Nana Janashia
PhD in Social Sciences
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Invited lecturer
Nana Janashia
PhD in Social Sciences
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Invited lecturer
Censorship and Persecution of Caucasian-language Newspapers
in the Caucasus during the Tsarist period
Abstract
During the tsarist period, the Russian-language newspapers dominated in the Caucasus. Censorship acted as the executioner of the Caucasian truth. Tsarism constantly fought against freedom of speech and publications in Caucasian languages, as a result of which many newspapers were closed and editors arrested. The Caucasian censorship committee forbade publications about schools, reading rooms, distribution of Georgian books, information about whether the harvest had disappeared somewhere and whether poverty awaited the people. It forbade the publication of materials about diseases, the dissemination of information about hunger and poverty, and the propaganda of federalism and autonomy. For example, in 1901, a fire at the Baku oil refineries killed 500 workers, but none of the Georgian publications was allowed to publish this information. Nevertheless, the information on this fact was prepared which is evidenced by archival materials.
Keywords: Censorship, Caucasian-language Newspapers, Tsarist period.