore . Publisher’s original olive paper-covered boards stamped in black on the cover with the publisher’s emblem stamped to the spine.  Likely bound without the front free end-paper. Publishers stamp at the bottom right of the title page. A remarkable copy of a scarce item. In 1957, Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli arranged for the novel to be smuggled out of the Soviet Union by Sergio D’Angelo. Despite desperate efforts by the Union of Soviet Writers to prevent its publication, Feltrinelli published an Italian translation of the book in November 1957. So great was the demand that Feltrinelli was able to license translation rights into eighteen different languages well in advance of the novel’s publication. The Communist Party of Italy expelled Feltrinelli from their membership in retaliation for his role in the publication of a novel they felt was critical of communism (Wikipedia). The Soviet campaign against the no had the opposite effect as it became a sensation throughout the non-communist world  which included spending 26 weeks atop the New York Times best-seller list. Years later, Italian film producer Carlo Ponti convinced MGM to purchase the rights to the Vogel from  Feltrinelli for $450,000 USD. The David Lean directed film was released in 1965 to great success and remains one of the highest grossing films of all time. Now housed in a custom cloth oatmeal-colored clamshell box.