The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917

Standard

The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917–1918. / de Lazari, A.; Riabov, O. V. ; Zakowska, M.

In: Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Iskusstvovedenie, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2019, p. 325-345.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Author

de Lazari, A. ; Riabov, O. V. ; Zakowska, M. / The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917–1918. In: Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Iskusstvovedenie. 2019 ; Vol. 9, No. 2. pp. 325-345.

BibTeX

@article{5f55345c467b4875b2d67df5846127f1,

title = "The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917–1918",

abstract = "Using an analysis of satirical journals published in Russia, Germany, Great Britain, and Poland in 1917–1918, this paper explores how caricaturists employed the metaphor of the bear to represent revolutionary events in Russia. The first part of the paper characterizes historical and intellectual contexts for the use of the image of the Russian bear in Western and Russian cultures. Then, the authors discuss how European caricaturists exploited this image to shape perceptions of the Russian revolution. The final part of the article focuses on employing the bear metaphor in Russian satirical journals. The authors point out that the use of the bear was a part of struggle for interpreting Russia{\textquoteright}s revolutionary events, and this struggle was carried out in no small part in caricatures. It contributed to shaping representations of delegitimating power, domestic political struggle in Russia, substantiation of national character in the revolution, and its influence on Russia{\textquoteright}s participation in the Great War and on the independence of Poland. The polysemy of the bear symbol provided the possibility to exploit it both for support of the revolution and its criticism. Representations of the revolution through the prism of the bear metaphor varied by political orientation of journals, the country represented, and political dynamics during the period under consideration. There was one commonality: this metaphor was used to symbolize Russianness in both positive and negative meanings.",

keywords = "Русский медведь, карикатура, сатирические журналы, метафора, образ России, Октябрьская революция, Февральская революция, The “Russian bear”, Political symbols, caricature, Satirical magazines, metaphor, the February Revolution of 1917, The October Revolution of 1917, The image of Russia",

author = "{de Lazari}, A. and Riabov, {O. V.} and M. Zakowska",

note = "Lazari, Andrzej, de, Oleg Riabov, and Magdalena Zakowska.“The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917–1918”. Vestnik of Saint Pe-tersburg University. Arts 9, no. 2 (2019): 325–345. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu15.2019.206",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.21638/spbu15.2019.206",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "325--345",

journal = " ВЕСТНИК САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГСКОГО УНИВЕРСИТЕТА. ИСКУССТВОВЕДЕНИЕ",

issn = "2221-3007",

publisher = "Издательство Санкт-Петербургского университета",

number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917–1918

AU - de Lazari, A.

AU - Riabov, O. V.

AU - Zakowska, M.

N1 - Lazari, Andrzej, de, Oleg Riabov, and Magdalena Zakowska.“The Russian Bear and the Revolution: The Bear Metaphor for Russia in Political Caricatures of 1917–1918”. Vestnik of Saint Pe-tersburg University. Arts 9, no. 2 (2019): 325–345. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu15.2019.206

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Using an analysis of satirical journals published in Russia, Germany, Great Britain, and Poland in 1917–1918, this paper explores how caricaturists employed the metaphor of the bear to represent revolutionary events in Russia. The first part of the paper characterizes historical and intellectual contexts for the use of the image of the Russian bear in Western and Russian cultures. Then, the authors discuss how European caricaturists exploited this image to shape perceptions of the Russian revolution. The final part of the article focuses on employing the bear metaphor in Russian satirical journals. The authors point out that the use of the bear was a part of struggle for interpreting Russia’s revolutionary events, and this struggle was carried out in no small part in caricatures. It contributed to shaping representations of delegitimating power, domestic political struggle in Russia, substantiation of national character in the revolution, and its influence on Russia’s participation in the Great War and on the independence of Poland. The polysemy of the bear symbol provided the possibility to exploit it both for support of the revolution and its criticism. Representations of the revolution through the prism of the bear metaphor varied by political orientation of journals, the country represented, and political dynamics during the period under consideration. There was one commonality: this metaphor was used to symbolize Russianness in both positive and negative meanings.

AB - Using an analysis of satirical journals published in Russia, Germany, Great Britain, and Poland in 1917–1918, this paper explores how caricaturists employed the metaphor of the bear to represent revolutionary events in Russia. The first part of the paper characterizes historical and intellectual contexts for the use of the image of the Russian bear in Western and Russian cultures. Then, the authors discuss how European caricaturists exploited this image to shape perceptions of the Russian revolution. The final part of the article focuses on employing the bear metaphor in Russian satirical journals. The authors point out that the use of the bear was a part of struggle for interpreting Russia’s revolutionary events, and this struggle was carried out in no small part in caricatures. It contributed to shaping representations of delegitimating power, domestic political struggle in Russia, substantiation of national character in the revolution, and its influence on Russia’s participation in the Great War and on the independence of Poland. The polysemy of the bear symbol provided the possibility to exploit it both for support of the revolution and its criticism. Representations of the revolution through the prism of the bear metaphor varied by political orientation of journals, the country represented, and political dynamics during the period under consideration. There was one commonality: this metaphor was used to symbolize Russianness in both positive and negative meanings.

KW - Русский медведь

KW - карикатура

KW - сатирические журналы

KW - метафора

KW - образ России

KW - Октябрьская революция

KW - Февральская революция

KW - The “Russian bear”

KW - Political symbols

KW - caricature

KW - Satirical magazines

KW - metaphor

KW - the February Revolution of 1917

KW - The October Revolution of 1917

KW - The image of Russia

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069174298&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.21638/spbu15.2019.206

DO - 10.21638/spbu15.2019.206

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85069174298

VL - 9

SP - 325

EP - 345

JO - ВЕСТНИК САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГСКОГО УНИВЕРСИТЕТА. ИСКУССТВОВЕДЕНИЕ

JF - ВЕСТНИК САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГСКОГО УНИВЕРСИТЕТА. ИСКУССТВОВЕДЕНИЕ

SN - 2221-3007

IS - 2

ER -

ID: 42692646