IUGO-ZAPADN. ZHEL. DOROGI. Ekstrennyi poeszd Lit. A. [Kyiv?, Lithographer of the South Western Railway], 1916.
Bifolium (c. 31 x 19.5 cm), pp. [4], i .e. title, lithographic map in colour, colour-lithographic illustration with coat-of arms including printing in gold, and additional hand-colouring, last page blank; very well preserved.
The South Western Railway connected Kiev with the Russo-Habsburg border at Gretsan. Eastern Ukraine had been rather stable and under Russian control during the First World War, until 1917. This beautiful and ephemeral publication celebrates the emergency train, a tram with the red cross symbol at the front. The lithograph shows this train approaching military personnel and civilians gathering at the evakuatsionnyi punkt (evacuation point) outside a train station. We were not able to find out what exact event was commemorated with this lavish and beautifully designed ephemeral publication. This railway is currently working flat out.
Provenance: Verso neatly inscribed in pencil tarskoe poezd (the Tsar's train).
#2097183