S.I. Gessen and the Russkaya shkola za rubezhom journal: from the history of the Russian emigre pedagogical journalism of the 1920s - the beginning of the 1930s

The main aim of the article is to analyze the activities of S.I. Gessen (1887-1950), the renown Russian philosopher and educator, as an editor and author of the Russkaya shkola za rubezhom [The Russian School Abroad] journal. After leaving Russia in 1921 during his emigration period in Prague (1924-1935) S.I. Gessen published a great number texts in the Russian emigre pedagogical press as well as in other editions. But Russkaya shkola za rubezhom was the main periodical for his pedagogical journalism. The authors stress that Russkaya shkola za rubezhom, founded in 1923, was the leading pedagogical emigre journal. The editors considered its principal purpose to unite the whole emigre educational community all over Europe. The journal published texts by the best Russian emigre educators, philosophers and intellectuals such as V.V. Zenkovskiy, A.L. Bem, P.M. Bitsilli, A.V. Zhekulina, I.I. Lapshin, A.T. Pavlov, G.Ya. Troshin etc. S.I. Gessen's invitation as a co-editor of the journal was initiated by a well-known Russian linguist and educator S.I. Kartsevskiy. The authors are sure that the real cause for the invitation was S.I. Gessen's experience as a co-editor of the pre-war philosophical international edition Logos (19101914) and his philosophical, political and pedagogical journalism in Russia and abroad. As a co-editor of Russkaya shkola za rubezhom, S.I. Hessen interacted actively with the editorial staff of various emigre editions. His correspondence with the editors of the leading Paris emigre journal Sovremennyye zapiski [Contemporary Notes] contains the discussions of the future publications including the reviews of Russkaya shkola za rubezhom issues in Sovremennyye zapiski and vice versa, the search for new authors and new topics. In spite of his intensive pedagogical, scholarly and public activities and editorial duties, S.I. Ges-sen was the leading author of Russkaya shkola za rubezhom during all the period of its nine years' existence. The analysis of the journal content shows that S.I. Gessen' publications covered the main topics and problems of the contemporary educational theory and politics, the Russian emigre school status. He used a wide range of genres from the fundamental theoretical article to the analytical review, obituary, bibliographical note and information on the conference. Thus, the main formats of the Russian emigre pedagogical journalism were created and developed in his publications. Special attention is given to S.I. Gessen's sharp criticism of the Soviet educational policy and of the conditions of the Soviet school development. The authors conclude that S.I. Gessen's activities in Russkaya shkola za rubezhom is an important part of the Russian emigre pedagogical journalism as well of the Russian emigre intellectual history of the "first wave".

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