Svidersky, B. I. Labor and Capital. Preliminary Information on Political Economy (Trud i kapital. Pervonachalnyye svedeniya po politicheskoy ekonomii), 1903. In Russian.

Б. И. Свидерский.
Труд и капитал. Первоначальные сведения по политической экономии.
Перевод В. Тучапской.
Ростов-на-Дону: т-во «Донская речь», 1903.
59 с. Уменьшенный формат. Твердый владельческий переплет.
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B. I. Svidersky.
Labor and Capital. Preliminary Information on Political Economy.
Translated by V. Tuchapskaya.
Rostov-on-Don: Donskaya Rech Partnership, 1903.
59 pp. Small format. Hardcover (owner's binding).

This rare 1903 brochure, Labor and Capital, published during the very first year of the "Donskaya Rech" partnership, represents a significant artifact of the clandestine political education movement in pre-revolutionary Russia. The text provides a deep dive into the internal logic of classical and Marxian economic theories, including the arrangement of fundamental concepts such as surplus value, the division of labor, and the social relations between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Intended as a popular guide for the working class and radical intelligentsia, this translation by V. Tuchapskaya serves as a vital primary source for documenting the dissemination of socialist ideas in the provinces during the lead-up to the 1905 Revolution. It reflects the era's urgent need for accessible educational material that could decode the complexities of the global market for the common laborer.
The physical identity of this Rostov-on-Don imprint is defined by its compact "small format" and its origin at the legendary publishing house of N. E. Paramonov. "Donskaya Rech" was a pivotal hub for liberal and socialist literature, producing over 600 titles before its suppression by Tsarist authorities in 1907. The 59-page booklet documents the exact moment when Paramonov’s press began to pivot toward socio-political agitprop, often resulting in censorship, police raids, and the destruction of stock. Because many of these inexpensive brochures were confiscated or worn out through underground circulation, surviving copies from the 1903–1907 period are exceptionally scarce. For bibliophiles, historians of the labor movement, and collectors of revolutionary ephemera, this volume is a cornerstone acquisition, preserving a tactile connection to the intellectual spark of the First Russian Revolution.