The New Gazette
There are so many Novaia gazetas in the world that one must exercise caution in locating the New York issue. Published in the years 1980-1984 Yevgeni Rubin (Евгений Рубин) is listed as the Chief Editor with Yuri Shtein (Юрий Штейн) and Pavel Dembo (Павел Дембо) as assistants. Shtein appears to have been charged with the literary sections. Contributors included Maksimov (Максимов) and Nekrasov (Некрасов), as well as Boris Paramanov (Борис Парамонов). Sergei Gollerbach (Сергей Голлербах) graced the two page graphic-pictorial section more than once. A regular contributor was the photographer Shalamov (Варлам Шаламов). НГ appealed to and was aimed at the newly arrived immigrants. Pages were devoted to dealing with the realities of American (mainly New York) life. An attempt was made to link the Third Wave with earlier waves of Russians in the section called Muse of the Diaspora. In this weekly column the editors celebrated such luminaries as Marina Tsvetaeva and Vladimir Nabokov, but also lesser poets and prosaists. The 32 page weekly also spent considerable time reprinting earlier works of the emigration and in bringing Russian translations of American prose writers and poets. Most of these issues are available on microfilm, but no complete run of the paper appears available to scholars. The paper seems to have good contacts with the dissident movement, Chalidze, Natalja Gorbanevskaja, and artists, Shemjakin, and Neizvestnyj, and Aleksandr Glezer. The paper publishes Yuz Aleshskovsky and Mikhail Armalinsky, both known for their explicit themes and language. The newspaper also championed Vysotsky, much like Новый американец saw its champion in Brodsky.
On a bibliographical note. The paper with some omissions is available on microfilm. The University of California-Berkeley has originals that are available to scholars off site. Anyone interested in Yuz Aleshkovskii, Liudmila Kafanova, Arkadii L'vov and Lev Navrozov, absolutely must consult this paper. There are also the memoir of the editor in chief Evgenij Rubin. I have tried to provide a list of the isiues availble (and those missing) to aid in completing the set, and perhaps digitizing it.
At Berkeley, Vol 1, issue 1 May 9-15, 1980 (70 cents) 32 pages. Cover proclaims it as : "Самая большая в мире газета на рускком языке: editor is Evgenii Rubin.
p. 2. "Читатель и газета " Rubin notes that only three months previuously Новый американец had appeared. "Дело, конечно же, в том, что у нас возникли разногласия относительно некоторых аспектов работы. " Rubin will be more precise in his book. He returns to the thme in a lenghty letter to the editors of Вестник No 14 (299),10 July 2002. Sergei Dovlatov and Lena Dovaltov both remember him, who remained in contact and on friendly terms on and off for many years as a "principled" individual, but one who found it difficult to compromise.
Vol 1, 2 May 16-22, 1980 lists Evgenii Rubin as editor in chief, Yuri Shtein as Assistant editor, and Pavel Dembo as the recording secretary. Note that the press reun of first issue had been 5000.
Issues missing Vol 1, 1980-1981 , 10, 16, 20, 36, 41; Vol II, 54-55, 62,63,
Vol II continues thru 104 and beyond. Missing are 135, 138, 142, 156-160.
Notes for researchers:
I, 4 (May 31-June 6, 1980) is misnumbered as NO. 3.
I, 5. There is a regular column on p. 2 "Читатель и газета" by Evgenii Rubin. They could/should be collected and reprinted much like Dovlatov's Колонки редактора."
I, 14. A wonderful joke. The cover is a copy of Правда printed to address Soviets at the beginnning of the 1980 Summer Olympics by an Italian editor Vincenzo Sparagna.
I, 9, p. 2. "Наше мнение " a note on the growth of the Russian periodical press in the United States.
I, 35. Jan 3-9, 1981. p2. Notes circulation has climbed to 7000.
I, 36. Jan 10-16, 1981, p.2 There is already the beginning of a running sniping back and forth between Новая газета and Новый американец. Here is an article by Vas. Shul'kevich "Ниоткуда с любовью" against Dovlatov.
I, 40. Feb 7-13, 1981. Begin publication of Khrushchev's Memoirs supplied by Valery Chalidze. p. 2 has a letter praising the efforts of Хроника from Maramzin, Bukovskii and Natalja Gorbanevskaja.
I, 44. p. 2. Note that there are now 10,000 copies being printed.
I, 46. March 21-27, 1981. Cathy Young (Ekaterina JUng ) begins a translation of Agatha Christie's, The Body in the Lbrary.
I, 47. Pavel Palei is now the chief administrator and the paper has a new address, 209 14th Street, NY NY 10003 . Chalidze press promises a seven volume Российская энциклпедия covering Russian events from 1917 to date.
I, 49 April 11-17, 1981. pp. 9-10. Polemic about НА attack on Andrei Sedyx of НРС. II, 53. May 9-15, 1981. Rubin in article pp. 3-4 "Стратегия скандала" reacts to НА polemic with НРС, where Sedyk had finally done an article entitled "Кому это нужно? "
II, 53 May 9-15, 1981. pp. 4-5 Evgenij Rubin "Стратегия скандала." discussion of the Third Wave. The newspaper is in its Second year of publishing
II, 54 May 16-22, 1981. p.2. Paper announces intention to publish on Mondays (Новое русское слово does not publish on that day).II, 65. Navrozov criticizes Losev.
II, 68 PP. 4-5., "Простой советский прапорщик" Navrozov engages in a polemic with Dovlatov.
II, 67 PP. 4-5 August 15-21. "Незабвенные стихи" Rubin launces an attack against Dovlatov.
II, 69. The argument continues.
II, 72. Cathy Young translating new novel by Agatha Cristie Death on the Nile.
II, 78. Report on a book Coming Out of the Ice: An Unexpected Life (Paperback) by Victor Herman. it was made into a CBS television film in 1982 Coming Out of the Ice. (The true story of Victor Herman, who immigrated to the Soviet Union c.1930 as a child with his parents. He became a star athlete, but was sent to Siberian work camps when he refused to renounce his American past and identify himself as Russian; he eventually spent 18 years in gulags before being released ).
II, 82. This issue (November 28-December 4, 1981) is misnumbered as #81. The year is also printed in correctly as 1980 instead of 1981.
II, 91. (January 30-February 5, 1982). Incorrectly numbered as #87.
II, 92. A short lived effort to print TV listings thus increasing the size of the paper is abandoned. The paper reverts to 32 pages, but the price increase (it is now 85 cents) remains.
II, 93. (February 2-26, 1982). Begins translation of Joyce Carol Oats, Tam, gde l'dy (English title unidentified) Translated by Cathy Young.
II, 94 February 20-26, 1982). pp. 4-5. A dispute between Dovlkatov and Mikhail Armalinskii erupts.
II, 96. (March 6-12, 1982), p. 2. Documents the three years of "Клуб русских писателей." pp. 15, 16, 17,it publishes in whole the "Литературный вестник Клуба русских писателей." The Literary Bulletin of the Russian Writers' Club, New York, выпуск второй./ P. 15 Е. Л[юбин]. has a note on emigre writers. p. 18 sums up the club's accomplishments as follows:
Published: Литературный вестник and Альманах–80.
Published books by Evgeniia Dimer, Lev Khalif, Aleksandr Baskov, Aleksandr Sirotin, Evgenii Liubin, Bella Ezerskaia.
Several editors had visited and spoke: Gennadii Andreev, Vikto Perel'man, Arkadii Rovner, Evgenii Rubin, Liudmila Kafanova.
Writers included (among others): Arkadii L'vov, Vjacheslav Zavalishin, Lev Navrozov, Yuz Aleshkovskii, Iosif Brodskii.
[All these people except Brodskii were close to Columbia University and to Новая газета, versus Новый американец crowd].
II, 97. Ekaterina Yung is now listed as ответственный секреатраь.
II, 104 (May 1-7, 1982). p. 3 celebrate two years of Новая газета "От 1-ого до 104-го." Also notes the appearance in Philadelphia of a new newspaer "Новый мир."
II, 105. (This hould initiate Volume II)I.
II, 107 mention of Freedom House in New York.
II, 109 June 5-11, 1982, pp. 89. Liudmila Alekseeva writes of White House lunch with Presidetn Reagan.Solzhenitsyn had declined the invitation.
II, 113. July 3-9, 1982. Alexandr Batchan is listed for first time as managing editor along with Pavel Paley and Eugeny Rubin (written with a "u"). Names on masthead are in English. pp. 18-19. Kronid Liubarskii reacts to Solzhenitsyn's letter declining White Hosue invitation.
II, 125, pp. 8-9. Liudmila Foster reprints a letter from Контитент #32 criticizing the newspaper Русская мысльto which she replies.
II, 136. December 11-17, 1982). Natalia Sharymova is added to masthead as a staff writer.
II, 139. Revert to old price of 70 cents. Rubin and Paley are listed as publishers, Alexandr Batchan listed as managing editor.
III, 140 (January 8-14, 1983). For the first time time Volume III is used.
III, 143. The quality of the newsprint itself is lesser quality. [financial issues?]
III, 147.Newsprint returns to former quality.
III, 148. February 26March 4, 1983). p. 2 "Клуб русских писателей." pp. 15, 16, 17 celebrates Fourth Anniversary and publishes in toto Литературный вестник–третий выпуск . p. 15 notes approximately thirty members in club that had existed for four years. Note that Dovlatov had spoken to the group on the preceding year.
III, 149. March 12-18, 1983)., pp. 4, 5, 14. "Почему я ушел из Нового Русского Слова." by Evgenii Rubin. Rubin explains that he had been forced to resign from Новая газета, but then also pressured to quit his job at Новое русское слово. [The politics of Novaia Gazeta, Novyi Amerikanets, Novoe Russkoe Slovo, deserve scholary attention].
III, 151. Batchan is gone, and Rubin has returned as Editor in Chief and now publsiher along with Paley.
III, 152 (April 2-8, 1983), p. 2. Prints a letter from the attorney for Новое русское слово replying to Rubin's accusations.
III, 164. (June 25-July 1, 1983). p. 8. "Неужели это мы." Sergei Dovlatov. p. 9. "Кому это выгодно" Cathy Young. Both react to the film by Ofra Bikel FRONTLINE: reports: the russians are here | PBS
The Russians Are Here. Jun. 13, 1983 60 minutes. During the previous decade, 100,000 Russians came to America to live. Remember there was the film The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming (1966)]
III, 165 (July 2-8, 1983), p. 2 Reaction to a notice that the paper intended to become a daily. [This would have it compete head to head with Новое русское слово].
III, 166. (July 9-15, 1983). p. 3 A full page ad targeted against Новое русское словоo.. pp. 6-7. Rubin continues to comment on his conflict with НРС. [One could and perhaps should use all these documents including whatever information is available in NRS to examine the struggle to survive while eliminating competing ventures].
III, 171. (August 13-19, 1983). p. 2 Announcement that paper will become a daily.
Evgeny Rubin. Пан или пропал: Жизнеописание (M:2000), Overshadowed by the attention paid to Dvolatov, kept alive by Genis and Vail', Rubin sits as a figure largely forgotten, but whose significance should be re-examined. His own book recalls those days, and his own penchant to bring up old wounds has not helped his cause. He had worked as a sports correspondent in the Soviet Union and knew Aleksei Orlov from those days. He had then met Boris Metter in Italy, a friend of Orlov's. Rubin was in Lake Placid covering the Winter Olympics in 1980 when the first issue of Новый американец appeared. The personal conflicts and constantly changing group of editors, publishers and contributors are detailed in his book: Metter, Orlov, Yuri Shtein, Dovlatov, Dembo, Genis and Vail', Pavel Palei. Pavel Palei who had spent seventeen years in labor camps claimed to have been close to Vysotsky, and begins to publsih his memoirs in Новая газета. Rubin would work for a time in НРС even as he edited НГ, but when Palei raised funds for a daily Russian newspaper, what would become Новости, they were forced to leave НРС. The story of the funds for these ventures would make for a Russian Godfather.
Rubin reflets: "Сегодня о "Новом амерканце" воспоминают часто, о "Новой газете" почти никогда. Воспоминают потому, что "Новый американец" был первым и стал фактом биографии Сергея Довлатова. Или, возможно, правильней будет сначала назвать Довлатова, а потом первородство "Нового американца". (485).
