The images of the Jewish population in the publications of regional press and social relations in modern Ukraine: posing the problem

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I.I. Mechnikov Odessa National University

THE IMAGES OF THE JEWISH POPULATION IN THE PUBLICATIONS OF REGIONAL PRESS AND SOCIAL RELATIONS IN MODERN UKRAINE: POSING THE PROBLEM

Liudmyla Novikova

candidate historical sciences, docent

Annotation

At the time of the social modernization in the second half of the nineteenth century in the Russian Empire the conditions have formed, with the events of Jewish pogroms, the groundfor attention to the so- called “Jewish question ”. Understanding this term despite its certain stability was different, including the relationship between Jews and non-Jews and the content of the term «Jew». At that time the newspapers of different ideological directions have taken the participation in the discussion on the question, offering contradictory images of the Jewish population. A study of the features of complex images of radical character, that influenced the formation of the value basis for individual and social behavior is important as analysis of the historical experience of interethnic relations in Ukraine under circumstancies of the developing modern European Ukraine and existing the need to prevent the manifestations of social conflict. On the other hand, the existing historiography, which covers certain aspects of the problem, does not highlights its regional aspect, and also has elective character. For example, the mutual perception and understanding of the Ukrainians and the Jews is studied, but the perception of the Jewish community in the mass mind of a particular region is not studied, that is the territorial approach, which allows more comprehensive review of the issue is not used much. Therefore, the chosen problem has the public and scientific relevance. social behavior interethnic relations

The subject of this research is the peculiarities of images of the Jewish population that formed on the pages of the Odessa newspaper «Novorossijskij Telegraph») in the first half of the 1880's, from mass pogrom in 1881 till the pogrom in the summer of1886.

The analysis of the content of the publications of «Novorossijskij Telegraph», which presented radical anti-Semitic streams, in the first half of the 1880's. discovered features of so called by us «external national identity» or images of the Jewish population, disseminated through newspaper's publications in Odessa and among the consumers of the Odessa press in general. «Novorossijskij Telegraph» presented the Jews as the religious and national community, with the selfish interests opposite to interests of the rest of the population, which must be the object of struggle because it was presented as the «source of economic exploitation for the Christians». The image of the Jewish population in the «Novorossijskij Telegraph»was an example of radical propaganda, that formed the basis for the further development of the conflict on the base of opposition of Jews and non-Jews in Odessa. It has revealed, in particular, in the exacerbation of social relations in Odessa and in the so-called «disorders» in 1886.

Key words: «Novorossijskij Telegraph», national images and stereotypes, Jewish pogroms in Odesa, regional history of Ukraine, antisemitism in the second half of XIX c.

Анотація

ОБРАЗИ ЄВРЕЙСЬКОГО НАСЕЛЕННЯ В ПУБЛІКАЦІЯХ У РЕГІОНАЛЬНІЙ ПРЕСІ ТА СУСПІЛЬНІ ВІДНОСИНИ У МОДЕРНІЙ УКРАЇНІ: ДО ПОСТАНОВКИ ПРОБЛЕМИ

Людмила Новікова кандидат історичних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри історії України Одеського національного університету імені 1.1. Мечникова Одеса

У статті запропонована постановка наукової проблема існування впливу на практику соціальної взаємодії змісту публікацій стосовно єврейського населення у регіональній пресі в Україні у добу суспільної модернізації другої половини ХІХ ст. У якості прикладу обрана ситуація між погромами в Одесі у першій половині 1880-х рр., коли публікації газети «Новороссийский телеграф» сприяли зростанню соціальної напруги та міжнаціональної конфліктності у місті, сприяючи дальшій ізоляції євреїв та провокуючи неправові дії.

Ключові слова: «Новороссийский телеграф», національні образи та стереотипи, єврейські погроми в Одесі, регіональна історія України, антисемітизм у другій половині ХІХ ст.

The main text

The second half of the nineteenth century in the Russian Empire in general and in Ukrainian lands as part of this state, in particular, was marked by processes of social modernization, impetus to which was given by the reforms of Alexander II. New conditions and forms of socio-economic and social development were accompanied by aggravation of social contradictions. One of the manifestations of the crisis effects of modernization were the Jewish pogroms (or, according to the terminology of the time, «disorders») in the second half of the XIX c. Among the main centers of these events there was Odesa. It should be noted that the pogroms and the periods between them in the second half of the XIX c. had in city its specific compared to the period before reforms, which, in particular, was a propaganda of certain images of the Jewish population in newspapers that were not Jewish and of different directions. They made impact on the public discourse and social interaction. In particular, this concern to the pogroms in Odesa in 1881 and 1886. and the time between them.

Among the key questions that, according to the contents of certain publications, were asked by Odesa newspapers, was the question of who is a «Jew», and, in particular, a «Russian Jew», what his social role was, were Jews a kind of estate or rather, nationality (D. M., 1976: 3), etc. The fact that the so-called Jewish question had got more national colouring, was inherent to the period of the formation of modern nations.

Noteworthy is the fact that the official policy in dealing with the Jewish question had double-faced character: on the one hand, it was isolating, on the other, integrating, primarily in legal understanding. In addition, the policy of cultural assimilation stayed actual. These contradictions appeared in newspapers, which formed in the public mind the mutually exclusive images of Jews.

The purpose of our investigation is the posing of problem concerning the impact of the images of the Jewish population, formed in the regional newspapers Dniper region Ukraine in the second half of XIX c., on inter-ethnic relations, social stability. To illustrate this Odesa newspaper of radical direction called «Novorossijskij telegraph» has been chosen. Research covers the first half of the 1880's in Odesa, from mass pogrom in the city in 1881, to the pogrom in the summer of 1886 (Evrei Odessy, 2002: 145).

Methodology of the study defined mainly by positivism approaches, as well as by conceptions of time-territorial and polyethnic history of Ukraine. To achieve a complex idea about the chosen subject it is proposed to use the term «external national identity», which allows to present all peculiarities of the ideas of not of Jews regarding the Jews, including the different characteristics, and also to trace in what way «others» in the era of modern national movements separated or integrated, transforming in «their own», the Jewish community as a national phenomenon.

Modern historiography. Among modern studies, concerning the problem, it should be noted the I. Hrytsak's study, dedicated to the perception of the Jewish population in Galicia (Hrytsak, 2005), the P.-R. Magochy and Petrovskiy-Shtern's book, which described the problem of mutual Jewish-Ukrainian images (Magochy, Petrovskiy- Shtern, 2016). Directly investigation of our problems we can find in M. T. Andrijchuk's theses, who examines features of the display of Ukrainian-Jewish relations in periodic press in Dnieper region Ukraine in the second half of the XIX c. (Andrijchuk, 2011). We appreciate this approach, but we believe that it is necessary to study the images of the Jewish population in press not from only national, but also from regional view. We also have considered one aspect of the problem in the context of Volyn (Novikova, 2017), but posing of the problem requires more clear approach and illustration by using the press from other regions.

Sources for our study were published in the newspaper «Novorossijskij telegraph» in the first half of the 1880's. The newspaper «Novorossijskij Telegraph» from 1869 was private. In 1874, it was bought by M. P. Ozmidov came from Bessarabia. The direction of the newspaper concerning the Jewish subjects defined by its editor himself as «anti-Jews-economic direction» ([Vidpovid redactora], 1885).

The certain features of the image of the Jewish population in the publications «Novorossijskij Telegraph» in the first half of the 1880's.

Appeal to the analysis of the coverage of Jewish topics on the pages of Odesa newspaper «Novorossijskij telegraph» gives the opportunity to get acquainted with radically negative position towards the Jewish population and its integration to the rest of society. First of all this is reflected in topics related to pogrom of 1881. Yet to acknowledged beginning of the pogroms in April of 1881, the «Novorossijskij telegraph» printed materials which provoked hostility between the «Russian people», and other components of the population. The newspaper editor even have been accused in producing rumors about future pogrom and therefore in destabilization the situation in the city (Alpha, 1881: 11 apr.; Iezhednievnaia khronika, 1881; Odesskii starozhyl, 1881; Shvan, 1881). In addition, the fault for the pogroms in fact connected with the Jews with using of the following characteristics:

A Jew is a person with a specific character: propaganda interpretation of «Novorossijskij telegraph». The causes of the conflicts of the Jews and non-Jews in the pages of the newspaper regarded almost as a result of the Jewish character. National character is one more category, which is inherent to epoch of increasing the attention to issues of nationality.

In the letter to the editor mentioned above the author entering in a dispute with the journalists of the «Odesa listok», noted that Jews can sleep quiet if they would held certain principles, which using a list of those it was demonstrated a negative characteristic of the Jewish population: «When a person is honest, not fanatic and not impudent fellow... nobody will disturb him and he should not be afraid of anyone». In accordance with this the thesis posed that the Jews, due to the peculiarities of their character and behavior, provoked pogroms. The thesis of the «dishonesty» of Jews could be met in the newspaper before the pogrom in Yelisavetgrad (Delo po obvineniiu, 1881).

The traits of character of the Jewish population in negative presentation in conjunction with ridicule the features of their Russian pronunciation appeared in republishing in the newspaper from other sources the anecdots about Jews. One of the main traits, according to the anecdotes published in «Novorossijsky telegrafe» in such a hard time as the beginning of pogroms of 1881, were as through the Jew's desires for profits, economic benefits, «gesheft», which defeated the other principles (Sceny, 1881). The image of the Jews (like the general community, without the differentiated approach) as a nationality that is looking for «gesheft», corresponded to another popular in society thesis about economic exploitation Christians by Jews. As mentioned, this principle is maintained by editor M. P. Ozmidov too, who simultaneously denied (publicly) so-called «political blame» of Jews. It should be noted that the spread of the slogans of the economic exploitation could directed the events during the pogroms, on the other hand, the events themselves also allowed to choose as their cause that what lay on the surface of the conflict relationship in the form of looting property and etc. (Iezhednievnaia khronika, 1881). It should be noted that in the Odesa society the proclamation of this thesis revealed a certain ideological rift. There were readers who frankly wrote in letters to newspapers about the fact that they do not support the editor in this deal, and are ready to carry on with him the discussion (Galka, 1881).

As another feature of the local Jewish population «Novorossijskij telegraph» considered attempts of so called by him «Jewish clique» to represent Odesa before the Emperor like a «Jewish town» (actually a Jewish Deputy for delegation to the capital were proposed to choose only from the Jews of the city, that was not observed in other cities- centers of provinces in the Empire), which was presented in newspaper as an «offence» to Christians (Alpha, 1881: 15 marta).

The newspaper pointed out and the appearance of Jews that was popular in the face of spreading racial theories (Na dielie, 1881).

Jews as an object of the «fight». As noted, M. P. Ozmidov's attitude to the Jews was based on the thesis of economic exploitation. This attitude fits his ideas about the role of newspaper in public life, including in matters related to the Jews. This attitude also was noticed by readers. In the «Novorossijskij telegraph» they or it is better to say its editor «...claimed to be prepared with every forces to fight against this evil, but understood the fight as the struggle with words or if someone wanted with acts, but the former meant the economic, administrative means and in no way the wild fist violence» (Iezhednievnaia khronika, 1881). Responding to the suggestion of the author of one of the letters to the editor to give the right to publish the position of Jew's defenders about accusations against them in economic exploitation, M. P. Ozmi- dov (in the foot-notes) wrote: «You are welcome, we do not deny our [verbal] weapons for defenders of the Jews» (Galka, 1881). Topics dealing with Jews and its different interpretation, open and veiled, could affect on the mood in the city and on the formation of ideological and value basis for the spread of pogroms.

Conclusions. So, during the public modernization in the second half of the XIX c. in the Russian Empire not only internal but also external national identities of different nations formed. In these conditions the newspapers as means of social communication sometimes became a factor of the escalation of conflicts in the society due to their descriptions of the Jewish population. The image of the Jewish population in the «Novorossijskij telegraph» was an example of radical propaganda, that formed the basis for the further development of the conflict between Jews and non-Jews in Odesa. It was revealed, in particular, in the next aggravation of social relations in Odesa and the so-called «disorder» (pogrom) in 1886.

The article is devoted to the problem of the influence of images formed by modern regional newspapers in Ukrainian territory in Russian empire in the second half of XIX c. on social communications. The main idea of article is: the one of Odesa newspapers which had a radical character and supported the negative image of Jewish population destroyed social order, increased internal conflict against Jews in the first half of 1880's.

It was private newspaper «Novorossijskij telegraph». It's editor had own point towards Jews and disseminated it in newspaper. He was a kind of antisemit presented himself as a patriot.

The newspaper paid attention to such special features of Jews as national character, which described as main factor of their so called economic guilt and pogroms (or, historically speaking, «disorders»).

The newspaper provoked the struggle against Jews. According its director I should be struggle by words, economic, administration. But the main thought was the idea of struggle which remained on the decision of reader.

So, the negative role of propaganda of antisemit image of Jews formed motivation for certain part of population and encouraged to take part on disorders (pogroms) in Odesa, in active or passive form, and such information made the pogroms possible, like the new pogrom in Odesa in 1886.

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