UNREALIZED PROJECTS OF ADVERTISING AND REFERENCE PUBLICATION IN TIFLIS(1865-1905)

Key words: Russian Empire, Caucasian Censorship Committee, periodical press The development of the periodical press in the Russian Empire was largely determined by the prudent positions of the government towards journalism. The diversity of opinions and dissent in the public mind were factors to which censorship treated with caution. The authorities were systematically studying the development of advertising and reference publications. The program of such publications mainly included news, reviews, small-format literature, announcements and advertisements. The following arguments served as the reasons for the negative decisions on the publication of advertising and reference newspapers: unreliable program, violation of the procedure for filling a petition, the author of the project was accused of fraud by the court, the publication of newspapers and magazines without prior censorship was allowed exclusively to the metropolitan press, the founder or editor of the publication did not have the proper education. As an argument for the refusal, the factor was also cited that the permission for exclusively advertising publications was given by the chief of police. However, the facts prove exactly the opposite point of view. The study of archival materials reveals the conflicting standards of decision-making of officials of the censorship committee. Their foresight can be explained by the fact that many publishers of advertising newspapers after some time petitioned for an expansion of the publication program, hoping to print socio-political and literary content. Yet often, even from a political point of view, trustworthy publishers of advertising and reference publications were also denied petitions to expand the publication’s program. Thus, it can be stated that advertising and reference newspapers for publishers had a certain transit function for the subsequent expansion of the publication program.