The true first edition of this important milestone in the reception of James Bond within the Soviet Union. An original novel by the Bulgarian writer Andrei Gulyashki that pits James Bond against the Soviet super-spy Avakoum Zakhov. Hugely significant as one of the first book-length novels depicting the character of James Bond to be published after Ian Fleming’s death in 1964. The novel was published in English in the following year in a pulp paperback edition printed in Sydney by the sleaze publisher Scripts. The publication of this novel would cause serious ramifications for debates over copyright law regarding the use of Fleming’s character James Bond, which was closely guarded by the Fleming estate.
The reception of James Bond in the Soviet Union was hostile to say the least, both the books and films were banned. This reaction was epitomised by an infamous review of the film of Dr No that appeared in the Russian newspaper Izvestiya in May 1962 that derided Fleming as “a retired spy who has turned mediocre writer” and posed the question “Who’s interested in this rubbish?” Fleming himself was so amused by the review that he attempted to persuade Jonathan Cape to print the entirety on the rear cover of his forthcoming Bond book, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Sreshtu 07 came as the Soviet answer to James Bond. The KGB commissioned a novel having decided a spy story written from a ‘Marxist-Leninist point of view’ would be useful “in furthering their political philosophy, and in countering the attractions of Bond” (Michael Connick). The author Andrei Gulyashki was already established as a writer of spy fiction in the Soviet block and at the time was “editor of Plamuk [Flame], a well-respected literary journal issued by The Union of Bulgarian Writers.” His character Avakoum Zakhov who would be pitched against Bond had first been introduced in The Zhakov Mission in 1959. Zhakov “who liked to accomplish his purpose by deductive methods while smoking a pipe” was closer in character to Sherlock Holmes than to James Bond.
The plot of Gulyashki’s novel that the Bulgarian State Department set about to have published involves Bond trying to steal a secret invention from a Soviet scientist called Konstantin Trofimov. Zakhov’s mission is to protect the scientist against Bond, which he succeeds in doing. Though in the later English translation Bond is thrown off an icy precipice presumably to his death, in the original Bulgarian Bond is defeated but manages to escape to fight another day – perhaps Gulyashki had a sequel in mind.
It is thought Gulyashki was invited to come to London by Cassells “who would have seen [him] as a way to get a share of the extremely profitable business of Bond. It was Cassells, at any rate, who became Gulyashki’s paymaster by buying the English language publishing rights.” Glidrose quickly learned of the plan and demanded a meeting with the head of Cassells; “Bondmania was sweeping Europe and the USA as a result of the success of the films. Much was at stake. Both Glidrose and Cassells had by then taken legal advice. The answer to both parties was the same, that the name James Bond was available to anyone unless that character was passed off as the creation of Ian Fleming. But the magic double-00 number was a quite different kettle of fish. Here Glidrose were indefeasible and when Cassells sought to challenge them, Ann Fleming told Gentry fair and square that she would do everything in her power to prevent publication of Gulyashki’s book. Moreover, she said, Eon Productions, the producer of the Bond films, was also strongly opposed to the book and would support them financially in any lawsuit. After havering for six months, Cassells backed down”. (Fleming).
The entire debacle triggered intense debate concerning use of the character of James Bond after the death Fleming “and how new life could be breathed into Bond so as to keep control of the business.” Bond’s old agent Peter Janson-Smith “went to work and in 1968 the first faux Bond was published, Colonel Sun, by Kingsley Amis writing under the pseudonym of Robert Markham. This was an inspiration that still has legs: nearly forty Bond novels have been published since the death of his creator.”
The Bulgarian State department also gave up on the project and forbade the printing of the book. However, this edition clearly slipped through the cracks and an English language edition was published by Scripts in Sydney which “has the reputation of being the scarcest of all Bondiana.” (Fleming).
Rare. OCLC and Library Hub list single copies in the UK (BL) and North America (California State, Sacramento Library). KVK adds a single copy in Germany (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin).
See: James Fleming, Bond Behind the Iron Curtain.
