Folio In 9 Volumes "history Of Russia" By Pierre-charles Levesque, Paris, Four Jerzy, 1812

RUSSIA. History of Russia and the main nations of the Russian Empire. By Pierre-Charles Lévesque. Eight volumes of text. xxxii, 371; 382; 395; 475; 420; 476; 453; 468 pages, in-8, 215 x 140 mm, AND an Atlas volume 270 x 210 mm, composed of 61 plates representing portraits of the tsars from Rourik 1er to Paul 1er. Bound in publisher's original leather wrappers. Paris: Fournier, 1812.

The 1812 edition of Pierre Charles Lévesque's remarkable history of Russia. Levesque stayed in Russia for seven years where he collected material for this history. He lived there as a professor on the recommendation of Diderot. This history was a great success and in Russia it became a classic text. Levesque's work was responsible for forming influence and perspective of Russia to a Western audience.

Literature: wikipedia in Russian, French and English.
Technique: paper, leather.
Dimensions: unframed w 16" x h 12 3/4" (215 x 140 mm); a volume l 21 1/2" x h 18 1/2" (270 x 210 mm).
Condition: In good condition due to age.

Pierre Levesque (1736-1812) French historian, originally an engraver.

Having published several articles on philosophy, Diderot attracted the attention of his person. The latter recommended Levek to Catherine the Great, after which Levek was invited to teach in St. Petersburg in the Cadet Corps (Imperial Land Gentry Cadet Corps). During this time, he collected many documents on the history of France, Russia and ancient Greece. Back in Paris, he transforms this material.
At the end of 1781, his five-volume "History of Russia" (fr. Histoire de Russie) was published, which covered all periods of the country's history, and before the publication of the "Histoire de l' Russian State" by N. M. Karamzin, in Russian noble families was the main source on the history of Russia and about which the Russian historian wrote that "although it has many shortcomings, it is better than all the others". According to Karamzin: “Levek, as a writer, is not without talent, nor without merit; thinks fairly well, speaks fairly fluently, judges fairly fairly; but his brush is weak, the colors are not alive; the syllable is correct, logical, but not fast. Besides, Russia is not its mother; it is not our blood that runs in his veins; can he speak of the Russians with such feeling as the Russians? In short, I don't like him anymore because he humiliates Peter the Great…” German and Russian historian A.L. wrote something more tolerable and at the same time as complete as this Leveque on Russian history".