RUSSIAN JOURNALS

The Anglo-Russian, 1897-1914 and Free Russia, 1890-1914

Publisher's Note

The Anglo-Russian, 1897-1914

Edited by Jaakoff Prelooker this monthly newspaper covers a crucial period of Russian history. "With its aim I entirely sympathise..." writes Jerome K Jerome in a letter published in the first issue of The Anglo-Russian. Its stated aims were set out as follows:

• To seek to promote more friendly relations and increased commercial intercourse between England and Russia.
• To throw light upon internal affairs and events in Russia and their bearing on international policy, advocating civil and religious liberty and universal peace and brotherhood.
• To voice Russian public opinion that is condemned to silence inside the country itself.
• To support the claims of the people for representative institutions, especially for a Free Press and Free Platform, pointing out the dangers of all ill-calculated attempts at violent revolution.
• To encourage the study of the English language by Russians, and vice-versa.
• To stimulate the popularisation of English Literature in Russia, and vice-versa.
• To strive in general to assist the realisation of purer and higher ideals.

"Our chief aim is to endeavour to remove those misunderstandings which at present divide two such great nations as the English and the Russians into antagonistic camps, suspicious of one another, to the detriment of their mutual interests, and the interests of the world at large. We are firmly convinced that there is no real cause for antagonism - that the natural conditions under which both nations exist and labour are such as to make them natural allies. Each could supply the wants of the other - Russia with the inexhaustible wealth of her natural resources, England with the abundance of her industries and manufactures".

Prominent subjects featured are Anglo-Russian commerce, Russian societies in England, financial policy in Russia, Russian music, stundist documents, famine distress in Russia, agriculture, English and French trade competition in Russia, Russian women at work, trade with Finland, and religious issues.

Free Russia, 1890-1915

This journal was the organ of the English 'Society of Friends of Russian Freedom'. The society included Arthur H Dyke Acland MP, the Rt Hon J G Shaw Lefevre MP, Joshua Rowntree MP, Edward R Pease and Dr Robert Spence Watson amongst its members. There is much discussion of the contributions of George Kennan, a leading British political advocate of the Russian cause. Other major subjects included in this journal are the Yakutsk massacre, university disturbances, the Jews in Russia, Russian internal policy, Count Tolstoi’s reforms, Russian anarchists, the movement in America to support Russian freedom, events in Finland and the Revolution of 1905.

The first issue claims "...the publication in English in the Capital of the English speaking race of a paper, intended to forward the cause of freedom in Russia, is a new departure in journalism...". It continues "As Russians, we cannot regard the ill-treatment of political offenders by the Russian Government as our greatest grievance. The wrongs inflicted upon the millions of peasantry, the stifling of the spiritual life of our whole gifted race, the corruption of public morals, created by wanton despotism - these are the great crimes of our Government against Russia, urging her faithful children to rebellion".

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