Rabochii

Rabochii 

(The Worker). (1) The first Russian Social Democratic newspaper, published in 1885 in St. Petersburg by the Party of Russian Social Democrats. Two issues appeared, and the circulation varied from 200 to 300 copies. Rabochii was founded by D. Blagoev; the staff members were N. Borodin, A. A. Gerasimov, P. A. Latyshev, and V. G. Kharitonov. The second issue printed G. V. Plekhanov’s article “Tasks of Russian Workers Today.” The newspaper was distributed in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa, Kiev, Kharkov, Kazan, Samara, and elsewhere. The newspaper’s printing press was destroyed when Blagoev was arrested.

REFERENCE

Russkaia periodicheskaia pechat’ (1702–1894): Spravochnik. Moscow, 1959.
(2) An illegal newspaper of the Central Committee of the RSDLP, published in Moscow according to a decree of the Third Congress of the party from early August through Oct. 25 (Nov. 7), 1905; four issues appeared. The second issue was published twice, in August and September, with different texts. Rabochii was printed in a clandestine printing shop of the Central Committee of the RSDLP located on Lesnaia Street. The circulation reached 8,000 copies. The editorial board included A. A. Bogdanov and V. L. Shantser (Marat). The September edition of the second issue printed V. I. Lenin’s address “From the Editorial Board of the Central Organ of the RSDLP.” All four issues printed M. Gorky’s articles “Letters to Workers,” under the pseudonym Tretii.

REFERENCES

Lenin, V. I. Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 47.
Bol’shevistskaia pechat’: Sb. materialov, fasc. 2. Moscow, 1960.