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[HETMAN WINNING OVER THE SYMPATHIES OF THE UKRAINIANS] Chto nuzhno pomnit' ukrainskim krest'janam i rabochim [i.e. What Ukrainian peasants and workers need to remember]

Item #2317

1st edition. 16 pp. 18,5 x 12,5 cm. Odessa: Tip. Torgovago doma G. M. Levinson for Krest'janskij Sojuz Prosveshhenija Ukrainy, 1918. Original typed publisher’s cover. In Russian. Good condition with folds and slight discoloration along the outer edges of the wrappers. Staples show some rust. Numbers in pencil on the front cover. The back cover shows folds and a line of holes that are an artifact of an earlier unsuccessful wrapping process.

The important document of pro-Hetmanate proapaganda aimed at Ukranian proletriat and peasant population.

Within a turbulent 1918 year Odessa (as actually most of modern Ukraine) saw a wild kaleidoscope of administrations: Russian Whites, Bolsheviks, Ukrainian republicans, Ukrainian monarchists, Austro-Hungarian intervention, French army. Based on the dates mentioned, the brochure can be confidently dated as printed between July and August 1918. The historical consensus is that after the March 1918 Bolshevik retreat and until November the city was under joint Austro-Hungarian forces and Ukrainian Armiia Ukrainskoi Narodnoi Respubliky administration. Their arrival was seen by many as freedom from bloodthirsty Bolsheviks, but Austrians nevertheless banned some political parties, restricted demonstrations and closed down professional unions. Krest'janskij Sojuz Prosveshhenija Ukrainy, one named as responsible for the brochure, is Ukrainska selianska spilka [Ukrainian Peasant Union] active 1917-1919. The union was tightly connected with the Socialist-Revolutionary party, a major political force opposing the Bolsheviks. Despite ideological differences with Hetman authoritarian policy, the Union is not critical of Hetman in the text: possibly this was a move showing a broader anti-Bolshevik strategy. But the detailed circumstances under which the brochure was printed in Odessa but was supported by Spilka are not clear.

The paragraphs aimed at the peasants are antianarchist, anti-radical but inviting for a dialogue with the government. The authors ask to refrain from violence, be critical of any new revolutionary proclamations and to have faith in the officials who will do their best in creating a flourishing state, one based on order, lawness, predictability and growing universal wealth.

The paragraphs aimed at factory workers criticise Romanov rule as one pro-capitalist and Bolshevik regiment as anarchist and disruptive, to a point where it led to a wave of bankruptcies and violence on the streets. Under this logic, authors do explain that a balance between workforce demands and workplace contributions will protect both the operations of businesses and the job stability of the workforce. Lifelong learning and productive workplace efforts in the name of the country were innovative, but as history had shown, eventually not very appealing nor inspiring for the tired working class.

Interestingly,the brochure was printed not in Ukrainian, but in Russian. This was done likely to reach a broader audience of ethnically and linguistically diverse Ukraine.

The publisher of the present brochure, German-Meer Levinson (Gersh Abramovich Gershon) held a variety of businesses in Odessa from no later than 1881. He started his publishing and stationary sales and from Russian State Library item entries we know that G. M. Levinson’s company was active in business till at least 1920. Levinson was pretty active in supporting the social movements. From official papers it is known that even after the 1905 Manifesto, in 1906 censor committee denied Levinson a plea to open a store in the building of his own typography. The worries of the press inspector were formulated in such a way: "the existing printing house of G. Levinson never inspired much confidence in the administration, as did his shop, in which illegal photographs were repeatedly discovered. In his printing house there were the first manifestations of workers' strikes”. Levinson published early zionist periodicals as well as some underground uncensored brochures prior to 1905, ones that brought him short-term incarnations and fines. Other fields included traditional Hebrew religious literature, technical and business documentation, niche periodicals, photographic images and sight albums. Levinson’s businesses were nationalised in 1920. (Bel'skij, Miron. Koe-chto o Levinsonax. Tikva: Or Sameah, no. № 539 (44), November 2016. Odessa, 2016., p. 12)

Rare. Not in KVK. Not in WorldCat.

Price: $750.00