REVIVAL OF THE NEWSPAPER “KHYPAR” AFTER THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION OF 1917

Abstract

The article discusses the prerequisites for the recommencement of publishing the Chuvash newspaper “Khypar”. The events after the February Revolution of 1917 are accompanied by the beginning of unifying the forces of the Chuvash intelligentsia. The leading role in this process was played by a privat-docent at Kazan University, N.V. Nikolsky – the founder of the first Chuvash newspaper “Khypar”. The aspirations of the Chuvash intelligentsia to revive the national periodicals were implemented only after the February Revolution of 1917. The founder of “Khypar” was the Society of Indigenous Ethnic groups of the Volga region, created by the founder, publisher and the first editor of the newspaper N.V. Nikolsky and his like-minded people who represented the peoples of the Volga region and the Urals. The editorial active core again involved the socialist revolutionaries. Material and financial support for the periodical was provided by hundreds and hundreds of homelanders, as well as by Kazan provincial and uyezd zemstvos. “Khypar”, published in the period from 1917 to 1918, quite matches the characteristics of a democratic newspaper, since it adhered to various points of view and it was financed with people’s money. Until its closure by the left Socialists in February 1918, the newspaper was the ideological and informational mouthpiece of the Chuvash national movement. Its pages covered in detail the work of the All-Chuvash congresses and other socially significant events. The activity of N.V. Nikolsky in the zemstvo government gave new impulses to the development of the revived newspaper and the national movement of the Chuvash. Attention was also paid to the work of the Society (Union) of Indigenous Ethnic groups of the Volga region. Public activity of N.V. Nikolsky, inspired by the ideas of the revolution, was reflected in his work as the head of the zemstvo government of the multinational province, where there were regions that occupied a significant place in the world civilization. Until July 20, 1918 N.V. Nikolsky was the head of Kazan province and had broad powers.