N.N. Strakhov - the phenomenon of a journalist

The article considers the journalistic work of a well-known thinker, publicist and literary critic, N.N. Strakhov. The study discusses the question of this author's attitude to journalism as a sphere of professional activity. It traces Strakhov's way in journalism - from publication of scientific works in the editions of St. Petersburg to articles and reviews in the newspapers Rus and Novoe Vremya. Strakhov's perception of the journalistic profession and motives of his appearance on periodical pages are noted. According to biographer B.V. Nikolsky, Strakhov was engaged in journalism only to earn money for his living. But Strakhov's statements shown in this article are evidence of his passion for journalistic work. Strakhov's publicistic texts, his reviews and memoirs about Dostoevsky, where Strakhov expresses his views on journalism, are the main subject of this study. Mostly the problems of journalism are discussed in Strakhov's polemic articles published in the periodicals Vremya and Epokha. Later, these texts form the book From the History of Literary Nihilism. 1861-1865 (St. Petersburg, 1890). Strakhov's comments on different periodicals are analyzed in this article. On the one hand, there are Strakhov's sympathetic references to Russkaya Beseda and Pravoslavnoye Obozrenie. On the other hand, Strakhov carries on polemics with St. Petersburg periodicals of the radical direction. Strakhov's critical views on journalism bear a certain similarity to the Slavophiles' opinions. In particular, K.S. Aksakov blamed the press of St. Petersburg for its superficial and scandalous character. Strakhov also accused Sovremennik and Iskra of their nihilism. Besides, we analyze the value and aesthetic foundation of Strakhov's statements concerning periodicals which is expressed by using such marked concepts as "positive" and "negative". Strakhov aspires to positive and creative ideals. Special attention is paid to B.V. Nikolsky's evidence of the attitude of the liberal and revolutionary-disposed journalism to Strakhov. This press derided and suppressed Strakhovs' role in literature. The reasons of Strakhov's failures in journalism are disclosed. In spite of many difficulties, Strakhov continued to publish his works in newspapers and periodicals. Moreover, journalistic influence is noticeable in the scientific and philosophical part of his heritage. Sometimes the style, headlines and genres of his works are the same as in journalistic publications. Regardless all the attention of modern researches to Strakhov's oeuvre, the topic "Strakhov as a journalist" is still very fruitful for studying the history of journalism on the whole and the biography of the famous writer in particular.

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