Son of the fatherland

The magazine was published weekly (on Thursdays). The editor-publisher was the professor of literature of the St. Petersburg gymnasium and the secretary of the censorship committee N. I. Grech . Initially, “Son of the Fatherland” was a historical and political journal, but it also contained works of art, mainly poems and mainly on pressing political and military topics (related to the Patriotic War of 1812 ). The innovations were illustrations ( A.G. Venetsianova , I.I. Terebeneva ), mainly caricatures. In 1814, a permanent literary department appeared, including works of art, criticism, and bibliography.

The magazine published soldier’s and folk songs, fables of I. A. Krylov “The Wolf at the Kennel”, “Wagon train”, “Crow and Chicken”, articles by A. P. Kunitsyn , I. K. Kaydanov . In the initial period , A.F. Voeikov , K.N. Batyushkov , N.I. Gnedich , G.R. Derzhavin took part in the journal.

In 1816 - 1825 the Decembrists and authors close to them in public and literary views participated in the “Son of the Fatherland”. The magazine contained poems by V. A. Zhukovsky , A. A. Delvig , P. A. Pletnev , M. V. Milonov , A. A. Bestuzhev , as well as F. N. Glinka , A. S. Pushkin , P. A. Katenin , V.K. Kyukhelbekera , articles by P. A. Vyazemsky , A. S. Griboedov , O. M. Somov , K. F. Ryleyev , A. A. Bestuzhev , N. I. Kutuzov .

Published in 1815 in the “Son of the Fatherland” article, “Review of Russian literature of 1814”, Grech first introduced the annual review genre in Russian journalism and literary criticism; similar reviews were subsequently written by A. A. Bestuzhev , N. A. Polevoy , V. G. Belinsky and other Russian critics. The polemic of 1816 between Gnedich and Griboedov about the work of Zhukovsky and the national identity of Russian literature, caused by the publication of the ballad Katenin “Olga” (alteration of the burger ballad “Lenora”) had a wide resonance.

Until 1825, the magazine was one of the most influential and popular Russian magazines; circulation reached 1200-1800 copies.

In connection with the disappearance of the authors, primarily the convicted Decembrists, and changes in the socio-political situation and the position of the publication, the value of “Son of the Fatherland” was decreasing. Since 1825 F.V. Bulgarin became the co-publisher of the magazine. At the same time, Grech collaborated in the Bulgarian journal Northern Archive. In 1829, both magazines were merged into one under the name “Son of the Fatherland and the Northern Archive. Journal of Literature, Politics and Contemporary History. ”

Elegistic poems with religious motives of I. T. Kalashnikov and articles with literary criticism of M. M. Karniolin-Pinsky were published in the journal. The audience of the magazine, which could not stand the competition with the magazines Moscow Telegraph , Telescope , Sovremennik , continued to narrow; circulation fell from 600 in the late 1820s to 400 in the mid -1830s .

The content, format, and frequency of the journal have changed. In 1837, Grech and Bulgarin sold the magazine to the publisher A.F. Smirdin , leaving behind the functions of editors. Smirdin drew to the editing of N. A. Polevoy . Later, the magazine was led by Nikitenko and Polevoy ( 1841 ), Nikitenko and Senkovsky ( 1842 ), then from 1842 - prose writer, playwright, translator K.P. Masalsky .

KP Masalsky published his own works of various genres and translations in The Son of the Fatherland. He attracted collaboration in the journal of V. G. Benediktov , V. I. Dahl , N. V. Kukolnik , E. F. Rosen , P. R. Furman , as well as Iakinf Bichurin , M. N. Zagoskin , F. L Moroshkina , P.S. Saveliev . A. F. Pisemsky placed in the “Son of the Fatherland” the story “Nina”. The journal published translations from Byron , Dumas father , A. Carr , F. Cooper , and popular science articles by N. V. Shelgunov . The magazine published excerpts about the campaigns of Sigismund III and Vladislav IV in Russia from the main work of the 17th century Polish historian Stanislav Kobezhitsky “Historia Vladislai Poloniae et Sueciae principis, ejus natales, infantiam, electionem usque ad excessum Sigismundi III“ translated by I. Borichevsky .

In the second half of 1844, Masalsky was forced to stop publishing the journal; The publication has been continued since 1847 . Remaining only a nominal editor, Masalsky in 1849 handed over the magazine to Baron E.F. Rosen, then in the spring of 1852 to the writer and journalist P.R. Furman. At the end of the same 1852, the magazine was closed.

Albert Vikentievich Starchevsky in 1848-1856 passed the editorial school in the "Library for Reading" by O. I. Senkovsky, who in the 30s managed to put his magazine on a commercial scale. When reconstructing the “Son of the Fatherland,” Starchevsky resorted to financial loans and credits (with the manufacturer P. A. Pechatkin , the bookselling company “Genkel and Smirdin (son)”, etc.); attracted to the cooperation of capable aspiring journalists ( G. E. Blagosvetlov , M. A. Zagulyaev ), the well-known O. I. Senkovsky , who appeared in a newspaper with feuilletons under the title “Baron Brambeus's Leaf”, which in the first years made the Son Fatherland ".

Since 1857, illustrations began to appear in the newspaper (to Shchedrin 's Provincial Essays, other drawings and caricatures. Fashionable pictures, portraits of famous people, pictures of paintings by Russian artists were sent to subscribers. The content of the newspaper was very diverse: it included internal information departments, contemporary issues, politics, literature (poetry and prose), criticism (magazine reviews, articles, reviews), feuilleton, stock news, caricatures (on the last page). Continuous attention was paid to the peasant question: before the reform of newspapers she wrote about the immorality of serfdom, about the ruin of the peasants, about the conditions for the transfer of land, about the role of the community, about the size of the allotment and redemption; after the reform, the newspaper publishes responses to it (at first enthusiastic, then more restrained, there are even statements doubting the feasibility and effectiveness of the reform )

In 1856, the "Son of the Fatherland" was resumed by A. V. Starchevsky . The renewed journal was published in St. Petersburg in 1856 - 1861 as a political, scientific and literary weekly. Later, from 1862, Starchevsky published and edited the daily political, literary, and political liberal newspaper of the same name. The newspaper, replacing publishers and editors (I. I. Uspensky, A. P. Milyukov , S. E. Dobrodeev, A. K. Sceller-Mikhailov , S. N. Krivenko) was published until 1901 .

• The history of Russian journalism of the XVIII — XIX centuries. Moscow: Higher School, 1966. S. 125-128, 135-140, 166-167, 293-294.

• Son of the Fatherland, the journal of N.I. Grech // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Son of the Fatherland, A.V. Starchevsky's journal // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Son of the Fatherland / Yu. N. Kruzhnov // Big Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 vols.] / Ch. ed. Yu.S. Osipov . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2004—2017.
• Non "Son of the Fatherland" for 1812-13.
• Archive of the magazine "Son of the Fatherland" in .pdf, 1812-1851.
• Electronic copies of “Son of the Fatherland (newspaper)” in the guide of the National Library of Russia “Newspapers on and off the net”