In Search of Lost Unity: Creating and the First Period of Publication of the Magazine Problems of Peace and Socialism in Prague (1958—1964)

The article, based on archival documents, examines the process of creating a common printing press for the world communist movement — the magazine “Problems of Peace and Socialism”, and the first stage of the work of the magazine’s editorial office in Prague, covering the period from 1958 to 1964. Already at the stage of developing the journal project, discussions arose among its potential participants about the feasibility of such a body. As the authors show, according to the documents of The Central Committee of the CPSU, there was no expressed interest of the top Soviet leadership in creating such an information environment, with the exception of numerous initiatives of the head of the International Department of The Central Committee of the CPSU B. N. Ponomarev. Also, the leaders of a number of influential parties in Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland and China were generally skeptical about the idea of a common magazine for the communist camp. Less influential parties, on the contrary, spoke positively, because belonging to the camp of communists and socialists increased their importance and, to some extent, provided authority in internal affairs. The first period of the magazine’s work showed that the absence of a strict editorial policy, which would be directed from Moscow, among the editorial member parties gave rise to discussions that did not always end in the development of a consensus opinion. The work of the magazine was also affected by the political situation, a clear confirmation of which was the crisis in Soviet-Chinese relations and, as a consequence, the withdrawal of China from its editorial staff. At the grassroots level, in the initial period, there was also a contradiction between the goals and objectives of the magazine and their implementation by the editorial staff. Relative freedom of thought, supported by editor-in-chief A. M. Rumyantsev, led to the formation of “revisionist ideas” among employees who, after their stay in Prague, returned to the Soviet Union, held posts in departments of The Central Committee of the CPSU and scientific institutes, but at the same time stood in hidden opposition to the existing system.

Keywords

“Problems of peace and socialism”, communist movement, Eurocommunism, Global South, Czechoslovakia, A. M. Rumyantsev

Received

20.12.2023

Publication date

15.06.2024

Number of characters

71925

Cite

GOST	Pivovarov N., Sak K. In Search of Lost Unity: Creating and the First Period of Publication of the Magazine “Problems of Peace and Socialism” in Prague (1958—1964) // ISTORIYA – 2024. – V. 15. – Issue 4 (138) [Electronic resource]. URL: https://history.jes.su/S207987840031114-4-1 (circulation date: 23.07.2024). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840031114-4
MLA	Pivovarov, Nikita, Sak, Kseniya "In Search of Lost Unity: Creating and the First Period of Publication of the Magazine “Problems of Peace and Socialism” in Prague (1958—1964)." ISTORIYA 15.4 (138) (2024) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840031114-4
APA	Pivovarov N., Sak K. (2024). In Search of Lost Unity: Creating and the First Period of Publication of the Magazine “Problems of Peace and Socialism” in Prague (1958—1964). ISTORIYA 15(4 (138)) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840031114-4

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