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Abstract: The article explores the activities of the publishing house “Posrednik”, which was founded on the initiative of L. N. Tolstoy and V. G. Chertkov, in the context of the discussion of the folk literature of the 1880s. The participation of the famous writer and the unique orientation of the publishing house realizing the main postulates of Tolstoy’s religious and philosophical teachings in artistic form attracted public attention. The practical research material encompasses the analytical article by E. S. Nekrasova “Books for the People,” based on a serious study of the problem of popular reading, which was approved by the organizers of the publishing house, and the unpublished correspondence between Chertkov and Nekrasova in 1885, which made it possible to reconstruct the dialogue between the correspondents, polemically reflecting different ideological and aesthetic trends in the history of the literary process of the second half of the 19th century. The analysis of the documentary sources indicates that the “program” of “Posrednik,” in accordance with which a list of worthy books for the people was formed, was largely determined by the aesthetic tastes of Chertkov, who was guided primarily by the content of a work of fiction. In assessing the quality of the published products, the main criterion for the publisher is not the artistic merits of the work, but the author’s idea, and this idea must necessarily coincide with the orientation of “Posrednik”, i.e. reflect the moral essence of the teachings of Christ. This “program” was welcomed by Nekrasova, who noted in her review of popular publications the concern of the publishers of the new book company about popular morality. After getting acquainted with the new publications of “Posrednik,” she spoke out in her first letter to Chertkov even more clearly: the preaching of a favorite idea and the predominance of an instructive element ruin the artistic integrity of the work. The discussion that arose in the correspondence between Nekrasova and Chertkov and was not continued due to the latter’s reluctance, reveals, on the one hand, the publishing principles of “Posrednik”, and on the other, the personality of Chertkov, his social and literary views and beliefs, which is especially important, given his close collaboration with Tolstoy.

About the author(s) :

Natalia I. Gorodilova

A. M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia)

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0856-3083

Publication Timeline:

Date of receipt: 15.07.2024; date of publication: 28.03.2025

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