krokodil

{{Short description|Soviet and Russian satirical magazine (1922–2008)}}

{{Infobox magazine

| title = Крокодил

| image_file = Cover of Krokodil magazine No 1 by I Malyutin.jpg

| image_caption = The Unexpected Appendix. The cover of the first issue of Krokodil by Ivan Malyutin.

| publisher = Rabochaya Gazeta, Pravda

| category = Satire and humour

| total_circulation =

| frequency = 3 issues per month

| language = Russian

| editor =

| editor_title =

| based = Moscow

| founded = 1922

| firstdate = 27 August 1922

| finaldate = 2008

| country = Soviet Union
Russia

| website =

| issn = 0130-2671

}}Krokodil ({{lang-rus|Крокодил|p=krəkɐˈdʲil|a= Ru-крокодил.ogg}}, {{literally|crocodile}}) was a satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union and later Russia. The first issue was published on 27 August 1922 "20 Kopecks Buys You Satire Soviet Style", by Dan Fisher, Los Angeles Times, July 31, 1977, p.I-12 ("As it approaches its 55th birthday Aug. 27, the magazine Krokodil is, indeed, among the Soviet Union's most popular publications.") as the satirical supplement to the Workers' Gazette (called simply «Приложения» [Supplement]).[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/07/archives/behind-the-smile-on-krokodil.html Behind The Smile On Krokodil], June 7, 1964, The New York Times{{cite web| first1 =James | last1 = Adams|title=15 Incredible Soviet Era Magazine Covers|url= http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/15-incredible-soviet-era-magazine-covers/|publisher=Cartridge Save |accessdate=27 July 2015}} When it became a separate publication, the name Crocodile was chosen at an editorial meeting from among a list of suggested animal names.Boris Efimov, [https://www.e-reading.club/bookreader.php/1031487/Efimov_-_Desyat_desyatiletiy.html Десять десятилетий], ch. 6: "Тогда пошли в ход всевозможные жалящие и кусающие представители животного мира: оса, еж, шмель, ерш, ястреб, волкодав, скорпион и даже… крокодил." At that time, many satirical magazines existed, such as Zanoza and Prozhektor. Nearly all of them eventually disappeared.

History

Krokodil was founded in 1922, first as a supplement to Rabochaya Gazeta ('Workers' Newspaper'), and was published once a week. Although political satire was dangerous during much of the Soviet period,{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}} Krokodil was given considerable license to lampoon political figures and events. Typical and safe topics for lampooning in the Soviet era were the lack of initiative and imagination promoted by the style of an average Soviet middle-bureaucrat

and the problems produced by drinking on the job by Soviet workers. Krokodil also ridiculed capitalist countries and attacked various political, ethnic and religious groups that allegedly opposed the Soviet system.

Many notable persons contributed to the magazine, including Vladimir Mayakovsky, Mikhail Zoshchenko, Kukriniksy, and Yuliy Ganf.

Similar magazines existed in all the Union republics, and in several ASSRs and in other states of the Soviet bloc, e.g. Starshel ("Wasp") in Bulgaria, Eulenspiegel in East Germany, Urzica ("The Nettle") in Romania, Dikobraz ("Porcupine") in Czechoslovakia, and Szpilki ("Pins") in Poland.

File:1924-HVZ-Mag2.png

Among the vocal compositions of Dmitri Shostakovich, who is known for his satirical character, there are 5 Romances on texts from Krokodil Magazine (1965), taken from the section of the magazine where were published real-life nonsense texts.

class="wikitable sortable" !Republic !Title !Translation
Ukrainian SSR	Перець	Pepper
Belarusian SSR	Вожык	Hedgehog
Uzbek SSR	Муштум	Fist
Kazakh SSR	Ара	Bumblebee
Georgian SSR	ნიანგი	Crocodile
Azerbaijani SSR	Кирпи	Hedgehog
Lithuanian SSR	Šluota	Broom
Moldavian SSR	Кипэруш	Pepper
Latvian SSR	Dadzis	Bur
Kyrgyz SSR	Чалкан	Nettle
Tajik SSR	Хорпуштак	Hedgehog
Armenian SSR	Ոզնի	Hedgehog
Turkmen SSR	Токмак	Mallet
Estonian SSR	Pikker	Pikker
Bashkir ASSR	Хэнэк	Pitchfork
Chuvash ASSR	Капкан	Trap
Komi ASSR	Чушканзі	Wasp
Mari ASSR	Пачемыш	Wasp
Tatar ASSR	Чаян	Scorpion
Udmurt ASSR	Шӧкыч	Hornet

Reinstatement

After the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union the magazine was discontinued (2000). It was reinstated in 2005 in Russia, issued monthly, headquartered in Moscow, and with editor-in-chief Sergei Mostovshchikov. The reinstated version, deliberately printed on old Soviet-style paper, ceased publication in 2008.

Editors-in-chief

File:The Editorial Staff of Krokodil by P Belyanin 1929.jpg

Konstantin Eremeev (1922–23)
Nikolay Smirnov (1924–27)
Konstantin Maltsev (1927–28)
Felix Kohn (1928–30)
Nikolay Ivanov-Gramen (1928–30)
{{ill|Mikhail Manuilsky|ru|Мануильский, Михаил Захарович}} (1930–34)
Mikhail Koltsov (1934–38)
Yakov Rovinsky (1938–41)
Lazar Lagin (1938–41)
Grigory Ryklin (1941–48)
Dmitry Belyaev (1948–53)
Sergei Shvetsov (1953–58)
Manuil Semyonov (1958–75)
Evgeny Dubrovin (1975–85)
Alexey Pyanov (1986–2000)
Emil Bondarenko (since 2017)

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline|Krokodil}}
[https://croco.uno/ Archive 1922-2008] at croco.uno
[http://journal-club.ru/?q=image/tid/72 Archive 1935-1991] at journal-club.ru
[http://propagandahistory.ru/743/Istoriya-zhurnala-Krokodil/ Krokodil] at propagandahistory.ru
[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krokodil-Soviet-magazine Krokodil] at britannica.com

Category:1922 establishments in Russia

Category:2006 disestablishments in Russia

Category:Magazines established in 1922

Category:Magazines disestablished in 2008

Category:Magazines published in Moscow

Category:Satirical magazines published in Russia

Category:Russian humour

Category:Magazines published in the Soviet Union

Category:Defunct Russian-language magazines