A foundational work of early Soviet theatrical scholarship: Ocherki po istorii evropeiskogo teatra: Antichnost, Srednie veka i Vozrozhdenie (Essays on the History of European Theater: Antiquity, Middle Ages, and Renaissance). Edited by the influential scholars A. A. Gvozdev and A. A. Smirnov. Published in 1923 by the renowned "Academia" publishing house in Petrograd. Octavo, 310 pages, featuring 22 technical illustrations in the text including stage reconstructions and costume designs. Physical Description: Bound in a sturdy, contemporary/later 20th-century "marbled" paper-covered hardcover with a black cloth spine. The interior retains its original title pages. Text is in Russian (Cyrillic). Includes various schematic drawings of stages (e.g., De Witt's "Swan" Theater) and theatrical diagrams. Condition Report: Very Good condition. The later binding is firm and well-preserved with minimal shelf wear. Internally, the pages show light, uniform toning typical of 1920s paper but remain supple and clean. A notable feature is the historical library stamp of the "Library of the Russian Club in Riga" on the title page and several interior pages. Small pencil notation (shelf mark) on the title page. Content & Significance: This volume marks a pivot in Russian theater studies, moving away from purely biographical or literary analysis toward a "sociology of art" and technical reconstruction of the stage. Contributions from giants of the field like Adrian Piotrovsky and Stefan Mokulsky. It covers the evolution of the European stage from Greek tragedy through Shakespeare and Molière. The provenance from the Russian Club in Riga suggests a life within the Baltic-Russian intellectual community during the interwar period.