July 13, 1857
On July 1st, according to the old style, The Bell was published in London. The first Russian revolutionary newspaper, published by Herzen and Ogarev. This émigré media outlet, which had a huge influence on the Russian audience, existed for 10 years.
Voice in the wilderness
One was heard in a foreign land <…>
Not because of fear
He would be hiding from execution;
Because there is language here
I'm used to freethinking (N. Ogarev. Preface to "The Bell")
The émigré Herzen conceived the idea of opening a printing house abroad to publish works banned in Russia as early as 1849. The Free Russian Printing House was founded in 1853. An almanac began publication in 1855. "Polar Star"After two years, the format of a thick journal with the frequency of a yearbook became outdated.
Polar Star is published too infrequently; we don't have the resources to publish it more frequently. Meanwhile, events in Russia are moving quickly; they need to be caught on the fly and discussed immediately.
The publishers promised to release the "Additional Leaflet" to Polar Star once a month. The direction also stated the same:
To be on the side of will - against violence, on the side of reason - against prejudices, on the side of science - against fanaticism, on the side of developing peoples - against backward governments
The motto became Schiller's "Vivos voco!" from "The Song of the Bell" - "I call the living!"
Kolokol's popularity grew rapidly. By 1858, the newspaper was being published twice a month. Circulations reached 5000 copies The circulation figures were comparable to those of legal Russian newspapers. Despite the fact that Kolokol was banned in Russia, it regularly reached its audience. Alexander II, to whom open letters were periodically published, quipped:
Tell Herzen not to scold me, otherwise I won't subscribe to his newspaper.
Kolokol published critical articles and poems, as well as insider information such as documents on the preparations for the peasant reform. However, after five years of publication, Kolokol's popularity declined. On July 1, 1867, Ogarev bid farewell to his readers with the poem "Goodbye!"
The Bell falls silent for a while,
It's still an old rumor in Russia
Deaf to free truth again
