Znamya (newspaper)

For the Russian monthly magazine, see Znamya. For the organ of the Union of the Russian People established in 1905, see Russkoye Znamya (newspaper).
Знамя
Type newspaper
Publisher Pavel Krushevan
Editor same
Founded 1902
Language Russian
Ceased publication 1903
Headquarters Petersburg

Znamya ("Banner", Russian: Знамя) is a newspaper established by ultra-nationalist Black Hundreds journalist Pavel Krushevan in Petersburg. It is known for publishing of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" in August—September 1903.[1]

Bibliographical controversies

There is no consensus regarding the start time of the newspaper. The main source of controversy is "Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary", a Russian analogue of 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

Pavel Krushevan

Given the fact that the issues containing the scandalous publication of "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" came out in print in August–September, the assertion about the end of 1903 is a misprint. An additional indirect indication favouring this assumption is the numbering of these issues (nn.190–200). De Michelis and Richard Newhouse also claim that "the Nilus version with its preface was published for the first time in the St.Petersburg newspaper Znamja (1903)".[1]

As for the discrepancy between the "end of 1902" and the "beginning of 1903", it is a trivial case for dating events in the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire. Only in 1918 did the Bolsheviks abandon the Julian calendar (which already lagged behind in the 20th century by 13 days) and introduce the Gregorian calendar, as in USA and Europe.

Minor controversy may arise due to confusion caused by the similarity of the names of newspapers, which were subsequently founded by the same Pavel Krushevan, and which reflected in that or another way his same anti-Semitic bias. These are the above-mentioned "Znamya" (end 1902 — 1903) and "Russkoye Znamya" ("Russian Banner", Russian: Русское Знамя, 1905 — 1917).

Protocols’ publication

According to Cesare G. De Michelis in The Non-Existent Manuscript: A Study of the Protocols of the Sages of Zion (2004), the first publicly published edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion was in August (13 days later in September by the Old Style) of 1903 in Znamya.

The text was serialized into nine issues, each carrying a headline "The Jewish Programme of the Conquest of the World" (Russian: Программа завоевания мира евреями). Actually the document itself was entitled "The Protocols of the Sessions of the World Alliance of Freemasons and of the Sages of Zion", however by giving such a headline the editor anticipated, if not imposed, perceptions and conclusions of the readers.

Articles in the newspaper were serialized as follows:

No.190 (10 September [O.S. 28 August] 1903): 2; 2,
No.191 (11 September [O.S. 29 August] 1903): 2; 3,
No.192 (12 September [O.S. 30 August] 1903): 2; 4,
No.193 (13 September [O.S. 31 August] 1903): 1-2; 5,
No.194 (14 September [O.S. 1 September] 1903): 1-2; 6,
No.195 (15 September [O.S. 2 September] 1903): 1-2; 7,
No.196 (16 September [O.S. 3 September] 1903): 2; 8,
No.197 (17 September [O.S. 4 September] 1903): 2; 9,
No.200 (20 September [O.S. 7 September] 1903): 2.

Differences of Znamya edition

The Znamya edition of the Protocols contains several notable differences from later editions. For example, it includes Old Testament quotes later omitted. It makes no mention of the Freemasons, which are prevalent in later editions. Paraphrases of Maurice Joly are mostly, but not entirely, lacking.[4] This edition of the Protocols has never been translated.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cesare G. De Michelis, Richard Newhouse. The non-existent manuscript: a study of the Protocols of the sages of Zion. p. 19.
  2. Знамя, с.-петербургская газета [Znamya, a newspaper in St.-Petersburg]. Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). — ежедневная газета, издается в СПб. с 1902 г. Издатель-редактор П. А. Крушеван. Орган крайнего ретроградства и антисемитизма.
  3. Крушеван Павел Александрович [Krushevan, Pavel Alexandrovich]. Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). — В конце 1903 г. К. основал недолго продержавшуюся газету «Знамя».
  4. Cesare G. De Michelis, Richard Newhouse (2004). The non-existent manuscript: a study of the Protocols of the sages of Zion. Studies in Antisemitism Series. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 11–14. ISBN 0-8032-1727-7.

External links