S. I. Sokolov, the secretary of theMoskovskie Vedomosti newspaper editorial office (the 1880s)

Increase in the information stream in the 1860s-1880s demanded new approaches to the organization of the editorial staff work from editors of daily time editions, which became complex mechanisms in which each employee had their duties. A study of the contribution of ordinary workers shows how editorial staff of large social and political dailies of the 1860s-1880s were formed, how labor specialization and division was organized. The article describes cooperation of S.I. Sokolov (1852-1912) with the editorial office of the authoritative conservative newspaper Moskovskie vedomosti in the 1880s, whose publisher and editor at the time was M.N. Katkov. Sokolov, a graduate of the Bethany Theological Seminary who was not very intelligent, educated and eloquent, managed to become one of the most entrusted Katkov’s assistants. He possessed the qualities the editor of Moskovskie vedomosti highly appreciated: high performance efficiency, commitment, sense of duty and conscientiousness. Katkov, who was very demanding, appreciated Sokolov’s devotion and reliability, ability to obey him and follow his instructions without deliberating. Sokolov was near Katkov almost permanently, and carried out a number of important duties: wrote down editorials, conducted business correspondence, often confidential, controlled the order and sequence of visitors on visiting days, etc. Sokolov’s correspondents included many high-ranking officials, writers, publicists, scientists, diplomats: E.M. Feoktistov, A.M. Gezen, A.I. Georgievsky, A.D. Pazukhin, K.P. Pobedonostsev, S.S. Tatishchev, N.I. Subbotin, E.V. Barsov, B.M. Markevich and others. After Katkov’s death in 1887 Sokolov refused to support the new editor S.A. Petrovsky and was forced to leave the newspaper. Business relations with the St. Petersburg government elite helped him to make a career of an official: he served in the Head Department for the Press. Duting the last years of his life, he was a censor in the Moscow Censorship Committee. Archival documents and memoir literature demonstrate that, despite the insignificance of his position, Sokolov had many powers in the edition and noticeably influenced the newspaper life. His devotion to Katkov did not depend on the environment; he sincerely shared the views and belief of the powerful head of the edition. Sokolov’s sense of duty, his efficiency, vigor and initiative helped create work environment and intensive and harmonious working rhythm in the newspaper. The duties of S.I. Sokolov give quite a complete idea of the tasks and features of work of this category of editorial employees and testify to the intensification of specialization in editorial offices of daily political newspapers of the last third of the 19th century.

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