18세기 말~19세기 전반 러시아의 수입도서 검열과 서적상

Abstract

This article examines the Imperial Russian government’s control over foreign books and book importers from the reign of Catherine II to Nicholas I. Under the absolute monarch system, the censorship of imported foreign books could vary in the level of intensity depending on the tendencies of the king as a supreme ruler. However, we should consider within a temporal range discussed in this article, it must converge with the fundamental purpose as it pertains to the ‘protection of state and system.’ The procedures and methods of censorship of imported books during this period were maintained within a basic framework such as the inspection of books during customs procedures, the review of the contents to decide the matter of domestic distribution, and the supervision of subjects for distribution by book dealers and bookstores, all of which was done in one form or another except during the early reign of Alexander I.<BR> Even though the absolute monarch pursued a complete blockade of external thoughts through censorship, it was an impossible goal in reality. It was not possible to perfectly inspect all the foreign books flowing into Russia and to accurately distinguish their contents with limited censorship manpower. It was also difficult to fully control the commercial activities of book dealers by using governmental authority. It was unavoidable to have limitations in the censorship legislation and censors’ activities, and the effects of calling attention, warning, and creating fear through punishment were no more than temporary risks in the face of the Russian book dealers’ desire for profit. Eventually, the distribution of censored books depended on each individual book dealer’s will and choices. The autocratic government was just expected to minimize the book dealers’ illegal acts with a mechanism of censorship.