Reading During the Great Patriotic War (Based on Materials from the Newspaper “Krasnaya Zvezda”)

The purpose of this article is to present the source study potential of periodicals for reconstructing reading practices under the extreme conditions of the Great Patriotic War. The study conducted a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda. Selected publications from all issues were divided into four categories: “reading practices”, “new books”, “library activities”, and “book losses”. Examples and their interpretations are provided for each category. Based on the data collected, conclusions are drawn about the high social status of readers formed in the pre-war period, state support for reading infrastructure, and the use of the printed word as a propaganda and mobilization tool necessary for raising morale at the front and in the rear. During the war, many continued to engage in self-education. The military newspaper published numerous reports on new books and offered recommendations on how to most effectively use publishing products. The state and military leadership, recognizing the value and role of books, encouraged reading in every way possible, made efforts to establish libraries at the front, and ensured uninterrupted supplies of books and newspapers to the front lines. Reading aloud and discussing what was read were popular. The most successful practices for promoting literature were promoted among agitators, political workers, and newspaper readers. Research has shown that reading from 1941 to 1945 served educational, leisure, compensatory, and escapist purposes. Further study of available sources (records, statistics, the press, and ego documents) is necessary to understand more about the fates of people, the role of reading in their lives, and the development of culture.

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