“Patriotic War and Russian Society” ( OVIRO ) is an encyclopedic publication in seven volumes on the history of the Patriotic War of 1812 , published in 1911 on the centenary of the events of 1812 by the partnership of I. D. Sytin in Moscow .
| World War II and Russian society | |
|---|---|
| Original language | Russian |
| Original published | 1911 |
| Publisher | partnership of I. D. Sytin |
OVIRO is compiled under the general editorship of the ORTZ Historical Commission, headed by A.K. Dzhivelegov , S.P. Melgunov and V.I. Picheta ; in the same year, the ORTZ Historical Commission also published the six-volume Great Reform: Russian Society and the Peasant Question in the Past and Present (on the 50th anniversary of the peasant reform of 1861 ).
Among the authors of articles and editors of the OVIRO sections are K. A. Voensky , M. V. Dovnar-Zapolsky , I. M. Kataev , B. M. Kolyubakin , N. P. Mikhnevich , V. I. Semevsky .
Description
The seven-volume edition is one of the most famous among the "anniversary" editions of the Partnership of I. D. Sytin of the 1910s. According to the memoirs of Sytin himself ("Life for the book"):
| At one of the meetings of the Board of the Partnership, I made a proposal: in view of the upcoming century of World War II, to celebrate this historic anniversary and issue a magnificent publication. The proposal was accepted by the board, which decided to invite the scientific forces of all Russian universities to participate in the creation of this literary monument. The board also decided not to spare money and release the book in full accordance with the significance of the celebrated event, no matter how high the costs. I watched with enthusiasm seven volumes that were devoted to World War II and Russian society! But here my peasant origin made itself known. Our army was made up of all classes, and everyone stood with honor for their native land, but when the war ended and the glory of Russian weapons thundered around the world, and the Russian Tsar became the ruler of all of Europe, which of the Russian estates was bypassed, who were forgotten when sharing the awards and favors? The man was forgotten, the soldier was forgotten. All estates were exacted by royal mercy, and only the peasant received nothing. He who liberated the fatherland himself was not freed from slavery. In free Russia, he alone remained a slave, and for half a century after the Napoleonic wars they sold him like cattle. It was an unprecedented ingratitude, and I wanted at least 100 years to come to the grave of a Russian soldier, a soldier-slave, and bowed to his blessed memory. |
The editorial also highlighted the “peasant” theme:
| The hero of this war was a Russian peasant, a peasant — courageous, selfless, not remembering his serfdom when he had to fight for his homeland, but who returned under the patriarchal landowner bondage when the French were expelled. A man believed and helped. But when it came time to celebrate the victory, they forgot about the peasant as always. |