Olenin, A. Maciste (Matsist). Cover by V. Elsky, 1928. In Russian.

А. Оленин. Мацист.
Обложка художника В. Эльского.
Москва-Ленинград: Теа-Кино-Печать, 1928.
14 с. : ил. ; 16,8×12,6 см. Мягкая издательская иллюстрированная обложка. Уменьшенный формат.
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A. Olenin. Maciste.
Cover design by V. Elsky.
Moscow-Leningrad: Tea-Kino-Pechat, 1928.
14 pp. : ill. ; 16.8×12.6 cm. Publisher’s illustrated softcover. Small format.

This rare cinema brochure from the late 1920s celebrates the cultural phenomenon of Maciste, the iconic strongman of silent cinema portrayed by Bartolomeo Pagano. The text provides a deep dive into the internal logic of the early Soviet film market, including the arrangement of Maciste’s transition from a supporting character in Cabiria to a global action hero whose immense physical strength and moral righteousness captivated Russian audiences. Published by "Tea-Kino-Pechat," this booklet serves as a vital primary source for studying the reception of European popular culture in the USSR during the NEP era, highlighting how the "heroic" archetype was marketed to a burgeoning class of Soviet moviegoers.
The physical identity of this 1928 edition is defined by the striking constructivist-influenced cover art by V. Elsky, whose dynamic graphic style captures the energy and theatricality of the early silver screen. The small, portable format was typical of the ephemeral cinema literature produced to be sold at kiosks and movie theaters, making surviving copies in good condition extremely scarce. Featuring photographic stills and biographical sketches, the brochure documents the exact moment when cinema was consolidating its power as the most influential of arts in the Soviet Union. For bibliophiles, film historians, and collectors of avant-garde book design, this imprint is a quintessential artifact of 1920s "film-fever" and the sophisticated graphic language of early Soviet mass media.