The History of the Book Business of Russian Emigration from Paris to Vyborg (a New Aspect)

Abstract

The review of the second edition of the monograph of the Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor P.N. Bazanov “The Tsar and the Soviets: Russian Emigration in the Struggle for Russian Statehood: Political and Publishing Activities” (2022) is presented. The author examines the unions of the Russian abroad figures of the era of the firstwave emigration (smenovekhovtsy, post-revolutionaries and Young Russians). They were distinguished by a special (in comparison with other movements of emigration) interpretation of the events of the October Revolution and their attitude towards Soviet Russia (stemming from the justification of the very fact of the 1917 revolution). The monograph shows how the periodicals published and distributed by these associations reflected their original philosophical and political beliefs. The review also contains some stories related to the history of Russian book culture and literature (for example, the story of the “revenge” of the writer M.A. Bulgakov to the secretary of the publishing house “Nakanune” (On the Eve)). The significance of P.N. Bazanovʼs book for understanding the fate of modern Russia, as well as mastering the unknown heritage of caring thinkers and patriots of Russia abroad, is noted.