“New Tactics” in the Newspaper of First-Wave Russian Emigrants “The Voice of Russia”

Section: History of Journalism

This article delves into the Russian émigré newspaper “Golos Rossii,” published in Berlin in 1921 under the leadership of editor Pavel N. Milyukov and his associates. The publication aimed to champion Milyukov’s “new tactics,” a concept that emerged during the intensification of trade and diplomatic relations between Soviet Russia and Western countries, particularly Germany and Great Britain. These tactics advocated for emigrants to place trust in the Russian people, rejecting the notion of foreign intervention and abandoning hopes for a swift and extensive return to Russia. Prior to the revolution, the editorial team of “The Voice of Russia” collaborated with the cadet newspaper “Rech.” Later, they joined forces with the renowned émigré newspaper “Poslednie Novosti” (Paris). However, the “new tactics” were not universally accepted by Russian émigré publications of diverse political leanings, leading to a heated controversy. During its six-month tenure under Milyukov’s direction, “The Voice of Russia” garnered little scholarly attention despite its significance. This article seeks to rectify this oversight by analyzing the newspaper’s editorial strategy and its role in shaping the discourse and opinions within emigrant communities. In February 1922, Milyukov’s team abruptly left “The Voice of Russia,” citing the challenging economic circumstances. The promotion of the “new tactics” continued through “Poslednie Novosti” (1920– 1940) in Paris.

Fleyshman L., Kh’yuz R., Rayevskaya-Kh’yuz O. (1983) Russkiy Berlin, 1921–1923. Po materialam arkhiva B.I. Nikolayevskogo v Guverskom institute [Russian Berlin, 1921–1923. Materials from the archive of B.I. Nikolaevsky at the Hoover Institution]. Paris: YMCA-PRESS. (In Russian)

Karr E. (1990) Istoriya Sovetskoy Rossii. T. 1 [The history of Soviet Russia. Vol. 1.]. Moscow: Progress Publ. (In Russian)

Kotel’nikov K. D. (2022) Russkiy Berlin 1919–1933: problemy i mekhanizmy adaptatsii russkoy emigratsii v Germanii [Russian Berlin 1919–1933: problems and mechanisms of adaptation of Russian emigration in Germany]. Moscow: DPK-Press. (In Russian)

Lyaporova E. N. (2008) Obraz sovetskogo gosudarstva v predstavleniyakh russkoy emigratsii v 20-e gody XX veka na primere vzglyadov P. N. Milyukova, A. F. Kerenskogo i I. V. Gessena: avtorefer. diss. ... k-ta ist. nauk [The image of the Soviet state in the ideas of Russian emigration in the 20s of the twentieth century, using the views of P. N. as an example: dis. abstract]. Stavropol’. (In Russian)

Lysenko A. V. (2000) Golos izgnaniya. Stanovleniye gazet russkogo Berlina i ikh evolyutsiya v 1919–1922 gg. [Voice of exile. The formation of newspapers in Russian Berlin and their evolution in 1919–1922]. Moscow: Russkaya kniga Publ. (In Russian)

Lysenko A. V. Rol’ russkoyazychnoy emigrantskoy pressy Berlina v pomoshchi golodayushchim Sovetskoy Rossii [The role of the Russian-language emigrant press of Berlin in helping the starving people of Soviet Russia]. MediаАl'manah 3: 34. (In Russian)

Pipes R. (1980) Struve, liberal on the Right, 1905–1944. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard university press. 

Puchenkov A. S. (2013) Ukraina i Krym v 1918 – nachale 1919 goda. Ocherki politicheskoy istorii [Ukraine and Crimea in 1918 – early 1919. Essays on political history]. St. Petersburg: Nestor-istoriya Publ. (In Russian)

Schlögel K. (1994) Der Große Exodus. Die russische Emigration und ihre Zentren 1917 bis 1941. Germany: C.H. Beck.

Yakovleva T. A. (1995) Politicheskaya istoriya gazet P. B. Struve, P. N. Milyukova, A. F. Kerenskogo v 20–30-e gody: diss. ... kand-ta ist. nauk [Political history of newspapers P. B. Struve, P. N. Milyukova, A. F. Kerensky in the 20– 30s: PhD thesis]. Irkutsk. (In Russian)

To cite this article: Lysenko A. V. (2025) Novaya taktika» v gazete russkoy emigratsii pervoy volny «Golos Rossii» [“New Tactics” in the Newspaper of First-Wave Russian Emigrants “The Voice of Russia”]. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 10. Zhurnalistika 2: 57–79. DOI: 10.55959/msu.vestnik.journ.2.2025.5779