How and why the “World Literature” Publishing House Was Closed (on the Materials from A.M. Gorky Archive of IWL RAS)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the final period of the Gorky’s publishing house “World Literature” and the circumstances of its closure in January 1925. The article presents hithertho unknown protocols of the Editorial Board meetings from A.M. Gorky Аrchive of the IWL RAS, notes from the diary of K.I. Chukovsky and the A.L. Volynsky archive of in RGALI. The work of the publishing house reached the top in 1923, when Gorky was abroad and the management of the publishing house was transferred to A.N. Tikhonov. The main opponent of the publishing house and Tikhonov personally was I.I. Ionov, the brother-in-law of G.Е. Zinoviev and Gorky’s main enemy. Initially, “World Literature” was created as an autonomous publishing house, located in the department of the People’s Commissariat of Education (Narkompros), but later it was subordinated to the State Publishing House (Gosizdat), which was responsible for publishing books and material support of the publishing house. Lenin, Vorovsky and Lunacharsky were the patrons of Gorky and Tikhonov, Zinoviev supported Ionov, and the victim of their struggle, which unfolded after Lenin’s death in January 1924, ultimately became “World Literature,” which was transferred under the control of the State Publishing House.

Keywords

• “world literature
• ” state publishing house
• m. gorky
• a.n. tikhonov
• i.i. ionov
• g.e. zinoviev
• k.i. chukovsky
• a.l. volynsky.