It was a humane and caring owner of a printing house...": Mikhail Katkov as a publisher

In the article, the contribution of Mikhail Katkov, one of the most famous journalists and publicists of the 1860s-1880s, the editor-publisher of the Russkiy vestnik (1856-1887) magazine and the Moskovskie vedomosti newspaper (1863-1887), to the development of the professional typographical business in Russia and book publishing is analysed. The poorly studied documents of Moscow Imperial University and the Moskovskie vedomosti editorial office, the previously unpublished letters of M.N. Kat-kov, P.M. Leontyev, V.V. Ganke, O.M. Bodyansky, the memoirs of B.N. Chicherin, A.I. Georgievsky, N.A. Lyubimov, V.P. Meshchersky, S. Umants and other materials are used. The first experience of Katkov's publishing activities in 1851-1855 is investigated. At the time he was the editor of the Moscow University newspaper Moskovskie ve-domosti, whose circulation, thanks to Katkov's initiative and enterprise, doubled. It is revealed that the financial dependence on Moscow University deprived the editor of an opportunity to bring significant improvements in the technological processes of newspaper production, which left its printing quality low. In 1856 Katkov acquired the right to publish the Russkiy vestnik magazine and founded his own printing house, equipping it with modern printing machines and inviting qualified printers and typesetters from the Czech Republic, which allowed to accelerate the typographical processes and to considerably improve the printing quality of the magazine and other printed materials the printing house produced: scientific works, works of art, guidebooks, etc. In 1863 Katkov became a tenant of Moskovskie vedomosti and the university printing house, which gave him an opportunity to make any changes and improvements. With him the newspaper acquired a big format and quickly turned into one of the most readable and authoritative social and political editions not only in Moscow, but also in Russia. Katkov quickly modernised the printing house, whose equipment was outdated and needed serious re-equipment; he managed to organise typographical production, the most modern for his time, with the latest printing equipment and highly skilled employees. It allowed to reduce significantly the printing time of Moskovskie vedomosti which began to successfully compete with the largest capital newspapers in the efficiency of release and delivery to readers. Besides the periodical press, the printing house released a significant amount of high-quality art and scientific literature, journalistic collections for educational and ideological rather than commercial purposes. Katkov proved to be a talented organiser of the publishing process and typographical production in Russian journalism. He made an essential contribution to the correct and professional establishment of publishing in Russia.

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