Issue Published Petrograd Dec 1916 (1 results)
More imagesLanguage: Russian
Published by The Constitutional Democratic Party (the "Kadety"), under the formal ownership and editorial direction of: Ivan Vasilevich Hessen (Иван Васильевич Гессен) Editor-in-Chief and Publisher. He was a major Cadet intellectual, Jewish by origin, lawyer, publicist, participant in the First Duma. The newspaper was issued under: "Издание И. В. Гессена" ("The publication of I. V. Hessen"). In most issues of 1914-1917 you will often see in the masthead: "Орган Партии Народной Свободы" ("Organ of the Party of People's Freedom" = Kadet Party). Printing was typically done at one of the major Petrograd printing houses contracted by Hessen. It was the same publisher for most of 1916 and 1917., Nikita Boulevard, Moscow, 1917
Seller: Meir Turner, New York, NY, U.S.A.Meir Turner
Contact seller5-star sellerNo Binding. Condition: Fair. In Russian. 6 pages. Complete. 68 x 46 cm. This is a 30 Dec. 1916 (O.S). 12 Jan. 1917 (N.S). issue of Речь (Rech, "Speech") No. 358 (3741), one of Russia's major liberal-constitutional (Kadet-aligned) dailies, reflects the turbulent political atmosphere between the February and October Revolutions. P….1 is mostly advertisements, public notices, legal announcements, course offerings, sanatorium ads, commercial schools, and insurance notices-typical for Rech, which often placed heavy advertising on Page 1. Major news begins on Page 2, focusing on the political crisis, the debates within the Provisional Government, and tensions between moderate socialists, liberals, and radical elements. Several articles discuss the upcoming session of the Democratic Conference, attempts to restructure government authority, and the eroding credibility of the Provisional Government. There is extensive commentary on Landowner Associations, military committees, and local political organizations adjusting to wartime shortages, agricultural uncertainty, and breakdowns of administrative authority. A large section covers war fronts, including operations on the Northern, Western, Southwestern, Romanian, and Caucasian fronts. Reports stress troop exhaustion, supply problems, desertion, and political agitation. The military command repeatedly warns of the deterioration of discipline following the failure of the June Offensive and the July Days unrest in Petrograd. Another significant block discusses Petrograd municipal affairs, including elections to the City Duma, workers' demands, shortages of bread, transport disruptions, and the expansion of municipal welfare. Letters to the editor complain about mismanagement, profiteering, bureaucratic incompetence, and price inflation. The "Telegrams" and "News of the Day" sections summarize nationwide disturbances—strikes, peasant land seizures, local elections, grain procurement conflicts, soldier mutinies, and political arrests. Rural reports describe peasants refusing taxes, occupying estates, disarming police, and forming committees outside central authority. There is substantial coverage of the Sukhomlinov case, referring to former War Minister Vladimir Sukhomlinov, tried for failures contributing to Russia's early defeats. Discussions focus on procedural controversies, witness statements, and the public's demand for accountability. Cultural sections include theater news, publication notices, and advertisements for educational institutions-particularly women's gymnasiums, commercial schools, evening accounting classes, mechanical-engineering courses, and dental programs. A large portion of the final page contains advertisements for shoes, industrial machines, medical remedies, and financial notices. The issue portrays a country in deep disorder-military collapse, administrative paralysis, partisan struggles, and widespread mistrust of authority. The Provisional Government appears fragmented; soldiers and workers are radicalized; peasants are defying landowners; and the state's mechanisms are breaking down. Yet the tone remains cautious, liberal, and reformist rather than revolutionary, consistent with Rech's Kadet orientation. There is apparently no Jewish related material at all in this issue.
