ON THE HISTORY OF FINANCING THE HISTORICAL JOURNAL “RUSSIAN ARCHIVE” (1863–1912)

This article addresses a poorly studied and relevant historiographical issue concerning the financing of periodicals in pre-revolutionary Russia, particularly the financing of historical journals. The purpose of the article is to study the sources of funding for Russian Archive, since its publisher P. I. Bartenev began issuing the journal as a modest librarian of the Chertkov Library and a man of limited means. The article examines the condition of the surviving editorial archive, noting its poor preservation and near-complete absence of financial and organizational documents. Therefore, the main source on this matter is the nearly complete correspondence of P. I. Bartenev. It reveals that the publication was made possible thanks to financial support from the owner of the Chertkov Library, G. A. Chertkov, which lasted only one year. In 1864, collector N. S. Kiselev contributed to expenses, and from 1865 Bartenev published the journal at his own expense, at great effort and sacrifice. The main source of funding was subscriptions, but the number of subscribers was small, not exceeding 1,650. Some funds came from Bartenev’s preparation of the multi-volume Archive of Prince Vorontsov, but even this was insufficient — the annual cost of publishing the journal exceeded 10,000 rubles. Correspondence shows that in the late 1880s Bartenev had to apply for state aid, and Alexander III, who read Russian Archive, granted him a subsidy of 1,800 rubles per year for five years. Subsequently, the journal continued to receive subsidies from the Ministry of Public Education, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and by the highest decree, but these amounts were not enough even to pay the printing house. Therefore, it repeatedly received emergency “secret” government payments, including to cover debts. Russian Archive, which did not fit into bourgeois publishing practice, did not generate income for its publisher and required constant investment. However, despite losing subscribers and profits to later historical journals, P. I. Bartenev firmly adhered to his chosen line of publishing historical documents without entertaining readers with historical fiction, and he was proud not to have compromised his principles for “profit and gain.”