Online Lecture by Stanislaw Boridczenko, Grant Holder in 2024 in the Grant Program of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Limitations to freedom of the press: In 1925 the Prussian State Library bought part of the collection of the Russian bibliophile and author Sergei R. Mintslov. He himself made a note on the page of the satirical journal “Злой дух“ (Zloi dukh), № 1, 1906, p. 2. (Engl. title: Evil spirit, SBB shelf mark 2° Ue 6783/28-2) with the solution of the rebus «Ни-ко-лай ты дурак» (Engl.: Nikolay, you are a fool.) and a comment: «За этот ребус были закрыты журнал и типография в которой он печатался» (Engl.: For this rebus the magazine and the printing house where it was printed were closed.)

Nicholas I’s famous phrase “Where the Russian flag has been hoisted once, it shall never fall again” summarises the spirit of the state rhetoric of the Russian Empire. This statement, which is deeply rooted in the imperialist mindset, epitomises a world view that regards territorial expansion as one of the most important national values. Alongside this outward-looking expansionism, however, there was also a lesser-known view that saw the Russian people as the main victims of their own empire. According to this view, which was often absent from official discourse, Russian imperialism prioritised control of the conquered territories over the welfare of the imperial core, leaving this core to suffer under the demands of expansion and domination over the subjugated nations. This talk will explore this overlooked tradition of “reverse colonialism,” a uniquely Russian perspective that views the Russians as the primary victims of the state’s imperial ambitions. Based on research in the extensive collection of Russian press from the era of Nicholas II, housed in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and made possible by the Grant Program of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, the presentation aims to shed light on this alternative account of Russian history during the crucial period of the last Romanov reign.

Organisation: Olaf Hamann, Eastern Europe Department

Grant Program of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

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Online Lecture (Webex):
https://spk-berlin.webex.com/spk-berlin/j.php?MTID=m67b456e7788cef8b9bb4d4df988dc88f