Siberian Lights

Siberian Lights (Сибирские огни) is a Russian literary magazine founded in 1922 in Novosibirsk. It is one of the oldest continuously published 'thick' literary journals in Siberia. Initially issued six times a year, it became a monthly publication in 1958. The magazine was an organ of the Union of Writers of the RSFSR and later of the Union of Writers of Russia. It played a significant role in Soviet literary life, publishing works by many prominent authors, including Viktor Astafyev, Valentin Rasputin, and Vasily Shukshin. During the Great Patriotic War, publication was suspended, but it resumed in 1946. In the 1990s, the journal nearly ceased, but was revived in 1998. Since 2016, it has awarded an annual literary prize and conducts meetings for Siberian authors. The magazine continues to publish contemporary literature and criticism.

Siberian Lights was established in 1922 in Novosibirsk. On 27 December 1921, the Siberian Bureau of the RCP(b), on the proposal of E. M. Yaroslavsky, approved a report from Sibgosizdat on creating a literary magazine. On 13 March 1922, the editorial board was approved, consisting of E. M. Yaroslavsky, F. A. Berezovsky, D. G. Tumarkin, V. P. Pravdukhin, and M. M. Basov. The first issue was published on 21 March 1922. The magazine was modeled after 'Krasnaya Nov' and was ideologically close to the 'Pereval' group. In the 1920s, censorship was relatively mild, and works by 'class enemies' were published. In 1928, after the fall of A. K. Voronsky, the Siberian Regional Committee accused the editorial board of 'Smenovekhovstvo nationalism' and 'oblastnichestvo' and appointed a new board. From 1930, the magazine was an organ of the Siberian Association of Proletarian Writers (SibAPP), and from 1933, of the West Siberian Organizing Committee of the Union of Soviet Writers. During the Great Patriotic War, publication was suspended; instead, almanacs under various names were issued, and three front-line special issues were prepared. In 1946, the magazine resumed its pre-war format. In the 1990s, it nearly ceased, but was revived in 1998. After a conflictual change of editor-in-chief in late December 2013, the magazine was in limbo in the 'Magazine Hall' online project; it was not updated there from January 2014 and was moved to the 'Archive' in late December 2015. From late 2014 to early 2015, with the appointment of M. N. Shchukin as editor-in-chief, major changes occurred. Since 2016, the magazine has awarded an annual literary prize and holds annual meetings of Siberian authors. In 2017, the magazine began paying honoraria to authors.

• 2017

  Honoraria for authors introduced.

• 2016

  Annual literary prize established; meetings of Siberian authors begin.

• 2013

  Conflictual change of editor-in-chief.

• 1998

  Magazine revived after near-closure in the 1990s.

• 1958

  Frequency changes to monthly.

• 1946

  Publication resumes after WWII suspension.

• 1933

  Becomes organ of the West Siberian Organizing Committee of the Union of Soviet Writers.

• 1930

  Becomes organ of the Siberian Association of Proletarian Writers.

• 1928

  Editorial board accused of nationalism; new board appointed.

• 1922

  First issue published on 21 March.

• 1921

  Siberian Bureau of the RCP(b) approves creation of a literary magazine.

A historic 'thick' literary journal of Siberia, publishing prose, poetry, criticism, and publicism.

• Siberian Lights magazine

  Monthly literary journal.

• Annual literary prize

  Awarded since 2016 to best authors published in the magazine.

1. 1Wikidata entrywikidata.org
2. 2Russian Wikipedia articleru.wikipedia.org