Social and Political Press in the Repertoire of the Saratov Book Publishing of 1917

Books reflect the era events sometimes much deeper, than the periodical press, become the document of the era and gain value, regardless of the political preferences of the author. The article presents the review of the social and political books and brochures published by the printing enterprises in Saratov after the February events of 1917. Characteristic features of the genres of book editions published by the new authorities, parties and movements of the Saratov province are described. The book repertoire of the publishing houses of Saratov in the revolutionary 1917 considerably reflects the fierce fighting for minds that started in the society between the main political forces after abdication of the Tzar. For adherents of social democracy, it was important as soon as possible to mobilize “heavy artillery”, i. e. to print topical, “iconic” works of the authoritative leaders of Russian and European scale, whose proclivities were on the side of left-wing parties. The printing house “Svetlyi Put’ ” (The Light Way) publishes the brochure by the famous Russian writer V.G. Korolenko “Falling of the Imperial power: the speech to ordinary people about the events in Russia”. The Saratov branch of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in the provincial lithographic printing orders the release of the article by F. Engels “From Utopia to Scientific Theory” in support of the socialist doctrine, and reissue of the famous work of G.V. Plekhanov “Annual World Holiday of the Workers” about the history and value of the May Day. There is given enumeration and characteristics of the other publications.

1917, February Revolution, October Revolution, Book History, Regional Book Publishing, Printing Houses, Lithographs, Publishing Repertoire, Local History Bibliography, Political Literature, Saratov

1. Gerasimenko G.A. (ed.) Khronika revolyutsionnykh sobytii v Saratovskom Povolzh’e 1917—1918 gg. [Chronicle of the Revolutionary Events in the Saratov Volga Region of 1917—1918]. Saratov, Privolzhskoye Publ., 1968, 419 p.

2. Raleigh D.J. Revolution on the Volga: 1917 in Saratov. Saratov, Slovo Publ., 1995, 400 p. (in Russ.).

3. Rezolyutsii, prinyatye s’’ezdom predstavitelei uezdnykh i gorodskikh Ispolnitel’nykh Komitetov Saratovskoi gubernii: 26—29 marta 1917 g. [Resolutions Adopted by the Congress of Representatives of District and City Executive Committees of the Saratov Province: March 26—29, 1917], 1917, 6 p.

4. Gerasimenko G.A., Tochenyi D.S. Sovety Povolzh’ya v 1917 godu: bor’ba partii, bol’shevizatsiya sovetov, oktyabr’skie dni [The Soviets of Volga Region in 1917: The Struggle of Parties, the Bolshevization of the Soviets, the October Days]. Saratov, Saratovskogo Universiteta Publ., 1977, 324 p.

5. Anikin S.V. I z - z a c h e g o m y v o y u e m : r e c h ’ krest’yanskogo deputata ot Petrovskogo uezda Saratovskoi gubernii S.V. Anikina, proiznesennaya 13 maya 1917 g. v Petrograde na Vserossiiskom s’’ezde krest’yanskikh deputatov [Why We Fight: The Speech of S.V. Anikin — a Peasant Deputy of the Petrovsky District of the Saratov Province — Pronounced on May 13, 1917 in Petrograd at the All-Russian Congress of Peasant Deputies]. Saratov, Svetlyi Put’ Publ., 1917, 16 p.

6. Antonov V.P. Pamyatka soldata-grazhdanina [A Soldier-Citizen’s Reminder]. Saratov, Bor’ba Publ., 1917, 14 p.

7. Voskresensky F. Obshchegorodskaya khronika [Citywide Chronicle], Izvestiya Saratovskoi gorodskoi dumy [News of the Saratov City Duma], no. 1 (January — June 1917). Saratov, 1917, pp. 29—37.

8. Korolenko V.G. Padenie tsarskoi vlasti: rech’ prostym lyudyam o sobytiyakh v Rossii [The Fall of Tsarist Power: A Speech to Ordinary People about the Events in Russia]. Saratov, Svetlyi Put’ Publ., 1917, 24 p.

9. Engels F. Ot utopii k nauchnoi teorii [From Utopia to Scientific Theory]. Saratov, Gubernskogo Pravleniya Publ., 1917, 57 p.

10. Plekhanov G.V. Ezhegodnyi vsemirnyi prazdnik rabochikh [The Annual Global Worker’s Celebration]. Saratov, Gubernskogo Pravleniya Publ., 1917, 16 p.

11. Medem V. Sotsialdemokratiya i natsional’nyi vopros: s prilozheniem stat’i K. Kautskogo o natsional’nom voprose v Rossii i rezolyutsii po natsional’nomu voprosu X konferentsii “Bunda” [Social Democracy and the National Question: With Application of K. Kautsky’s Article on the National Question in Russia and the Resolutions on the National Question by the 10th “Bund” Conference]. Saratov, Gubernskogo Pravleniya Publ., 1917, 68 p.

12. Dickstein S. Kto chem zhivet [Who Lives with What]. Saratov, Gubernskogo Pravleniya Publ., 1917, 32 p.

13. Manifest Rossiiskoi Sots.-Demokrat. Rabochei Partii i Rezolyutsii VI partiinogo s’’ezda [The Manifesto of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party and the Resolutions of the 6th Party Congress]. Saratov, Obshchestva Knigopechatnikov Publ., 1917, 23 p.

14. Poznyakova E.V. K voprosu o knigoizdanii v Saratovskoi gubernii v gody Pervoi mirovoi voiny (1914—1918) [On the Book Publishing in Saratov Province during the First World War (1914—1918)], Innovatsii i pedagogicheskoe tvorchestvo v obrazovanii detei s razlichnymi vozmozhnostyami: sb. nauch. tr. [Innovations and Pedagogical Creativity in the Education of Children with Different Capabilities: collection of scientific papers]. Saratov, 2015, pp. 219—223.