The Posrednik publishing house and the publication of new children’s books and textbooks to educate children in Tolstoian cultural values (1884–1907) / Izdatel'stvo "Posrednik" i izdanie novych detskich knig u uchebnikov dlja oznakomlenija detej s totstovskimi kul'turnymi cennostjami (1884–1907)

The Posrednik publishing house, founded by the famous writer Lev Tolstoy in 1884, was the basis of the new phenomenon of cultural and literary transfer in teaching that took place between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Thanks to this publisher, who was one of the main drivers of the pedagogical renewal, the circulation of educational models in Russia produced a movement for “free education” that was also crucial in creating a new culture of education before and after 1917. This article presents a study of this publishing activity and analyzes the most significant school and children’s books produced at this time. The first and second sections outline the publisher’s activity and the role of the philosopher and writer Ivan Gorbunov-Posadov, a follower of Tolstoian pedagogy, in the publication of a series of books and journals. The third section is an analysis of the primers and manuals published under Gorbunov-Posadov’s editorial staff, in collaboration with other authors, for the Posrednik publishing house: the content of which was imbued with the Tolstoian values of brotherhood, peace and non-violence. This section focuses on books dedicated to zoology, which filled an important gap in the curriculum of the Tsarist school system.