Between Public Opinion and Censorship: The Representation of the 1891-92 Famine in the Press

• In Event: The Communicating Vessels: Press and Public Opinion in Imperial Russia

Abstract

Despite censorship and editorial restrictions, the periodical press in late Imperial Russia increasingly influenced public opinion, challenging the dominance of official discourse. At the same time, writers and journalists also faced growing pressure from public opinion. The dynamic between the state, the press, and the society becomes especially complicated during crisis when communication norms are disrupted. Using the theoretical concept of public sphere, this paper examines the polemics surrounding the 1891-92 famine as an example of such shifting dynamic. Initially, the government prohibited any mention of the famine in print insisting on the phrase “failure of crops.” However, it gradually acknowledged the crisis and even endorsed private charitable initiatives, fostering public hope for future reforms and improved state-society collaboration. In this evolving context, the press played a crucial role in emphasizing both immediate relief efforts and the need to address the underlying causes of the crisis. Yet, strict censorship made it impossible to discuss certain causes of this famine, such as unequal land distribution. As a result, authors often resorted to alarmist language and exaggerated imagery to provoke public debate. Such distorted representation of the famine significantly affected perception of rural life in late Imperial Russia in the decades leading up to the revolution.