Rybakov, A. N. The Dagger (Kortik), 1951. In Russian.

Рыбаков А. Н. Кортик. / Рисунки О. Верейского.
Москва — Ленинград : Государственное издательство детской литературы Министерства просвещения РСФСР (ДЕТГИЗ), 1951.
272 с. : ил. ; Уменьшенный формат. Твердый издательский переплет. Серия: «Библиотека приключений и научной фантастики» (Малоформатная рамка).
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Rybakov, Anatoly. The Dagger. / Illustrations by O. Vereisky.
Moscow — Leningrad : Detgiz, 1951.
272 pp. : ill. ; Small format. Hardcover. Series: "Library of Adventure and Science Fiction" (Small-format "Frame"). 

This 1951 edition of The Dagger (Kortik) is a classic of Soviet youth adventure literature and a significant entry in the iconic "Library of Adventure and Science Fiction" (BP&NF) series. Written by Anatoly Rybakov, the novel is the first part of a famous trilogy that follows the adventures of Misha Polyakov and his friends during the Russian Civil War and the 1920s. The story revolves around the mystery of a naval dagger and a hidden cipher that leads to a sunken treasure, blending historical realism with the high stakes of a detective thriller. The volume is notably enhanced by the illustrations of Orest Vereisky, whose masterful line drawings became the definitive visual representation of Rybakov's characters for generations of readers.
The text provides a deep dive into the internal logic of the early Soviet adventure genre, including the arrangement of cryptographic clues and the ideological coming-of-age of its young protagonists. This particular 1951 printing is highly valued by bibliophiles for being part of the "Small-format Ramka" (the "Frame" series), recognized by its distinctive decorative cover art. Published by Detgiz in the joint Moscow-Leningrad offices, the book reflects the high aesthetic standards of post-war Soviet children's book production. As a primary source for the study of 20th-century youth culture and a nostalgic centerpiece for collectors of the "Ramka" series, this 272-page hardcover remains one of the most beloved artifacts of Soviet literary history.