Aleksandr Nikolaevich Leo was a Russian and Soviet book artist, type designer and graphic artist. For the majority of his life, Leo resided in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). From 1883 to 1887, he attended drawing classes at the RTO (Russian Technical Society) of St. Petersburg. In the late 1880s, Leo worked for the lithographic partnership of Roman Golike and Artur Vil’borg, a position that afforded him knowledge in printing production. When the partnership was nationalized by the So...

The 15th State Typography Workshop began its history as the lithographic partnership of Roman Golike and Artur Vil’borg from 1902 to 1918. It was located at 11 Zvenigorodskaia Street in Petrograd (St. Petersburg). After being nationalized shortly after the October Revolution, it became the 15th State Typogaphy. In 1922, the printer was placed in the State-controlled printing trust of Petropechat' and it was renamed in honor of Ivan Fedorov (c.1525-1583) who is often referred to as the fi...

The State Publishing House had its origins in Imperial Russia as the Royal Print Yard in St. Petersburg. The Soviets nationalized the print yard in 1917 and requisitioned its presses. Out of the requisitioning emerged the Publishing House of the Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Soviet formed in the winter of 1917 by the Literary and Publishing Department of People's Commissariat for Education.