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[THE “CAUCASIAN WORD” NEWSPAPER AT THE HEART OF WWI] Kavkazskoe slovo: yezhednevnaya gazeta [i.e. Caucasian Word: Daily Newspaper]

Item #2213

Tbilisi: 1914-1919. #98-102, 104-111, 113-126, 128-131, 133, 135-143, 145-159, 161-216 for 1916. Overall, 112 issues, published from May 1 to September 30, 1916. Ca. 66x52 cm.

Contemporary owner’s cardboards with cloth spine. Paper labels with issue numbers glued to the front cover and the spine. Ca. ten issues with diagonal or horizontal tears (often with text affected), occasional light stains and small holes (with text affected), #167 lacks a small fragment in the upper right corner throughout the issue, tears to the edges, but otherwise good. In Russian. Edited by Yu. F. Semyonov (1914-1916). With seven black and white illustrations produced by S. Sogomonyan and A. Sutchiyan, a cartoon by Vasily Krotkov (1880-1919), and illustrated ads.

A bound set of 112 issues from May 1 to September 30, 1916, of the "Caucasian Word" newspaper, published by the Armenian elite in Tbilisi, Georgia, from 1914 to 1919. The collection documents the turbulent global and regional developments of the 1910s, covering the Caucasus Front of WWI, the early activities of Georgian Mensheviks, the Armenian genocide, and escalating Armeno-Georgian tensions.
"Caucasian Word" was a daily periodical issued by the Tbilisi Society of Printing under Christophor Vermishyan (1863-1932) and other prominent Armenians in Georgia. The newspaper ran for five years, cycled through three editors (Yu. Semyonov, I. Dolukhanov, V. Ananov), and was ultimately shut down by the Georgian Menshevik Government after the 1918 Armeno-Georgian War. The closure followed an inflammatory plea by the newspaper's editor, Vladimir Ananov, who publicly urged Armenians to take up arms against Georgians.
The periodical comprises the following sections: "Telegrams," "War Chronicles," "Abroad," "Caucasus," "Letters to the Editorial Board," etc. Especially interesting is the "Turkish War" segment with daily updates from the Caucasus Theatre. One notable entry reports the unexpected "discovery of an enemy submarine in Batum" well before the Ottoman capture of the city (#167, p. 3). Additionally, the issues contain brief profiles of prominent Caucasian militaries perished in the war, including F. F. Bower (praporshchik whose last words were "send me to Tiflis;" #188, p. 2), Armen Atomyants (a second lieutenant in a rifle regiment who fell on the Turkish front; #179, p. 2), Alexander Mkurnali (a second lieutenant who died on the Austrian front; #186, p. 2), and Keri (Head of the Armenian Volunteer Squad, who fell near Revanduz; #119, p. 2). These profiles are accompanied by six rare black-and-white illustrations of the victims produced by S. Sogomonyan and A. Sutchiyan. The periodical also updates readers on the latest lists of fallen soldiers from the Caucasus Army, featuring names from Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani backgrounds, such as Grig Nest Khamtadze, Mikhail Vard Ardishvili, Saak Tomas Ter-Martirosyants, Giorgi Sanikidze, and Arut. Serg. Arutynov.
Another hot topic covered in the issues is the Armenian genocide, with numerous articles detailing the ongoing Ottoman atrocities. One text describes Mesopotamia as "the damned place that has become a gigantic cemetery for the honor of Armenians," where "500,000 Armenians are put to death." (#114, p 3.) There's also a curious article in issue #165, urging Armenian and Georgian readers to donate funds to free Armenian prisoners held by Kurdish tribal leaders, noting: "They are released willingly if one Turkish lira (gold coin - 18 rubles) is paid for each prisoner." (p. 2. "Orizon's Appeal") Other texts offer more graphic descriptions of the atrocities committed.
A controversial article presented in issue #182 (p. 3) and signed by a "Magistrate" explores the future of Turkish Armenia, proposing the establishment of Armenia in the regions of Van, Bitlis, and Mush. The article provoked strong objections from the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Sazonov, who argued that such discussions were highly inflammatory. He urgently requested General Yanushkevich, the head of censorship, to prohibit the publication of similar articles.
Notably, the newspaper also covers the activities of the pioneer Georgian political parties, including the Social Democratic Party of Georgia (the Georgian Menshevik Party). One article reads: "Dasists (Georgian Marxists), ... having a negative attitude towards all trends of nationalist discord in the Transcaucasus, tirelessly call on the democratic elements of both Georgians and Armenians to show solidarity and form strong interactions." (#162, pp. 2-3. "Georgian Life During the Two Years of the War"). Established as Georgia's first social democratic party, the Georgian Menshevik Party rose to power after the October Revolution and governed the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 until the Red Army Invasion in 1921 (when the party began operating in exile). The periodical also discusses the party's founder, Nikoloz Chkheidze (1864-1926), a prominent Georgian politician who later became president of the parliamentary assemblies of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. The narrative includes Giorgi Plexanov's sharp critique of Chkheidze's vision of a "world free of any annexations and contributions," labeling it as "the most dramatic deviation from the scientific approach to reality essential for a true social democrat." (#100, p. 3) Among other distinguished politicians featured in the issues are Georgian social democrats George Zhuruli (1865-1951) and Konstantin Abkhazi (1867-1923), along with the National Democratic Party of Georgia itself (#162, pp. 2-3. "Georgian Life During the Two Years of the War").
Almost every other issue addresses the recurring theme of nationalist tensions between Armenians and Georgians. A subtle commentary by Hussein Minasazov notes: "A tendency exists among some of our intelligentsia to ascribe the faults of individual people and groups to the national character." (Self-Criticism. #143; p. 3) Another intriguing article in the "Press Reviews" section boldly criticizes the "Zakavkaszkaya Rech" newspaper (Tbilisi; 1910-1917) for promoting Georgian chauvinism and fueling hatred between Armenian immigrants and Georgians (#98; p. 4). In December 1918, the rising Armeno-Georgian tensions over territorial and cultural claims resulted in the largely inconsistent three-week border conflict.
The issues also explore the 1910s Russian and Georgian futurist scene. Four ads promote a lecture evening by Moscow Futurists Vasily Kamensky (1884-1961) and Vladimir Goldschmidt (1886-1954) at the "Tbilisi Artistic Society Theatre" on September 8 (#196, 197, 198, 199). To celebrate their visit, the newspaper features the first printing of Kamensky's poem "Tiflis," exclusively dedicated to the "Caucasian Word" (#196, p. 2). There's also an interesting summary of the evening: "The Theater of the Artistic Society was full. The audience apparently enjoyed this sermon, or rather rebuke... but they didn't quite understand it." (#200, p. 4) The other three ads promote the second event featuring Vasily Kamensky and Vladimir Gol'tsshmidt at the Hall of the Musical Institute on September 20, 1916, in Tbilisi (#205, 206, 207). The collection also includes an intriguing article by Armenian journalist Marietta Shaginnyan, critically examining "the Igor Severyanin effect" and claiming: "He is a philistine poet, and his philistinism is deeply sincere." (#110, p. 2).
Each issue contains about thirty-five ads for services and the latest events, providing a unique look into life in Tbilisi (as well as Petrograd, Moscow, etc.) during WWI. These ads showcase promotions for lavish celebrations in Alexandrov Garden, fine dining at "restaurant Beaumonde," shows at the "Esikovsky brothers' circus," an American cosmetics shop, and medications for venereal diseases, complete with testimonials on their effectiveness.
Overall, an important set of the "Caucasian Word" newspaper, capturing a wide array of turbulent topics from the 1910s.

Price: $3,500.00