The symbolical imitation of newspapers called ‘kyranty’ existed in pre-Peter Russia and were hand-made personally for the tsar and the boyars. They existed as such for a little less than a century. The official year of the printed newspaper appearance is 1702, thanks to the order of the Emperor Peter I of Russia. According to the Peter’s order, the gazette was transmitted to the Monastery Prikaz in order to be edited and printed. Vedomosti was the first newspaper in Russia.
In the beginning Vedomosti was aimed to promote Peter’s reforms, to highlight the military events, economic situation, and the important moments of the Russian culture. Soon after the first steps of printing industry the new newspapers and magazines started to appear, the choice of subjects broadened, and the Russian journalism started to develop and improve.
Child of Motherland magazine appeared a century after the issue of the first newspaper, in 1812. It was founded by a journalist and a philologist Nikolay Grech. This is what he wrote about his creation: ‘While the Moscow magazines stopped being issued after the enemy’s invasion, and the ones from Saint Petersburg were silenced due to the departure of most of their workers, while the terrors of war tortured Russia, and it was looking into the hazy view with bewilderment and fear, Child of Motherland appeared. It had the previously unknown success, that should be associated with existing circumstances, with generous donation from the above, protection of the enlightened noble patriots, and participation of the public.
In the course of time Child of Motherland magazine was reorganized into the newspaper format and was published daily in two versions, with one of them being quite popular in the province. The supplement called Home Library with short stories and other narratives went with the newspaper. From 1862 till 1886 the supplement Sunday Evenings was issued.
The palace, foreign and literature news, reviews on the popular topics, advertisements, stock market data and political news were highlighted in Child of Motherland. The stand-alone supplement was dedicated to fashion.
In Borisoglebsk Ivanova’s Private Library (the first of such institutions in the city) and the Public Library had a subscription for the newspaper. A. Starchevsky, N. Petrov, I. Uspensky, S. Dobrodeev, Izdatel society worked on the newspaper at different times. A. Starchevsky, A. Milyukov, I. Uspensky, M. Kupletsky, A. Sheller worked as chief editors.
This showpiece was given to the museum by a private party. The printed media was issued on Saturday, August 16, 1897 at no. 221.
