Editorial policy of the newspaper “Birzhevye Vedomosti” in the context of historical shift (July 1914 - October 1917)

The paper is devoted to the specifics of the editorial policy of the popular St. Petersburg newspaper “Birzhevye Vedomosti” during World War I and the February and October revolutions of 1917. The author discerns some tendencies characteristic for the reforms in content and ideology of the newspaper. Thus, this edition can be considered as a special project of the media, reflecting the course of history and the level of the public consciousness. The newspaper was a social, political and cultural voice in the intellectual and mass readers’ audiences. The main attention is paid to the changes in the esthetic program of the editorial board in literature and political journalism. General characteristic of the reporters’ practices of well-known writers is given. The ideological positions and thematic potential of their publications, as well as their civic position, reflected in their journalistic works, questionnaires and interviews, are revealed. The author highlights the key role played by critic and writer Alexandre Izmailov in the newspaper’s reform and its popularization in the intellectual milieu. Due to the efforts of its leading writers and journalists, and with the help of influential scientists and civil servants, the “Birzhevye Vedomosti” during the war got rid of the reputation of liberal newspaper and became known as influential mass edition. The paper also provides a detailed account of the reasons for the newspaper’s crash after the revolution.

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