The major transformations that took place in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century and were connected with the activities of Peter I were prepared by the entire course of the development of our country.

From the first years of his reign, Peter strives to provide Russia with free access to the seas, which was urgently demanded by state interests. He is waging war with Turkey for the Black Sea, soon outlines new goals for the Russian foreign policy and prepares the army for battles on the Baltic coast. In 1700, peace was concluded with Turkey, and the troops set off on a campaign against the Swedes. The Northern War began, dragging on for more than two decades. It ended with the establishment of Russia on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Russia has become one of the strongest states in the world.

The flip side of the successes were the hardships that fell on the serfs. Peter I carefully guarded the interests of the nobility and merchants, but was cruel to the peasants. The people bore the heavy burden of landlord oppression, supplied recruits to the army, workers to factories and construction, and starved. In 1707-1708. on the vast territory of the Don and the Volga region, an uprising broke out, raised by ataman Kondraty Bulavin. It gained a wide scope, spread to many counties central Russia and yet ended in a ruthless rout. Peter's reforms also had enemies among the ruling classes.

Peter's domineering hand destroyed the established way of life, planted new customs and orders, which caused discontent of the boyars and attempts to fight back on their part. journalism printed newspaper

In an effort to bring Russia into the circle of Western European states as soon as possible, to overcome the backwardness of the boyar-feudal way of life in Russian life, Peter hastily and indiscriminately borrowed foreign samples, forced Russian people to accept them and recruited foreigners in large numbers. Along with the good, through the “window to Europe” opened by the tsar, the unnecessary, harmful also penetrated, which demanded respect for itself only for one reason of its foreign origin. In the years of Peter's reign, kowtowing before the West begins to take root in the nobility, and then in bourgeois society.

However, realizing that one could not rely on foreigners and their readiness to help with their knowledge, Peter quickly created a cadre of domestic specialists. At the same time, business trips abroad were only part of Peter's educational program. It was much more important to establish the cause of secular education in Russia. A navigation school was opened in Moscow, later transferred to St. Petersburg (Naval Academy), then classes began in engineering and artillery schools, which trained officers for the army and navy. Future doctors were trained in the surgical school. Arithmetic and geometry were studied in digital schools, where non-nobles were also accepted - the children of soldiers, clerks, townspeople and churchmen. The Academy of Sciences was supposed to lead the education of the country, whose tasks included conducting research work and teaching students. Peter invited the best foreign scientists to serve, including Leibniz, Wolf, and others.

The printing press was busy producing instructions and manuals on shipbuilding, navigation, artillery, fortification, architecture, translated from foreign languages. Not limited to purely practical purposes, Peter also paid attention to scientific books, ordering the translation of political discourses, treatises on jurisprudence, works on history, geography, mythology, etc.

At the beginning of the 18th century, due to rapidly developing events, Russia was in dire need of operational information. Following the example of European countries, where the publication of newspapers was widely practiced for these purposes, on December 16, 1702, Peter I signed the "Decree on the printing of newspapers to inform them of foreign and domestic incidents."

Peter I was guided by the following idea: any government should adopt the all-creating action of a “typographic projectile” capable of uniting the nation, shaping public opinion, and instilling state ideology in the minds of readers. The first Russian newspaper was called "Vedomosti about military and other affairs worthy of knowledge and memory that happened in the Moscow state and in other surrounding countries" - briefly "Vedomosti".

The first issues of the newspaper appeared on December 16 and 17, 1702, but no printed copies have survived. The most complete set of Vedomosti, published in 1903 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the newspaper, begins with the issue of January 2, 1703, from which the beginning of Russian periodicals is counted. This date (January 13, according to the new style) has been celebrated since 1992 as the Day of the Russian Press.

The cost of the newspaper also varies - from 2 to 8 money, i.e. from 1 to 4 kopecks. Half a kopeck was called money, and this price was rather big for its time (the compositor of Vedomosti received three dollars a day for his work). The first surviving number is dated January 2, 1703 and was quite expensive - 2 "money". Having a newspaper in the house was considered a great chic. The newspaper was inserted into an expensive frame and shown to all guests, emphasizing the wealth and education of its owner.

The newspaper was a small booklet 1/12 of a sheet in size, half a modern typewritten page (11 x 16 cm, the size of the typesetting strip was 5 x 7.5 square meters) and usually consisted of four pages, individual issues came out in a larger format with up to 22 pages.

The newspaper also did not have a constant format, circulation, strict periodicity of release. In the first year of the newspaper's existence, 39 issues were published, in subsequent years - 30-40 issues each, except for 1718, when only one issue was prepared. The circulation of the newspaper experienced great fluctuations - from several tens to several thousand copies. The first circulation of Vedomosti amounted to a thousand copies,

Until 1710, Vedomosti was printed in church type at the Moscow Printing Yard. In 1710, Peter I introduced the Civil font for printing secular publications as a result of the first reform of the Russian alphabet (changing the composition of the alphabet and simplifying the outline of the letters of the alphabet). In 1711, after the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, Vedomosti was published in two versions. Since 1715, Vedomosti was printed mainly in a new font. In the first place, military news was published (Russia was at war with Sweden). Information was also published on "Russian trade and industrial affairs", the construction of canals, the construction and opening of new factories. After the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, a separate page of Vedomosti was devoted to information about the arriving ships, listing the goods they brought. Vedomosti also wrote about events in European life, often reprinting information from foreign newspapers. In form, these news from distant countries were the prototypes of the future reporter's chronicle and the notes of "special correspondents."

Vedomosti was an official publication, and Peter I himself took part in their preparation - he wrote teaching articles for his subjects in Vedomosti, among them were tips on educating the citizens of young Russia. Peter I selected material for publication, checked the quality of translations, and corrected some articles with his own hand. However, despite this, mistakes and curiosities could not be avoided. So, in one of the first issues, due to a careless translation, the meaning of the message was distorted, in which, instead of writing about the ships going to Jamaica, it was printed that the ships went to the fair.

The authors and editors were the prominent statesman F.A. Golovin, the first Russian journalists: F. Polikarpov, "reference officer" of the Moscow printing house and translator, A. Makarov, Peter I's office secretary, directors of the St. Petersburg printing house M. Avramov (since 1711), Ya. journalists of Russia, "reporter"), B. Volkov (since 1719).

Through the efforts of these people, the newspaper gradually turned into a mouthpiece for government ideas. If at first it was dominated by a chronicle, event notes, then they were gradually replaced by political feuilleton, which by that time had become widespread in the Western press, analytical articles, and in its infancy - sketches, reports, correspondence. Some materials were not devoid of elements of publicism. The reader was addressed to comments on important events in domestic and foreign policy. It is noteworthy that Vedomosti began to publish announcements about new published books. The first "Register of civil books" - the prototype of modern bibliographic listing - was printed in 1710. An important innovation introduced by Peter I was the interpretation of foreign words incomprehensible to Russian people. It was from the newspaper that the reader got acquainted with such concepts as "concilium-council", "negotiation-agreement", "jewellery-jewelry". The introduction of new terminology made it possible to revive the literary language and bring it closer to European lexical norms.

Great importance was attached to the external design of the newspaper. From No. 3 for 1711, the first page (head page) was decorated with an engraving depicting Mercury, the patron of trade and news, soaring with a pipe and a caduceus staff over the Neva against the backdrop of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

It should be noted the serious difference between the first Russian newspaper and the first newspapers of other European countries. The first Russian newspaper was least of all a commercial publication, as were the first European newspapers. From the first steps of its existence, the Russian newspaper revealed its important potential qualities - to be a conductor of a certain policy, to be a propagandist, and sometimes an organizer of public opinion in favor of state reforms, in favor of protecting national independence and independence. The ideological level of the first Russian newspaper was undeniable and very bright, despite the fact that informational materials prevailed in it.

"Vedomosti" undoubtedly broadened the horizons of readers, introducing them to the life of European countries, popularizing geographical knowledge, systematically explaining geographical terms, and so on.

After the death of Peter I, his "most amiable organ" lasted less than two years. Gradually, the subject matter of published materials was narrowed, it was more and more limited to the description of official celebrations. The newspaper was published very rarely: in 1727 only four issues appeared. In the same year, the newspaper was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sciences, and from 1728 to 1914 it was already published under the name "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti".

Thanks to the Vedomosti newspaper, journalism received a proper foundation and began to develop. The first printed newspaper was a fairly successful move on the part of Peter I. The fact that the first Russian newspaper was very high in its level, in its functions, as a type of informational newspaper, is indirectly indicated by the further successful development of Russian journalism. Already in 1728, the first experience of publishing a Russian journal called "Notes" appeared. In the same year, the newspaper "St. Petersburg Vedomosti" began to be published at the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, replacing Peter's "Vedomosti". It was published in Russian and German and was more successful than its predecessor. But, despite all these shortcomings, the Vedomosti newspaper was popular. If not for the death of Peter I, which resulted in the loss of the reader and, accordingly, the circulation, Vedomosti would have continued to exist.

D. ROKHLENKO, historian-archivist.

The first printed Petrine newspaper Vedomosti (at first Peter I called it chimes) today is of great interest not only as a kind of mirror of the country’s long-gone life, a source of information about historical events, economy, culture, life and language of the beginning of the 18th century. the newspaper left its mark on Russian society, which was formed in the course of the Petrine reforms. As N. A. Dobrolyubov noted, on the pages of Vedomosti, "for the first time, Russians saw a nationwide announcement of military and political events."

Science and life // Illustrations

Engraving by P. Gunst, made from a portrait of the young Peter I by the artist Kneller. 1697.

Title page of Vedomosti, 1704.

Printing House in Moscow. Engraving of the late 17th century.

The title page of Vedomosti, published in St. Petersburg, as evidenced by the engraving by A.F. Zubkov.

The first paragraph of the message about the victory of the Russian army near Poltava printed in cinnabar.

An example of a set made with ecclesiastical (left) and civil letters.

Print of a page of the civil alphabet with corrections of Peter I.

In a turbulent era, when "young Russia was maturing with the genius of Peter", one of the many innovations of the tsar-reformer was the publication of the first Russian printed newspaper. On December 16, 1702, Peter I signed a decree that contained only two, but weighty phrases: "The Great Sovereign indicated: according to the statements about the military and all sorts of affairs that are necessary for declaring Moscow and the surrounding States to people, print chimes, and for printing those chimes, statements, in which orders, about which there are now and will continue to be sent from those orders to the Monastic order without delay (without delay, without delay. - Note. D. R.), and from the Monastyrsky order, those statements should be sent to the Printing Yard. And about that send to all orders from the Monastic order of memory. "(Hereinafter, decrees and other documents, including excerpts from the Vedomosti newspaper, are quoted with the preservation of grammatical and other features of the originals.)

It follows from the decree that the collection of source materials for the newspaper is entrusted to the bodies of the central government of Russia - orders. But a logical question arises: why does the decree speak about the printing of certain chimes, and not a newspaper? The explanation is simple: the word "newspaper" appeared in Russian much later. In 1809, the "Northern Post" began to be published - the official organ of the postal department of the Ministry of the Interior, in the subtitle of which for the first time was the word "newspaper".

In Muscovite Rus', even before Peter I, handwritten statements were drawn up in the Ambassadorial Order - they were often called "Chimes" at that time. Officials of the Posolsky Prikaz included in them translations of individual articles from foreign newspapers, information obtained from the reports of informants kept abroad (a kind of "special correspondents"), as well as from the censored private correspondence of foreigners living in Moscow with their relatives and friends. In essence, the chimes served as confidential diplomatic documents and were intended only for a narrow circle of readers - the king and his entourage. True, they could be called readers only conditionally: the handwritten text was read aloud to them by readers - from the clerks of the "tsar's Duma".

This name, "chimes", was used by Peter to refer to the new printed edition. However, from issue to issue, the name of the first newspaper changed, along with Vedomosti of the Moscow State, others were also used: Vedomosti Moskovskie, Rossiyskiye Vedomosti, Relations, Essence from French Printed Newspapers, and others. The set of "Vedomosti" for 1704 was accompanied by a general title that most fully reflected their content: "Vedomosti about military and other matters worthy of knowledge and memory that happened in the Muscovite state and in other surrounding countries."

The first issues of the newspaper appeared on December 16 and 17, 1702, but they survived only in the form of handwritten copies. The most complete set of Vedomosti, published in 1903 for the 200th anniversary of the newspaper, begins with the issue dated January 2, 1703. Since 1992, this date (January 13, according to the new style) has been celebrated as the Day of the Russian Press.

It is no coincidence that the decree on the publication of the newspaper dates back to 1702. The Northern War began unsuccessfully for Russia. Having suffered a defeat near Narva, the Russian army lost all artillery. And now, when Russia was exerting all its strength to repulse the troops of Charles XII, it was necessary to convince the people of the need to continue the war with the Swedes, to explain the significance of certain government measures, for example, the confiscation of bells from churches for pouring them into cannons. Finally, it was necessary to inform the population of the country that the factories were increasing the production of weapons and ammunition, that the tsar, in addition to the Russian troops, had support from the peoples of Russia ...

Very characteristic in this respect is the content of the issue of December 17, 1702. First of all, it reports on the solemn, after successful military operations, the entry of Peter I to Moscow, that the tsar "brought a large number of conquered Swedish altileries, which he took in Marienburg and Slyusenburg." Further, we are talking about the promise of the "great owner of Ayuki Pasha" to deliver 20 thousand of his armed soldiers, about the discovery of deposits iron ore, sulfur, saltpeter, that is, materials necessary for the further waging of the war with the Swedes.

The next issue (dated January 2, 1703) is sustained in the same spirit. He informs readers: "In Moscow, again, 400 copper cannons, howitzers and mortars have been poured ... And now there are 40,000 pounds of copper in the cannon yard, which is prepared for a new casting." Further, the chimes report on the development of natural resources, "from which the Muscovite state expects a considerable profit."

Any business that Peter started, he gave all the ardor of his soul. Here is a new brainchild - he called the newspaper "the most amiable organ." The tsar selected incoming material for it, marked with a pencil places for translation from foreign newspaper articles and, as can be seen from the surviving handwritten originals, often corrected the text with his own hand. Peter is not only an editor, but also one of the most active employees of the newspaper: he handed over for publication the news of hostilities, letters to the Senate, Tsarevich Alexei, Empress Catherine, and much more.

It is difficult even to imagine Peter's everyday busyness with many state affairs, and yet he found time not only to read Vedomosti, but also to note the editorial omissions. We learn about this, for example, from a letter from Count N. A. Musin-Pushkin, the head of the Monastic order (namely, Vedomosti was in his charge), to the director of the Moscow printing house Fyodor Polikarpov. The letter was sent on March 4, 1709 from Voronezh, where Peter at that time was following the progress of the construction of warships. “The chimes sent from you are objectionable,” Musin-Pushkin writes. “The Great Sovereign deigned to say, it’s not necessary to write “Relation”, but “Vedomosti”, write from which place they were sent. And you, having corrected it, print it and pass it on to the people ... And at the end it is necessary to write: printed in Moscow in the summer of March 1709 ... and not in the way you have printed.

Initially, Vedomosti was printed only in Moscow at the Printing House, and since 1711 - in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1722, the publication of the newspaper was again transferred to Moscow. Here it was edited by Fedor Polikarpov, and since 1711 the St. Petersburg printing house was edited by the director of the St. Petersburg printing house Mikhail Avramov; in 1719 he was replaced by an employee of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, Boris Volkov. At that time, the editors of the newspaper (as, indeed, today) were engaged not only in creativity, but also in a mass of organizational affairs. This is evidenced by the correspondence of B. Volkov with the printing house. Curious is the letter in which he demands to expedite the release of the next issue, since the readers will not honor the belated issue for news, but for some kind of memorial for historians. Sounds quite modern. Among the arguments with which Volkov tried to influence the printing house was a reference to the sovereign’s opinion about Vedomosti: “These chimes are pleasing to His Imperial Majesty, who himself deigns to read them and collect them according to the weather, like a monarch who is all-curious in literature.” (In the 18th century, the word "curious" was used not only to mean "remarkable", "interesting", "rare", but also "inquisitive".)

Until 1710, Vedomosti was typed in ecclesiastical type. And suddenly, on January 29, 1710, a decree appears on the approval of the civil alphabet. Peter himself participated in its development - this is evidenced by his own handwritten corrections on the first prints of the civil alphabet.

The first set of the new font was cast in Holland, which is why it was sometimes called "Amsterdam". The civil font did not include some Greek letters that are unnecessary for the transmission of Russian speech. The lettering has been simplified, making it easier to type and, most importantly, read it. The first issue of Vedomosti, printed in civil type, came out on February 1, 1710. However, even after that, thinking about an illiterate reader who studied the hour book and the Psalter, the most important numbers were sometimes printed in both civil and church letters.

What did the first Russian newspaper look like? The format throughout the edition was the same - in the twelfth printed sheet with very narrow margins (the area of ​​such a newspaper page is approximately one third larger than the page of the journal "Science and Life"). The design of Vedomosti was gradually improved. Depending on the place of publication, the title pages were decorated with engravings depicting either Moscow or St. Petersburg. Vignettes appeared, in some issues the first paragraphs are the most important messages printed in cinnabar.

The newspaper was published irregularly. For example, in 1703 and 1704, 39 issues were issued, in 1705 - 46, in subsequent years the number of issues was sometimes reduced to several per year. The circulation also fluctuated: the record was the release of 4,000 copies (when Catherine gave birth to Peter's heir), more often it was 100-200 copies. There was no subscription to Vedomosti. The newspaper was usually sold at a price of 1-2 money, sometimes 3-4 money (a coin worth half a kopeck). But it was necessary to somehow attach ordinary people to reading the newspaper. And then, by order of Peter, they began to give rooms to taverns free of charge, and in order to encourage the first readers they were treated to tea there.

Consistently looking through the annual sets of Vedomosti, you see how the composition of published materials is gradually changing, they are becoming more diverse. In the initial period, the chimes were based on translations from foreign newspapers, mainly German and Dutch. At the same time, Vedomosti did not include any information that could cause any damage to the dignity of Russia, its army and allies from the translations received by the editorial office. This is evidenced by the notes on the surviving originals of Vedomosti: "Do not let this article into the people." The first newspaper and the first censorship!

The share of original materials is gradually growing. True, in most cases they were published anonymously, although it is known that among the authors of Vedomosti were associates of Peter I, prominent statesmen and diplomats: Fyodor Apraksin, Gavriil Golovkin, Vasily and Grigory Dolgoruky, Boris Kurakin, Pyotr Tolstoy, Pyotr Shafirov. Along with brief messages relatively large articles were also published, up to 300 lines. Various literary genres were used - information, reviews, feuilletons and pamphlets.

What did Vedomosti write about? There were no thematic headings in the newspaper, so many issues are a motley mixture of a wide variety of information - from descriptions of a naval battle to advertising healing properties Olonets waters, "which are witnessed through many sick people ...". Nevertheless, in this information kaleidoscope, the main topics of the published materials can be distinguished. For almost twenty years, the events of Northern war. The newspaper reported on the victories of the Russian army and navy, on the fighting of the allies. To emphasize the importance of the event, they used the emerging opportunities of the then printing industry. So, the first paragraph of the message about the defeat of the Swedes near Poltava was highlighted - printed in vermilion.

Although Peter sometimes tried to hide military failures, however, Vedomosti constantly cited data on the losses of Russian troops. Here is just one example. In the report about the victory in the naval battle near the Gangut Peninsula on July 25-27, 1714, along with a register of captured Swedish ships and a report on the number of enemy officers, sailors and soldiers taken prisoner, it is indicated: "Our officers were beaten in that battle, as well as under ground officers and marine and ordinary soldiers and sailors 124, wounded 342".

But then the Northern War ended, the Treaty of Nystadt was signed, and Vedomosti, in its issue of September 12, 1721, informs its readers of the main result of the war: “The Swedish crown is forever yielding to us Livonia, Estland, Ingeria and a significant part of Karelia, with the cities of Riga, Revel, Narva, Pernov, Vyborg and Kexholm".

The first Russian newspaper covered extensively the development of industry and trade. In it, one can also find a general assessment of the economic situation in the country: "Merchant, manufacturing and all kinds of handicrafts are doing very well." And then there are concrete facts that speak of an increase in production and the development of new technologies: "there are 11 ships on the stocks in the Admiralty, including one that is expected to be launched this autumn." "Vedomosti" reported that at the foundry in St. Petersburg guns "in a new manner of different calibers of 20 pieces" were poured; that "in good order" silk, woolen and hosiery manufactories are developing, and "materials and minerals acquired in the state are very fairly produced." Readers could learn that in Moscow 200 people study manufacturing, and "the common people show a special desire for these sciences," and a saltpeter plant was built on the Akhtuba River, in the Kazan province. The newspaper reported on the completion of the construction of the Vyshnevolotsk Canal, which connected the Volga with the Baltic Sea, that "a navy of 30 large merchant ships happily arrived on the Thames River," etc.

On their pages, Vedomosti wrote about the profound changes that were taking place in the field of education and dissemination civil literature, for example, that by order of the tsar, the network of schools, including special ones, is expanding, that in Moscow "more than 300 people study at the mathematic navigator's school and accept science well." In the 12th issue for 1710, a bibliographic review is published for the first time - "Register of new civil books, which, by decree of the Royal Majesty, are printed in the newly invented Amsterdam alphabet."

"Vedomosti" undoubtedly broadened the horizons of readers, introducing them to the life of European countries, popularizing geographical knowledge, systematically explaining geographical terms, and so on.

After the death of Peter I, his "most amiable organ" lasted less than two years. Gradually, the subject matter of published materials was narrowed, it was more and more limited to the description of official celebrations. The newspaper was published very rarely: in 1727 only four issues appeared. In the same year, the newspaper was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sciences, and from 1728 to 1914 it was already published under the name "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti".

After the death of Peter I, under his closest successors, a reaction begins against Peter's reforms, an attempt is made to return to the "old times". Much of what was created is destroyed, what was started is conserved.

But it became impossible to turn Russia back, as the feudal-church nobility wanted. The state reformed by Peter continued to grow stronger and develop.

In Russia, new economic relations, productive forces grew, trade and industry expanded, ties with foreign countries multiplied. All this caused a need for information, a constant need to know how the military operations were going - the war with Sweden ended only in 1721 - what was happening inside the country and abroad.

Since 1728, the publication of Vedomosti was taken over by the Academy of Sciences. The newspaper received the permanent name "Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti". The first editor-compiler of the renewed newspaper was G. F. Miller (1705–1783). He came to Russia from Germany in 1725, was enrolled as a student of the Academy of Sciences and at the same time began to teach Latin language, history and geography in the academic gymnasium.

Miller was engaged in Vedomosti from 1728 to 1730. He selected materials for each issue of the newspaper, translated foreign news, scooping them from the foreign press, read the proofs and followed the release of the issues.

The first issue of the "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti" for 1728 was printed on four pages in the fourth part of the sheet, the rest came out in the same format. On the first page, under the headline of the newspaper, there was a vignette depicting a double-headed eagle with a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Below is the publication date. The content of the issue was news from Hamburg, London, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Paris and other European cities, as well as the court chronicle - messages about the congratulations of the sovereign on the new year, about promotions and awards.

The newspaper was published twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays; 104–105 issues were collected per year. In addition, she had a "Supplement" (addition, addition - Latin.) - 12 issues, in which a variety of Additional materials, for example, the parliamentary speech of the English king, the manifesto of the king of Sweden, decrees on the withdrawal of kopeck pieces of 1726 and 1727, on the export of goods to Riga and Revel, etc. During the year, four reports were issued as annexes - on the entry of Peter II into Moscow, about his coronation and about the funeral of Princess Anna Petrovna (two).

Throughout the 18th century "Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti" did not change its periodicity - they continued to be published twice a week, only changing the days of publication from time to time due to changes in "postal days", when mail was sent from St. Petersburg throughout the Russian Empire. Soon, announcements about tenders, contracts, sales, the release of new books, theater performances, etc. were added to foreign and domestic news. These announcements contain considerable material for historians of Russian culture, as they make it possible to clarify the date of publication of a particular book, magazine, appearance of a new play.

An important stage in the participation of M. V. Lomonosov in the Russian periodical press is connected with the "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti". In 1748 The office of the Academy of Sciences appointed several translators to select messages from foreign publications, and entrusted editing to Lomonosov.

In essence, Lomonosov became the editor of Vedomosti, because of the eight pages of each issue of the newspaper, at least five or six were occupied by foreign news, the rest were filled with advertisements. Russian news - mainly a court chronicle - usually received a very limited place, representing two or three notes that did not appear in every issue.

For all his busyness, Lomonosov took the new assignment with full responsibility and began to supervise the selection of foreign information, carefully editing the texts. The general chronicle nature of Vedomosti's notes did not change from this - the editor dealt with translations, did not compose anything himself, but only selected and corrected. News about the war for the Netherlands, about naval clashes between England and Spain, about the family life of sovereign persons - kings, dukes and margraves, information about earthquakes, storms and fires are constantly published under Lomonosov, as it was before him.

But it is impossible not to notice an increase in the number of notes relating not to military, but to civilian news, scientific reports, and information about the discoveries of foreign scientists. The manner of writing is also changing, it is becoming clearer and more accessible. The phrase becomes short, energetic, clear in thought, easy to read aloud.

The considerable work that Lomonosov put into managing the publication of the Saint Petersburg Vedomosti took away his time from his scientific studies, and therefore in March 1751 he asked to be dismissed from this duty. The Academy of Sciences handed over the editing of Vedomosti to Taubert.

From 1728 to 1742, Vedomosti came out with an appendix of Historical, Genealogical and Geographical Notes, from 4 to 8 pages. During the first year they appeared once a month, and since 1729 they have been attached to each issue of the newspaper. Their releases are called "parts".

"Notes" were conceived as a reference apparatus for "Vedomosti" and at first were closely associated with the content of the newspaper. They interpreted the reported news in more detail and additionally cited curious materials that expanded the information in the information notes of the main text of the newspaper. But a year later, Notes acquired an independent character, articles flashed on their pages that were not at all attached to newspaper reports, and they turn into a kind of magazine that was published together with Vedomosti twice a week.

The articles of the "Notes" over the thirteen years of their existence are striking in their versatility and breadth of thematic coverage. So, in 1729, along with the news about the state of the Inquisition in Venice (part 15), there is an essay “The fight of the oxen in Gishpania and Portugal, or about the battle with oxen”, that is, about the bullfight (part 19). Following a series of articles on the discovery of America (parts 29-31), there is an article "On Perpetuo Mobile, indispensable or incessant movement" (part 56). Part 87 contains "Poems or verses of the excise secretary Ganken in Poland", parts 95-101 are occupied by an extensive article "On laying the hand of the French king on the sick or on healing the glands by touch, parts 88-91 are filled with the article" On the arrival of great water in the Neva " etc. In subsequent years, this diversity of content has increased even more. Large articles appeared on natural science topics, practical recipes, medical recommendations, descriptions of illuminations, and much more.

Several articles on questions of literature and art were published in Notes: “On Shameful Games or Comedies and Tragedies” (1733, part 44–46), “A Historical Description of the Theatrical Action Called Opera” by Academician J. Shtelin (1738, ch. 17–21, 33–34, 34–49), Academician F. Strube de Pirmont (1739, ch. 87), “On silent comedians among the ancients”, Stelin (1740, Parts 1–2) and others. Of course, the appearance in the Russian press of articles touching on the topics of the history and theory of art had its own positive value and was useful for readers, but one cannot fail to notice the complete indifference of the editors to Russian art and literature.

Lomonosov's initial steps at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences upon his return from a business trip abroad are associated with participation in the press. Lomonosov was appointed adjunct of physical classes in January 1742, and before that, for six months he worked in the editorial office of Notes on Vedomosti as an author and translator. In 1741, he published three odes in Notes - on the birthday of Emperor Ivan Antonovich (parts 66–69), in honor of the victory of Russian troops over the Swedes at Wilmanstrand (parts 73–74) and congratulations to the new Empress Elizaveta Petrovna ( ch. 98–102).

In addition, Lomonosov translated several works by Academician Kraft "On the Preservation of Health", "On the Hardness of Different Bodies", etc. In total, ten parts of the "Notes" of 1741 in a row turned out to be occupied by Lomonosov's translations.

In October 1742, the Academy of Sciences stopped publishing the Notes, but the reader's interest in them did not cool off. In 1765, in Moscow, probably by Miller, a collection was published, compiled from 25 articles reprinted from there, and after it came out several more editions of the same type.

The most important event in Russian cultural life was the publication of the first official newspaper Vedomosti (1702-1727), which marked the beginning of the Russian periodical press. Called to life by the political, economic and cultural needs of the country, this newspaper reflected in its essence the contradictions of the era of Peter's reforms. On the one hand, it became an important phenomenon of national culture, contributed to the democratization of the language, and carried out an educational function. On the other hand, it served the purposes of propaganda of the internal and foreign policy of the government, monopoly influenced the opinions of readers in a monarchical spirit.

By decree of December 15, 1702, Peter I announced the publication of the first Russian newspaper. The decree read: "The chimes according to our Vedomosti ... sell to the world at the right price." "Vedomosti" was intended "to notify them of foreign and domestic incidents." Vedomosti of the time of Peter the Great. Issue. 1. M., 1903

"Chimes" - walking news, or "Vestovye letters" - a handwritten newspaper that existed before Peter's "Vedomosti", was in the nature of information about events abroad (about political life West, on military plans and diplomatic acts of various states). The need for a handwritten newspaper began to be felt already at the beginning of the 17th century, during the period of expanding diplomatic and trade relations between Russia and European and Eastern countries, when the government needed constant information about ongoing military and political events abroad. The materials for the handwritten newspaper were prepared by officials of the Posolsky Prikaz, who mainly selected and translated material from foreign newspapers, and also used messages from people living abroad. The Chimes were written on long narrow sheets of paper - "columns". The "chimes" were intended for the king and a narrow court circle. For a long time, the oldest copy of the handwritten newspaper was attributed to 1621, but the latest data from Vesti historians dates back to 1542, more regularly they were compiled from 1600. "Vesti Chimes" 1600-1639 The publication was prepared by N.I. Tarabasova, V.G. Demyanov, A.I. Sumkina / Ed. S.I. Kotkova. M., 1972

By the end of the XVII century. Russia received up to 200 foreign newspaper titles. Translations of "messages", "messages" or "notebooks", "messages" were made from German, English, Swedish, Danish, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Greek and other European languages. The translators of the Ambassadorial Order, when preparing materials for inclusion in the Chimes, usually indicated what the translation was made from (from printed sheets or from a message), from what language, who and when sent the news, sometimes it was even reported how it was copied, almost always indicated the time of receipt.

The title was lengthy, it indicated where the translation came from, what it was about, about the events in which land: “Translation from a German news notebook, what was done in Ustreya (Austria), and in Poland, and in Schlez (Schleiswig), and in France , and in the Dutch, and in the English, and in the Italian, and in the Ugric (Hungary) land and in other places. Sometimes the name of the translator was indicated, and to whom the translation was transferred: “Retelling of the letter sent by the Riga translator J. Gennik to the Swedish clerk Adolf about the events in Sweden, France, Ireland and Lithuania” (August 1648 - May 1649).

Vesti-Kuranty commented in detail on foreign news about the military events of the Thirty Years' War, and reported on the battle between the armies of King Charles I Stuart and the parliamentary army during the English bourgeois revolution. Sheet 30 dated January 31, 1649 contained material under the title: "Translation of a Swedish printed sheet describing the execution of the English King Charles I Stuart." Then followed: translation from a printed sheet from the Svei language. It is described (how the king of the English was executed).

The description of the execution is replete with many details about the behavior of the king, his plea to the executioner to make sure that the torment is not long: adjusted his hair under his hat) ... ”This event is not told without sympathy for the English king. On the execution of Charles I Stuart Moscow government was officially notified in 1650, but this news was belated, as it became known earlier from a Swedish newspaper, the translation of which was placed in the Chimes on January 31, 1648.

It is interesting that in 1649 the merchants asked the government to ban English trade in Moscow and other cities, explaining this decision by the fact that the British "killed their sovereign Carlus the king to death."

Quite often there were reports of popular performances in different countries. Thus, in 1620 the Chimes reported on the events of the Czech uprising against the Habsburgs, and other “messages” contain news of the uprisings of the masses in the Austrian possessions. In the "Chimes" one reads news about individual events of the war of the Ukrainian people under the leadership of B. Khmelnytsky against the Polish lords ("translations of printed bulletins about events in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany." August 1649).

The Chimes also contained news about the events of cultural life in foreign countries: about theatrical performances, about printing books. Trade information was also reported, such as "translation of the printed painting of goods on nine Dutch ships" (August 1650). It listed the goods that went "from East India to the Dutch land" (furs, peppers, cinnamon, dyes, sugared ginger, nuts, etc.).

To obtain information about "European behavior", translators and editors used not only translations of foreign newspapers, but also the replies from the governors of such "frontier" cities as Arkhangelsk, Riga, Novgorod, Pskov, Astrakhan. They received information from merchants, etc. persons returning home. Correspondents also delivered information, among whom there were many foreigners. Thus, in 1626, a Dutchman, a merchant Yuri Klink, handed over to the Embassy order the notice sheets, which reported what was "done in the Tsar's region and in the Italian land this year." There was information from Rome, Venice, etc. cities. Served in 1625-1628. at the court of the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, Isaac Massa delivered sheets with detailed information about the relationship between the French king and the English king. The mass was ready to go to French, English, Danish or Swedish lands for state affairs. “In all those lands,” he reported, “I have good friends and I can visit and get what I need.”

In the Posolsky Prikaz, foreign news was usually quickly translated. So, on the back of one voivodeship replies it was written: “Letters of messages to order to translate that hour.” Attached great importance the arrangement of the material, which was divided by the editor-editor into semantic segments, which contributed to an easier perception of the text. The government considered information about foreign events a matter of extreme importance. In the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to the voivode Ya. The news was usually read aloud, as evidenced by the marks on the text of the translations: “it was read to the sovereign” or “it was read to the sovereign and the boyars”. There are also such marks: “it has been read to the sovereign and the most holy patriarch, pasted into a pillar” (that is, the texts read must be glued to the previous materials).

Despite the fact that the information level of the news is low, their appearance testified to the political processes that took place in the country and served to strengthen international relations. Handwritten Chimes to a certain extent facilitated the appearance of the first Russian newspaper Vedomosti.

Unlike the Chimes, Petrovsky's Vedomosti was the first newspaper intended for a wide circle of Russian readers, it was intended for sale to the world. Vedomosti was predominantly informational in nature, acquainting readers with important events within the country and abroad. Separate issues of the newspaper were published under the name Vedomosti Moskovskie, Rossiyskiye Vedomosti, etc.

N. Dobrolyubov wrote that in "Vedomosti" "for the first time the Russians saw a nationwide announcement of military and political events" Dobrolyubov N.A. On the degree of participation of the people in the development of Russian literature, 1858 // Full. coll. op. in 6 volumes. T. 1. M., 1934.

The newspaper from the moment of its appearance had a pronounced propaganda character. It reflected the urgent needs of the era of major transformations in Russia. Vedomosti promoted new science and culture, asserted the necessity and justice of wars with Sweden and Turkey, reported on the country's defense capability, its superiority. military strategy, about the development of the economy, etc. With the help of the newspaper, the government for the first time turned to public opinion, trying to get its support, to convince the reader of the need for ongoing events.

In the first printed issue of Vedomosti dated January 2, 1703 that has come down to us, “the printed numbers of December 17 and 27, 1702 have not been preserved and are known from handwritten copies. It was reported: “By the command of His Majesty, Moscow schools are multiplying, and 45 people are studying philosophy and have already graduated from dialectics.

More than 300 people study at the Mathematical Navigator School and accept science well.”

“They write from Persia: The Indian king sent as gifts to our great Sovereign an elephant and many other things.” This news was supposed to evoke a sense of pride in the development of education and in the growth of Russia's international prestige.

The newspaper often wrote about the richness of the bowels of the Russian land. In the same issue of Vedomosti (January 2, 1703) it was reported: “They write from the legend: a lot of oil and copper ore were found on the Soka River, a fair amount of copper was smelted from that ore, which is why they expect a considerable profit for the Muscovite state.”

In the issue of July 18 for 1703: “in the former Vedomosti, it was announced that iron was found in Siberia, and now on July 17, 323 great cannons, 12 mortars, 14 howitzers were brought to Moscow from Siberia in 42 plows, 12 mortars, 14 howitzers, made from that iron ... and there is no such good iron in the Svean land.

Much attention was paid to military information, military successes gained by the Russian troops. The course of the Northern War was discussed in reports, in letters, in reports of military operations.

Among the messages about the victories, the correspondence written by Peter I about the Battle of Poltava, published on July 2 and 15, 1709, is especially interesting. Peter writes about the unparalleled courage of Russian soldiers, about the fortitude that helped to win a difficult victory over the Swedes and capture "several thousand officers and privates, field marshals and generals of Sweden."

“From the lagar from Poltava, two ten to the seventh day of June, in a letter from the imperious (own. - L.T.) hand of His Royal Majesty to the most noble sovereign, the Tsarevich is written. I announce to you a very great and unbeginning victory, which the Lord has deigned to bestow on us through the indescribable courage of our soldiers, with a small bloodshed of our troops, in this way. Peter writes in detail about the alignment of forces, about the stages of the battle.

The pages of the newspaper promoted guerrilla warfare against the Swedes. Vedomosti wrote that the Olonets priest Ivan Okulov recruited hunters from 1,000 and, crossing the Swedish border, boldly attacked the Swedes, beating 450 people, and “only 2 soldiers were wounded from the priest’s army.”

The following message was also placed in the newspaper: “From Riga on the 24th day of August. His Royal Majesty, after taking Schlotburg, one mile from there closer to the eastern sea, ordered to build a new and pleasing fortress on the island, in it there are 6 bastions, where twenty thousand people worked as diggers, and that fortress on its state naming, nicknamed Petersburg ordered to update.

Vedomosti is the official government newspaper, and therefore the following was written about the uprising of Kondraty Bulavin: “The Don Cossack, thief and apostate Kondrashka Bulavin intended to teach a rebellion in Ukrainian cities and in the Don Cossacks.” It was further reported that Bulavin, seeing that “he could not get away from the army of the tsarist majesty, killed himself to death. And many of his like-minded people were beaten, while others were caught and sit in chains ”(July 20, 1708).

The content of Vedomosti is of great historical interest, it contains a lot of factual information, and the government's view of political events is clearly expressed. Readers' interest in them is evidenced by articles copied from the first Russian newspaper, which are found in manuscript collections of the 17th century. Until 1715, when the newspaper was published in Moscow from May 11 of the same year, the newspaper began to appear in St. Petersburg, its editor was Fedor Polikarpov, director of the Printing House. With the transfer of the newspaper to St. Petersburg in 1719 - the director of the St. Petersburg printing house Mikhail Avramov News of the Slavic-Russian printing houses of the beginning of the 18th century // Pekarsky P. Science and literature in Russia under Peter the Great. T. II. .

The main genre of the newspaper is information, but in Vedomosti one can see the origins of other newspaper genres, such as correspondence, newspaper reporting (reports about festivities, illuminations) See: Cherepahov M.S. The emergence of periodicals in Russia. M., 1955; A. V. Zapadov Russian journalism of the XVIII century. M., 1964; Esin B.I. Russian pre-revolutionary newspaper. M., 1971; Stanko A.I. Russian periodical press of the 18th century. Rostov, 1979. So, on Peter’s name day (June 29, 1719) it was reported: “First “prayer”, then “national joy with loud cannon fire, and a royal feast ... with sweet-voiced singing, trumpets and music ...”

A large place in Vedomosti was occupied by foreign information, which was explained by the strengthening of economic and cultural ties with European countries.

The tsar himself took an active part in the publication of the first Russian newspaper. He edited individual issues of the newspaper, supervised the proofreading and selection of material. Her statute was determined by the requirements that he imposed on printed matter: “... so that those drawings and books are printed to our glory, the great sovereign, our royal majesty, the highest name and our entire Russian kingdom among European monarchs flourishing, the highest praise and general public benefit and profit." Inviting his closest associates to participate in the newspaper - Menshikov, Apraksin, Shafirov and others, whose letters, reports, reports appeared on the pages of Vedomosti. Peter I followed the external design of the newspaper, demanding clarity, simplicity of style. Not without the influence of the traditions of Russian book graphics and the experience of European periodicals, the first Russian printed newspaper Vedomosti had a small format (1/12 of a sheet), the text was placed in one column, typed in Cyrillic (the issue of February 1, 1710 was typed in civil type). The transition to civil type made the newspaper more accessible to readers.

Peter - to the envoy: “In your communications you use a lot of Polish, etc. foreign words and terms behind which it is impossible to comprehend the matter itself. For this reason, henceforth you should write your relations to us in the All-Russian language.

Printed "Vedomosti" were sold for 1-4 money (money - half a penny), and sometimes they were given to the people without money.

The first "full-time employees" of the Russian press were Boris Volkov, the translator of the embassy order, who began working as an editor in Vedomosti from 1719, and Yakov Sinyavich, also a translator of the embassy order, who was called up by Peter's decree of April 1720, working in Vedomosti ”, be responsible for expanding information about the internal life of the country. The newspaper was of a small format (an eighth of a sheet), made up of small notes in one column without headings.

Vedomosti came out irregularly. In 1703, 39 issues were published, in 1705 - 46, in 1718 - only one issue. The circulation of the newspaper was also unstable. It ranged from 150-200 copies to 1000, and the issue of March 22, 1703 was released in the 400th edition. The news about the Battle of Poltava was printed in the amount of 2500 copies and sold out in its entirety. At the same time, not all issues of Vedomosti received distribution. Since 1719, the printing of Vedomosti was transferred to St. Petersburg. The newspaper was printed in Slavic type, and from 1709 - civil.

In the notes of Vedomosti, which convey the author's attitude to the facts depicted, describe events in detail, comment on statements, there is a tendency to sprout information genres - a report, a report, an interview. Correspondence on military topics contains the rudiments of an analytical examination of the facts. The development of genres in Vedomosti proceeded intensively, as did the entire economic, political and cultural life of Russia in the era of Petrine reforms.

The publication of the first Russian newspaper Vedomosti was a fact of great political and general cultural significance. Unlike the first predominantly private newspapers published abroad, Petrovsky's "Vedomosti" had a national state character. The newspaper, despite its informational nature, from the very beginning was an agitator and propagandist of Peter's reforms, its publication was designed to form public opinion.

The Petrine era - the era of a fierce struggle between old, obsolete traditions and new, contradictory, but progressive development trends - determined the predominantly journalistic nature of literature, permeated with civic pathos and patriotism, caused by the growth of national self-consciousness and the desire for national affirmation. This pathos of the Petrine era found expression in a corresponding panegyric style, which embraced literature, journalism, and art.

The development of journalistic works proper, in which the narrative element is almost absent and the author's individuality acquires special significance, is characteristic of periods of acute intra-class struggle, the struggle of hostile groups. Such are the era of Ivan the Terrible, the time of troubles on Rus' XVII c., such is the struggle of ideas around the reforming activity of Peter. The political tendentiousness of the literature of that time appears not only in the form of a direct assessment of events by the author (The Words by Feofan Prokopovich, the sermons of his antagonist Stefan Yavorsky), but also indirectly, through the artistic image, the very way of presentation. An example is the anonymous stories of the time of Peter the Great, Feofan Prokopovich's tragico-comedy "Vladimir". In them, the political trend, the author's position are revealed in plot situations, poetic images.

The need to explain the significance of the reforms, the huge upheaval that took place in the entire way of Russian life, determined the journalistic nature and official documents and literature of the Peter's time.

Thus, in the first decades of the 18th century, the only type of periodical in Russia was the newspaper, which acquired its own typological features in content, design, and a system of genres, mainly informational, among which the note played a dominant role. After the death of Peter I at the time of the beginning palace coups Vedomosti ceased to exist, the printing business was taken over by the Academy of Sciences and Moscow University. Changes have taken place in the state of the periodical press due to the development and specialization of the economy and science, the awareness of journalism of its capabilities: the number of newspapers has increased, their geography has expanded, a magazine has appeared, scientific and special periodicals have become stronger. With the transfer of the press to the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sciences, scientists came to the periodicals, became its head, and the popularization of the achievements of science came to the fore.

Since 1728, the St. Petersburg Vedomosti has been published; G.F. Miller. From 1728 to 1742 the newspaper had an appendix "Historical, Genealogical and Geographical Notes". Since 1756, Moscow University began publishing "Moskovskie Vedomosti". In January 1755, the first issue of the magazine “Monthly Works, for the benefit and amusement of employees” was published, its editor was G.F. Miller.

Carrying out scientific and educational tasks, academic journalism turned to the genres of scientific and popular science articles, reviews, and essays. So, in the "Notes to the Vedomosti" articles by J. Shtelin on the history and theory of dramaturgy and poetry are published. With articles on literary topics, V. Trediakovsky appears in Monthly Works. G. Miller publishes a series of articles of a local history nature, setting out the results of his ten-year stay with a scientific expedition in Siberia. Articles by M. Lomonosov, V. Tatishchev and other scientists have made a significant contribution to the development of not only domestic but also world science and culture.

The genre of review served as the task of educating the reader. They considered both scientific works and literary, Russian and foreign ones. As a rule, reviews were a retelling of the work and its general assessment with minor elements of analysis. Sometimes they gave way to annotations for new books with excerpts from them. Academic publications introduced the reader to the history, geography, ethnography of Russia and other countries in the genre of an essay.

Newspapers were still dominated by informational genres, magazines gravitated towards analytical ones.

"Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti" allocated 2-4 pages for advertisements, which amounted to one-third to one-half of the issue. The announcement department had a permanent heading "For news" and contained information about new books, contracts, and sales. At first, ads were separated by lines, then thematic blocks appeared with titles: “Sales”, “Contracts”. Gradually, the department of announcements spun off from the statements and began to be published in the form of "Additions" (supplements) with a special price for them.

Moskovskiye Vedomosti, following the model of Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti, published advertisements both in the main part and in the Supplements, where they were grouped under permanent headings. Under the heading "Sale" it was reported about the sale of books, horses, honey. Nearby, the sale of a 23-year-old hairdresser was announced; girls who can wash and iron clothes.

The issues of efficiency, accessibility of periodicals, which received justification earlier than others, are considered by G. Miller in the "Forewarning" to the first Russian journal, guided by the goal of drawing attention to the publication of the largest possible number of readers ("the number of inquisitive viewers is growing", it is necessary "a publication that would deliver readers food for thought and a means to further self-development”). He makes demands on the journal for the novelty of judgments (“new invention”); simplicity, clarity of presentation (“write in such a way that anyone, no matter what rank or concept they may be, could understand the proposed matters”); variety of materials (“it is necessary, depending on the difference of readers, to always change materials, so that everyone, according to their inclination and willingness, can use something”).

Judgments about the efficiency, regularity of publication, diversity and brevity of the presentation of published materials are made taking into account the reader's psychology and are substantiated by it. “The reader,” this policy statement says, “is insensitively instructed when, at a certain time, he suddenly receives a small number of leaves; and this instruction is usually more firm in him soon than the reading of large and lengthy books. Moreover, his curiosity is always multiplied when the time comes when a new sheet or a new part of such a work has to go out of print. Rarely does anyone not want to read it; and for its brevity, it cannot bore anyone, and hardly anyone will leave it from their hands without reading it from beginning to end.

Under Peter the Great, a newspaper appeared in Russia

The idea of ​​publishing printed political bulletins for the public belongs to Peter the Great, who is considered the founder of the Russian newspaper. He was also the first editor of Vedomosti. Proof of this is the fact that he himself appointed passages from Dutch newspapers with a pencil for translation and insertion into them, even he himself was engaged in proofreading. As a precious monument, the Synodal Library stores several Nos. with proofreading notes by his sovereign hand.

On December 16, 1702, Emperor Peter the Great indicated “according to the statements about military and all kinds of affairs that are subject to the announcement of Moscow and the surrounding States to people, print chimes, and for printed chimes, statements in which Orders about what is now as it is and will continue to be sent from those Orders to the Monastyrsky order, without delay, and from the Monastic order to send those statements to the printing yard.

The desire of Peter the Great was not slow to come true: on January 2, 1703, the first sheet of printed Russian statements appeared in Moscow - the first Russian newspaper printed in Church Slavonic font. It came out under the following title: “Vedomosti, on military and other matters worthy of significance and memory, which happened in the Moscow State and in other surrounding countries”, Then during the year 39 issues appeared, published at indefinite dates, from 2 to 7 sheets , each number with a separate numbering, and sometimes no numbering at all.

In order to familiarize ourselves with the nature of the contents of the Petrine Gazette, we will abbreviate the first number of them.

Moscow Vedomosti

“Today, 400 copper cannons, howitzers and mortars have been poured in Moscow. Those cannons are 24, 18 and 12 pounds each; howitzers with a bomb pound and half a pound; bomb mortars of nine, three and two pounds and less. And many more forms of ready-made, large and medium-sized cannons, howitzers and mortars for casting. And copper now in the cannon yard, which is prepared for a new casting, is more than 40,000 pounds.

By command of His Majesty, Moscow schools are multiplying, and 45 people are studying philosophy and have already graduated from dialectics.

More than 300 people study in the mathematical navigation school and accept science well.

From Persia they write: the Indian king sent as gifts to our great sovereign an elephant and many other things. From the city of Shemakha he was released to Astrakhan by land.

They write from Kazan: a lot of oil and copper ore were found on the Soku River; copper was smelted fairly from that ore, which is why they expect no small profit for the Muscovite state.

They write from Siberia: in the Chinese state, the Jesuits were not much loved for their cunning, and some of them were even executed by death.

From Olonets they write: the city of Olonets, priest Ivan Okulov, having gathered hunters on foot with a thousand people, went abroad to the Svei border and defeated the Svei - Rugozen and Hippo, and Sumer, and Kerisur outposts. And at those outposts he beat a lot of Swedes ... and burned the Solovskaya manor, and near the Solovskaya manor many other manors and villages, with a thousand households, burned it ...

They write from Lvov on December 14: the Cossack forces by Lieutenant Colonel Samus are multiplying daily; having cut down the commandant in Nemirov, they took possession of the city with their military men, and already the intention is to get the White Church, and they hope that he will take possession of that town as soon as Paley joins with his army ...

The Oreshek Fortress is high, surrounded by deep water 40 miles away, firmly besieged by Moscow troops and already more than 4,000 shots from cannons, suddenly 20 shots each, and more than 1,500 bombs have already been thrown, but so far they have not caused a great loss, and they will have many more labors until they seize that fortress ...

On the 20th day of September, the cities write from Arkhangelsk that, as His Royal Majesty sent his troops in various ships to the White Sea, then he went further and sent packs of ships back to the Arkhangelsk city, and 15,000 soldiers are found there, and on the new fortress, on Dvinka betrothed, 600 people work daily.

As can be seen from the above sample, at that time the newspaper was printed without any system: there was no subdivision of the content of the newspaper into headings; there were no "leading articles", no "feuilletons", etc. The facts were recorded in the newspaper without any connection, they were not properly assessed by their significance. A major fact or event from public life was placed next to some small note.

Sheets were printed in the number of 1000 copies; after 1703 various changes were gradually introduced into them. From 1705, they began to place a number at the bottom of the first page of numbers indicating the order of publication; in 1710, the number of statements appeared for the first time, printed in civil type; from that year until 1717, the statements were printed either in Church Slavonic or in civil type; and since 1717, exclusively in one civilian font, except, however, for extraordinary additions that contained the reports of military operations, which were still typed in Church Slavonic letters.

On May 11, 1711, the first sheet of the Petersburg Gazette appeared, printed in St. Petersburg. From that time on, nos. of sheets were published sometimes in St. Petersburg, sometimes in Moscow.

In 1727, the publication of the Gazette ceased - their editorial board came under the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sciences, which on January 2, 1728 issued the first issue of the Petersburg Gazette. The publication of special statements in Moscow resumed in 1756.

All numbers of the first statements now represent the greatest bibliographic rarity: only 2 complete copies of them have survived in Russia, and both belong to the Imperial Public Library. In 1855, the authorities of the Imperial Public Library reprinted them not only page by page, but also line by line.

This reprint with a preface, which outlines the original history of the statements, was published under the title: “The first Russian statements printed in Moscow in 1703. New edition in two copies; kept in the Imperial Public Library. This edition, dedicated to the Imperial Moscow University, on the day of the celebration of the centenary since its founding on January 12, 1855, was printed in the amount of 600 copies, which were all sold out within 2 months, so that in our time this edition itself has become a bibliographic rarity.