Karogs Explained

Category:Literary magazine
Frequency:Monthly
Publisher:Soviet Latvian Writers’ Union
Founded:1940
Firstdate:September 1940
Finaldate:2010
Country:Latvia
Based:Riga
Language:Latvian

Karogs ("Flag") was a monthly literary magazine which was published in Latvia in the period between 1940 and 2010. Published by the Soviet Latvian Writers’ Union during the Communist period it was a semi-official publication.[1]

History and profile

Karogs was launched as a monthly publication in 1940 just after the occupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union.[2] The first issue appeared in September 1940.[3] Its publisher was the Soviet Latvian Writers’ Union.[1] The magazine not only featured articles on literature, but also on art, and socio-politics.[2] However, during the first five years it focused only on literature and was the sole literary publication in Soviet Latvia.[3] From its start in 1940 to the late 1980s it was the supporter of the Communist regime featuring the Soviet literary work.[2] The magazine strictly followed the slogan of the Communist Party: "Art has only one goal: the building of Communism."[4]

The first discussions on the Buddhist religious and philosophical ideas in Latvia were featured in Karogs in 1971.[5] It was also the first Latvian literary magazine which published the work by Latvian writer Ādolfs Erss in 1986.[6] Karogs folded in 2010.[3]

Editors and contributors

The founding editor-in-chief of Karogs was Andrejs Upīts, and full list of its editors-in-chief is as follows:[2]

Under the editorship of Andrejs Upīts the editorial board members included Vilis Lācis, Jūlijs Lācis, Arvīds Grigulis, Jānis Niedre, and Žanis Spure were the major contributors of Karogs.[3]

In the 1960s Gunars Freimanis published several poems on environmental issues in the magazine.[7] In its fiftieth anniversary issue dated September 1990 the magazine featured work by Rimants Ziedonis, Guntis Berelis, and Inguna Bekere and also, work by three American and one Russian writers.[8]

Legacy

The State Archive of Latvia archived the issues of Karogs.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Alfreds Straumanis. Folklorist embellishments in Soviet Latvian drama. Journal of Baltic Studies. 2–3 . Summer–Fall 1975. 6. 161. 10.1080/01629777500000161.
  2. Book: Eva Eglāja-Kristsone. Aušra Jurgutienė. Dalia Satkauskytė. The Literary Field under Communist Rule. 2019. Academic Studies Press. Boston, MA. 9781618119780. 201–202. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781618119780-013. Reading Literary History through the Archives: The Case of the Latvian Literary Journal Karogs. 10.1515/9781618119780-013 . 213663806 .
  3. Žans Badins. Collapse of Latvian National Identity and Construction of Soviet Latvian Identity: Literary Journal "Soviet Latvia" (1940-1941). Forum for World Literature Studies. September 2020. 12. 3.
  4. Heronims Tichovskis. Latvian Fiction 1964. Books Abroad. Spring 1965. 39. 2. 161–163. 10.2307/40119569. 40119569.
  5. Solveiga Krūmiņa-Koņkova. Between the Allowed and Forbidden – Eastern Spiritual Movements in Latvia (1960–1980). 2021 . Reliģiski-filozofiski raksti. 3. 282. 10.22364/rfr.29.
  6. Jana Dreimane. Officially Non-existent: Storage and Use of Banned Literature in the Soviet Latvia in the 1970s–1980s. 10.15388/Knygotyra.68.10719. free. Knygotyra. 2017. 68. 155.
  7. News: Erik Lettlander . Soviets crack down on dissent in Latvia. 14 September 2022. The Christian Science Monitor. 31 August 1983.
  8. Juris Silenieks. Decolonization and Renewal of Latvian Letters. World Literature Today. Spring 1991. 65. 2. 224 . 10.2307/40147105. 40147105.

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