Print Media as Socio-imagological Tools: German World of V. A. Zhukovsky's “Herald of Europe”

Abstract

The article presents the results of the research aimed at examining the "German text" in "Herald of Europe" of post-Karamzin period when the face of the first Russian thick magazine devoted to European culture, literature and politics was to the large extent determined by the translations chosen by its editor V. A. Zhukovsky. This famous Russian poet deliberately selected German periodicals to cover social and political issues in "Herald of Europe". In German periodicals he also used to find sources of apolitical articles on literature and culture. Due to V.A. Zhukovsky's work the Russian reader got acquainted with both popular European writers of that time and the authors of the second rank. A separate unit of publications translated from German originals and published in "Herald of Europe" was associated with the ancient Russian history. Therefore "Herald of Europe", with V.A. Zhukovsky as the editor-in-chief in the period mentioned, concentrated the ideals of European Enlightenment and became the area to enhance the Russian romantic style.