On the history of Soviet journalism and censorship in the late 1920s. The novel “The Twelve Chairs” by I. Ilf and Ev. Petrov

Abstract

The article discusses the journalistic aspects of the novel The Twelve Chairs, prepared for publication in 1928 by I.A. Ilf and Ev.P. Petrov, as well as the interference of censors and editors in the text of the novel. The author considers the various revisions, which were influenced by both political factors and the editors’ personal tastes. The author argues that the original text of the novel was in line with the propaganda of the period, which saw an intensification of the struggle between the party leadership, headed by I.V. Stalin, and the opposition, led by L.D. Trotsky. But in the autumn of 1927, the opposition was crushed, and many fragments of the manuscript that had previously been appropriate became unacceptable. In the course of reissues, censorship became stricter and editorial revisions became more abundant.