“Anxious Times Were Coming”: The Images of the Past in Ego-Documents of Russian Women-Journalists in the 2nd Half of the 19th - Early 20th Century

Abstract

The article aims to reveal characteristics of the images of the past in the ego-documents of Russian women journalists in the 2nd half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Historical epochs that were described by women-journalists in their text most often are the primary focus of our attention. These texts served as a means of commemoration, women tried to reinterpret historical background and recreate, by some means even construct the image of their professional community. The article indicates that women-journalists made a historical excursus rather rare, and also that the ego-documents contained reflection on the Great French revolution which was typical for the general historical culture of the Russian empire. Their perceptions of the degree of freedom, the role of the periodical press and literary figures in society served as one of the ways to construct the images of the past. Opinions on 1860s and contribution of journalist’s community in events of this time supported a claim of the socio-professional group on high status, that was one of the major reasons for sacralizing and stereotyping image of the epoch led to the memory wars. The authors of the ego-documents considered the 1860s as the starting point to characterize other epochs. Their descriptions of the past were full of stamps typical for the historical culture of that period. Women-journalists strove to show the position of women in the family and their capability for professional self-realization in different historical periods described in the ego-documents.