Bookvica

[FEMINIST MAGAZINE BY WOMEN, FOR WOMEN] Rabotnitsa: organ Otdela po rabote sredi zhenshchin TSK RKP [i.e. The Woman Worker: Organ of Department of Female Workforce of Central Committee of Russian Communist Party].

Item #623

#3, February. 1924. 32 pp.: ill. 26x17 cm. In original photo montage wrappers
designed by Gustav Klutsis. Very good. Tears of the spine and upper margin (not
affecting contents), a small rectangular piece cut out (p.1).

Rare in such condition. In the 1920s design of magazines played a key role,
especially with so many creative minds devoted to political agitation. In 1924-1925
the magazine ‘Rabotnitsa’ used interesting design experiments, including works by
Klutsis and Sergei Sen’kin. This issue has Krupskaya’s portrait on the front wrapper by Klutsis. On the back cover, there are photomontage designs by both Klutsis and
Sen’kin, these were costumes for children and dresses for female workers with
instructions and patterns for sewing on the recto of the cover. The issue itself was
dedicated to Lenin and his death that just happened, and consisted of workers’
articles and notes about him, Krupskaya’s and Klara Tsetkin’s quotes, etc. but also
many photographs (by Grokhovsky and Shamraevsky) of female delegates of All-Union
Council of Soviets (especially interesting photographs of delegate from Uzbekistan in
burqa and without it), article about Marie Curie, domestic tips, etc. From the first issue
of 1924, the magazine published “tips and instructions on how to cope with these
household chores in such a way as to find more leisure and time for public life, for
building a great new life,” to which was about half a page dedicated.
‘Rabotnitsa’ is one of the oldest Russian magazines exclusively devoted
to women. Founded in 1914, it is the first socialist women’s magazine, and the most
politically left of the women’s periodicals. Rabotnitsa served as the official women’s
publication under the Communist Party in Russia since 1917.
While some state it was initiated by Nadezhda Krupskaya (1869-1939),
Lenin’s wife, the idea is credited to Konkordiia Samoilova. Inessa Armand, a close friend of Lenin, was instrumental in actualizing the magazine. Anna Yelizarova-Ulyanova, one
of Lenin’s sisters, found a press willing to print two issues per month. It prospered at
the encouragement and support provided by Lenin. The money needed to support the
publication was collected from women workers. The magazine’s editors wrote about
transforming domestic life through raising the consciousness of men and blamed
social problems on the lingering influence of patriarchy. The magazine paved the way
for the women workers to «participate in state and public life and in the building of
communism». It was instrumental in awakening the women workers to the political
reality of the times and brought them under the party’s banner.

Another 40 issues of the same periodical are available at Bookvica as a separate lot.

Sold