This rare vintage Russian bible was painstakingly handwritten as a gift to the family of Tsar Alexander III (1845 - 1894), Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland. As indicated on the first page by priest Peter Nikolaevich Gakhovich, the bible was later sent to Moscow from Elizaveta Nikolaevna Lyalina in 1900. Peter Gakhovich belonged to a hereditary family of clergymen of the Minsk diocese.
The embossed leather cover and spine has suffered some damage over the decades, but still retains its shape. The parchment paper is intact, though delicate, with a little yellowing on some pages. The black and red ink is legible. There are some occasional notes and underlined phrases as the previous owner was a history enthusiast who clearly cherished this exquisite book.
This is definitely a collector's item, which needs to be handled with great care.