Papers of Mark Aleksandrovich Aldanov (1889-1957)

The papers of Mark Aleksandrovich Landau consist of correspondence (over 200 letters and over 40 postcards) to Ivan A. Bunin (1870-1953), the Russian novelist and Nobel Prize winner, 1933, between 1921 and 1953. There are also over 100 letters and postcards from Landau and his wife to Mrs. I. A. Bunin, 1921-1957; letters to Vera Bunin, 1930-1948; letters to Vera Bunin, 1932-1955, with telegrams, cards and photo; and, letters 1948-1952.

Mark Aleksandrovich Aldanov was born on 7 November 1889 in Kiev in the Ukraine. He lived in St. Petersburg, but in 1919 he left the new Communist Russia for France before moving to the United States in 1941. As a writer he is best known for work bitterly critical of the Soviet system. His publications include Two revolutions (1921) which was a work comparing the Russian and French revolutions, a tetralogy on revolutionary France Myslitel (1923-25), a scientific treatise Actinic chemistry (1936), an anti-Soviet satire Nachalo kontsa (1939), and Istoki (1947) which was a picture of Europe in the 1870s. His works have been translated into some twenty-four languages. Mark Aleksandrovich Aldanov (M. A. Landau) died in Nice, in the south of France, on 25 February 1957.

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

Papers purchased April 1962 from L. Zuroff, Paris, Accession no. E62.17. Papers received from Dr. M. Greene, Department of Russian, March 1972, later 1972, and October 1977, Accession no. E72.17 and E72.40 and E.77.34.

The biographical/administrative history was compiled using the following material: (1) Who was who 1951-1960. A companion to Who's who. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1961.

Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections Division

Important finding aids generally are: the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives, consisting of typed slips in sheaf binders and to which additions were made until 1987; and the Index to Accessions Since 1987.

The UK National Register of Archives (NRA), updated by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, notes: letters to Boris Elkin (130 leaves), 1939-1957, Oxford University, Bodleian Library, Special Collections and Western Manuscripts, Ref. MS Russian d 7 NRA 20351 Elkin