‘The notes will be entertaining and not useless’. On the ‘Road comments’ by S. Usov

 

For citation: Klyuchkovskaya L. ‘The notes will be entertaining and not useless’. On the ‘Road comments’ by S. Usov // Mediascope, 2021. 4. Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2748

DOI: 10.30547/mediascope.4.2021.4

 

 © Larisa A. Klyuchkovskaya

Senior lecturer at the Chair of History of Russian Literature and Journalism, Faculty of Journalism, Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia), lkluch@mail.ru

 

Abstract

The article analyzes the little-known scientific and economic travelogue by S. Usov ‘Road comments’, published in 1843-1844 in ‘Posrednik, gazeta promyshlennosti, khozyaistva i realnykh nauk’ (Mediator, newspaper of industry, economy and real sciences – ed.)

The author of the travel notes, Stepan M. Usov (1797-1859), was a scientist in agriculture, professor at St. Petersburg University, member of the Imperial Free Economic Society, editor of the departmental newspaper ‘Zemledelcheskaya gazeta’ (Agricultural newspaper – ed.) (1834-1853), as well as an editor and publisher of his own newspaper ‘Posrednik’ (Mediator – ed.) (1840-1856). ‘Posrednik’ was a syncretic publication, which had features of digest, abstract scientific collection and universal economic newspaper.

The cycle ‘Road comments’, published in sixteen issues of ‘Posrednik’, is one of the most voluminous and interesting materials of the editor and publisher. In his travel notes, S. Usov (signed by IZD.) acquainted readers with impressions of his visit to 23 provinces of Western and Southern Russia in 1842.

The article considers the official history of the journey – business trip of S. Usov assigned by the Ministry of State Property. A detailed description of the documentary basis of the travel essay is provided, as well as its artistic features.

Special attention is paid to the diversity of the author’s strategy. The travelogue’s creator poses as a narrator, researcher, communicator, as well as an educator seeking his practical recommendations to affect the audience and the state of affairs in certain areas of agriculture. Thus, it can be declared that the Usov’s essay has both scientific-cognitive and utilitarian significance.

It is also emphasized in the article that ‘Road comments’ are a valuable historic and ethnographical source providing a panorama of the economic life in Russia in the early 1840-s and the rich local factual evidence]

 

Key words: scientific agricultural travelougue, S. Usov, 1840-s, authors’ strategies, newspaper ‘Posrednik’

 

Notes

Istoricheskiy vestnik [Historical bulletin] (1887) Vol. XXVIII. P. 195. (In Russian)

Khodnev A.I. (1865) Istoriya Imperatorskogo Vol'nogo ekonomicheskogo obshchestva s 1765 do 1865 goda [History of the Imperal Free Economic Society from 1765 to 1865] St. Petersburg: Tip. Tovarishchestva «Obshchestvennaya pol'za». P. 651. (In Russian)

Klyuchkovskaya L.A. (2016) Tridtsat' let s «Severnoy pcheloy». (S.M. Usov – avtor gazety F.V. Bulgarina i N.I. Grecha) [Thirty years with ‘Severnaya pchela’ (Northern bee – ed.). (S. Usov – an author in the newspaper of F. Bulgarin and N. Grecha)]. Mediascope 2. (In Russian) Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/?q=node/2103

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843 No. 10. P. 74.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843. No. 10. P 75.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843. No. 10. P. 73.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843. No. 10. P. 74.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843. No. 15. P. 113.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843. No. 51. P. 401.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1843. No. 51. P. 405.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No 48. P. 379.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 20. P. 156.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 20. P.158.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 25. P. 198.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 27. P. 209.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 32. P. 250.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 4. P. 26.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 4. P. 29.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 4. P. 29.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 4. Pp.25−26.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 45. P. 356.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 45. P.353.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 48. P. 379.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 48. P. 379.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. No. 50. P. 393.

Posrednik [Mediator]. 1844. № 25. P. 199.

RGIA [RSHA (Russian State Historical Archive – ed.)]. F. 398. Op. 1. D. 1961.

Trudy Imperatorskogo vol'nogo ekonomicheskogo obshchestva [Works of the Imperial Free Economic Society]. 1843. Issue. 76. (In Russian)

 

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