G.N. Potanin and the Free Russian press in London

The article is devoted to the publications of Potanin, which were first published on pages of the press free from censorship.The review of two articles of G.N. Potanin about Siberia, published in the newspaper Kolokol, illustrates the process of studying of Siberiaand including the information on it in the public consciousness of Russia of the second half of the 19th century. Some time ago thequestion on the authorship of the articles of June 1, 1860 and May 1, 1862 in the newspaper Kolokol was disputable, but today the majorityof researchers consider G.N. Potanin as the author of these publications. A.I. Herzen and N.P. Ogarev first of all published materials,whose publication was impossible in Russia for censorship reasons. The government struggled with distribution of editions of Herzenand Ogarev. It was very dangerous for many correspondents of the Free Russian printing house to get and to transfer materials forthe publication. It affected all publications in Kolokol, including Potanins articles about Siberia. The first article On the characteristicof Siberia is devoted to the activity of Governor-generals of Western Siberia and criticism of their abuses. The author of the articlegave negative descriptions of the Siberian heads. He asserted that the power of the emperor is not evident in Siberia. It felt only by onepasha changing another one. In the second article From Siberia the mechanisms of enrichment of administration of Altai factorieswere revealed; the burdens of life of peasants were described. Besides, this publication contained requirements for electing the localauthorities not from noblemen, but from all free estates. Words about the wind of civil freedom, which would get across the Amur toSiberia, concluded the article. According to G.N. Potanin, this wind could compel the Russian government to refuse from the Siberianterritories, just as from possession of Poland. Thus, the selection of the facts and the acuteness of commenting the facts in these articlestestify to the illustrative-consumer character of the publications. Later, in the memoirs, G.N. Potanin specified that in these publicationsthere was a fair share of youth. However, it does not belittle their value. Potanins publications in Kolokol were among the firstmost detailed publications about Siberia on pages of the press free from censorship. However, after arrest, prison and exile G.N. Potaninsactivity became an example of a scientific direction in realization of the idea of studying of Siberia and including the informationon it in the public consciousness of Russia. Due to the scientific activity in various areas of knowledge Potanin received a well-earnedestimation of the Encyclopaedist of Siberia.

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