Satiric and humorous press of Odesa of the end of the XX century

Abstract

The aim of the study is to define basic characteristics of satiric and humorous press of Odesa of the end of the ХІХ century (thus to research print publications, to track creative biography of editors and publishers, to determine genres and content of publications). The
satiric and humorous collections (Odesa, 1876–1896) are the object of this article; 16 editions of similar type which were not the subject of scientific research till now.
Methods. The analyzed press was identified during work at the General alphabetical catalogue of books in the Russian national library (Saint Petersburg). By the typology of the print publications Odesa collections are deposited in book funds, although actually belong to serials. Reference-bibliographic, biographic-descriptive, problem-thematic methods were used in the process of research content, circumstances and terms of edition of the selected objects, identification of peculiarities of activity of editors and publishers, as well as authors. Scientific methods of analysis, comparison, generalizations allowed recreating not popular or unknown pages in the history of satiric and humorous literature of the second half of the ХІХ century.
Results and conclusions. 16 satiric and humorous collections (Odesa, 1876–1896) have been found and described (imprint, censorial permissions, thematic and genre content). These are editions of newspaper or magazine type, combining text and image (caricature,
comic picture). Such genres as leading article, etude, sketch, poem, story, parody, joke, humoresque, anecdote, aphorism, etc. were mostly used. Literary, editorial and publishing activity of five representatives from 12 initiators of Odesa press selected for analysis (М. Linovskyj, М. Frejdenberg, L. Kornman, Yu. Sandomirskyj, А. Rabinovich) was researched, the spectrum of their journalistic work was extended, and some clarifications were brought in biographic data. The next step is deep research of creators (publishers, editors, employees, correspondents) of the press of the past, which was forgotten, or dissolved in library funds, meticulous study of their journalistic and publishing biography, and comprehension of content of the periodicals and serials.