The dialogue of the "positive" and "negative" directions in Russian journalism in the 1860s

The author of the article tries to consider Russian journalism of the 19th century as a dialogue of the "positive" and "negative" directions. The terms "positive" and "negative" are analyzed in this article and the examples of their use in critical and publicistic works are given. It is essential that at first the idea of "positive" and "negative" directions was developed in the sphere of literary criticism, which was especially focused on literature. Journalism or modern political and social situation were not the main objects for such works. So the problem of assertion and negation was one of the main for criticism in the 1840s. This issue was actively discussed in connection with works of the Natural School. On the one hand, Belinsky defended the "negative" direction of the Natural School which pictured only the dark sides of reality. On the other hand, such Belinsky's opponents as Slavophiles criticized the Natural School for exaggeration of faults and a supercilious attitude to common people. The social enthusiasm connected with the enthronement of Alexander II made these discussions more intensive. Special attention should be paid to the articles of Slavophiles' periodical Russkaya Beseda (1856-1860), because these works called writers to portray the light and positive moments of Russian life. We can see distinctly "positive" and "negative" parts in Russian journalism in the 1860s. It can be showed by the study of the polemics on I.S. Turgenev's novel Fathers and Children in such articles as M.A. Antonovich's "Asmodeus of Our Time" (Sovremennik. 1862. No. 3), D.I. Pisarev's "Bazarov" (Russkoe Slovo. 1862. No. 3) and two M.N. Katkov's works, which appeared later, "Turgenev's Novel and Its Critics" (Russkiy Vestnik. 1862. Vol. 39. May) and "About Our Nihilism. Apropos of Turgenev's Novel" (Russkiy Vestnik. 1862. Vol. 40. July). Special attention is paid to critics' reaction on the term "negative direction" which appeared in the text of the novel. Literary and aesthetic discussions transformed into real publicistic and political practice as intensive controversy on the present and the future of the country. The author of the article comes to a conclusion that the word "positive" means loyalty to the government and Church, adherence to national traditions. These ideas joined the periodicals of Slavophiles and Pochvenniks, M.N. Katkov's Moskovskie Vedomosti and Russkiy Vestnik. The Westerners, revolutionists and nihilists were called "negationists". They saw no ways for peaceful and consistent development in Russian life at that time. N.A. Nekrasov's Sovremennik and G.E. Blagosvetlov's Russkoe Slovo were the mouthpieces of the "negative" direction. The dialogue between the "positive" and "negative" directions was remarkable for harsh attacks on the opponents and resembled information warfare.

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