Krokodil

"Krokodil" (Russian: "Крокодил", "crocodile") was a satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1922. At that time, a large number of satirical magazines existed, such as "Zanoza" and "Prozhektor". Nearly all of them eventually disappeared.

Although political satire was dangerous during much of the Soviet period, "Krokodil" was given considerable license to lampoon political figures and events. Typical and safe topics for lampooning in the Soviet era [ [http://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu/pubadmin/russianposters/Sov_era.html A selection of classic Soviet era cartoons, most of them from "Krokodil"] ] 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. For example, at the time of the Doctors' plot it published a number of anti-semitic articles and cartoons.

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

Similar magazines existed in individual Soviet republics, e.g., "Perets'" (Перець, "pepper") in the Ukrainian SSR, "Vozhyk" (Вожык, "hedgehog") in the Byelorussian SSR, Mushtum (Муштум, "fist") in the Uzbek SSR, "Šluota" ("broom") in the Lithuanian SSR, and Chalkan (Чалкан, "nettle") in the Kyrgyz SSR; and in other states of the Soviet bloc, e.g. "Urzică" ("The Nettle") in Romania.

Among the vocal compositions of Dmitri Shostakovich, who is known for his satirical character, there are "5 Romances on texts from Krokodil Magazine" (1965), which is a satire of Soviet satire.

Reinstatement

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the magazine was discontinued. It was reinstated in 2005 in Russia, issued weekly, headquartered in Moscow, and with editor-in-chief Sergei Mostovshchikov. The reinstated version is deliberately printed on old Soviet-style paper.

References