Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky, D. N. Psychology of Nationality (Psikhologiya natsionalnosti), 1922. 1-st edition. Cover by S. Chekhonin. In Russian.

Овсянико-Куликовский Д. Н.
Психология национальности. / Обложка и марка работы С. Чехонина.
Петербург : Кооперативное издательство «Время», 1922.
39 с. ; 17,5 × 12,0 см. Мягкий оригинальный издательский переплет. Первое издание.
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Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky, Dmitry.
Psychology of Nationality. / Cover and device by Sergey Chekhonin.
Petersburg : "Vremya" Cooperative Publishing House, 1922.
39 pp. ; 17.5 × 12.0 cm. Original softcover. First edition. In Russian.

This 1922 first edition represents a final, concise synthesis of the thought of Dmitry Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky, one of Russia’s most versatile polymaths—a linguist, Sanskritologist, and pioneer of the psychological school of literary criticism. Published in post-revolutionary Petersburg during the early years of the NEP, the work explores the intricate relationship between individual consciousness and national identity. The text provides a deep dive into the internal logic of ethnic psychology, including the arrangement of linguistic structures as the primary vessel for a "national soul," the role of collective temperament, and the evolution of national character through historical crises. Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky, a master of Vedic and classical languages, argues that nationality is not merely a biological or political fact, but a sophisticated psychological construct rooted in the very rhythm and syntax of a people's speech.
The aesthetic value of this slim 39-page volume is significantly elevated by the contribution of Sergey Chekhonin, a leading figure of the Mir Iskusstva (World of Art) movement and a master of the "Soviet Empire" style. Chekhonin designed both the cover and the publisher’s device for "Vremya," utilizing his signature precision and revolutionary-neoclassical flair. The 17.5 x 12.0 cm format is characteristic of the portable, high-quality intellectual pamphlets produced by cooperative publishers in the early 1920s. For bibliophiles and historians of Russian thought, this 1922 Petersburg imprint is a vital primary source, capturing the intersection of pre-revolutionary academic tradition and the avant-garde book design of the early Soviet era. It stands as a testament to the intellectual resilience of a polyglot scholar whose work bridged the gap between Sanskrit studies and modern social psychology.