Timkovsky, D. I. Our Country: Pictures of Nature and Life of the Peoples of Russia (Nasha strana: Kartiny prirody i byta narodov Rossii), 1912. In Russian.

Тимковский Д. И. Наша страна: Картины природы и быта народов России. / Географический сборник для чтения в семье и школе. 2-е издание, исправленное и дополненное.
Москва : Товарищество И. Д. Сытина, 1912.
539 с., 2 л. карт. : ил. Энциклопедический формат. Владельческий переплет эпохи, издательская хромолитографическая обложка сохранена под переплетом.
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Timkovsky, Dmitry Ivanovich. Our Country: Pictures of Nature and Life of the Peoples of Russia (Nasha strana: Kartiny prirody i byta narodov Rossii). / A geographical collection for family and school reading. 2nd ed., revised and supplemented.
Moscow: I. D. Sytin Partnership, 1912.
539 pp., 2 leaves of maps: ill. Encyclopedic format. Period owner’s binding, publisher's chromolithographic cover preserved. In Russian.

This 1912 edition is a magnificent example of pre-revolutionary popular science publishing from the legendary I. D. Sytin Partnership. Compiled by Dmitry Timkovsky, Our Country was designed as an immersive "armchair journey" across the vast expanse of the Russian Empire. Aimed at both students and families, the collection serves as a visual and descriptive encyclopedia of the diverse landscapes, climates, and ethnicities that comprised Russia at the dawn of the 20th century.
The book is organized geographically, leading the reader from the frozen tundras of the North and the primeval forests of Siberia to the sun-drenched steppes of Central Asia and the rugged peaks of the Caucasus. Each section provides vivid "pictures of life," detailing the traditions, architecture, and daily activities of the Empire's various peoples—from Slavic peasants and nomadic tribes to the mountain dwellers of the south.
A hallmark of Sytin’s publications, the volume is profusely illustrated with high-quality engravings and photographs, capturing a world on the brink of profound change. The inclusion of two large-scale maps allowed readers to trace the routes described in the text. This specific copy is particularly valuable for preserving its original chromolithographic cover, which was a masterpiece of early 20th-century Russian graphic art, known for its vibrant colors and evocative imagery.
For historians, ethnographers, and collectors of Rossica, Timkovsky’s work is a primary source for the "self-image" of the Russian Empire in its final decade. It represents a peak in the Russian educational tradition of "Nadsledie" (heritage), striving to foster a sense of shared identity through the celebration of regional diversity.