TheGreat Soviet Encyclopedia (GSE;Russian:Больша́я сове́тская энциклопе́дия, БСЭ,romanized: Bolshaya sovetskaya entsiklopediya,BSE) is one of the largest Russian-languageencyclopedias,[1] published in theSoviet Union from 1926 to 1990. After 2002, the encyclopedia's data was partially included into the laterGreat Russian Encyclopedia in an updated and revised form. The GSE claimed to be "the first Marxist–Leninist general-purpose encyclopedia".[2]
The first edition of theGreat Soviet Encyclopedia, from 1927
There were three editions. The first edition of 65 volumes (65,000 entries, plus a supplementary volume about theSoviet Union) was published during 1926–1947, with the release of the initial volume being announced by the Soviet government on March 23, 1926, with a projection of all 30 volumes to be available within six years.[3] The chief editor wasOtto Schmidt (until 1941). The second edition of 50 volumes (100,000 entries, plus a supplementary volume) was published in 1950–1958; chief editors:Sergei Vavilov (until 1951) andBoris Vvedensky (until 1969); two index volumes to this edition were published in 1960. The third edition of 1969–1978 contains 30 volumes (100,000 entries, plus an index volume issued in 1981). Volume 24 is in two books, one being a full-sized book about the USSR, all with about 21 million words,[4] and the chief editor beingAlexander Prokhorov (since 1969). In the third edition, much attention was paid to the philosophical problems of natural sciences, physical and chemical sciences, and mathematical methods in various branches of knowledge.[5]
From 1957 to 1990, theYearbook of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia was released annually with up-to-date articles about the Soviet Union and all countries of the world.
The first online edition, an exact replica of text and graphics of the third (so-called Red) edition, was published by Rubricon.com in 2000.
The foreword to the first volume of the GSE (2nd ed.) proclaims "The Soviet Union has become the center of the civilized world."[8] TheGSE, along with all other books and other media and communications with the public, was directed toward the "furtherance of the aims of the party and the state."[8] The 1949 decree issued for the production of the second edition of the GSE directed:
The second edition of theGreat Soviet Encyclopediashould elucidate widely the world-historical victories of socialism in our country, which have been attained in the U.S.S.R. in the provinces of economics, science, culture, and art. ... With exhaustive completeness it must show the superiority of socialist culture over the culture of the capitalist world. Operating onMarxist-Leninist theory, the encyclopedia should give a party criticism of contemporary bourgeois tendencies in various provinces of science and technics.[8]
To develop in children's minds the Communist morality, ideology, and Soviet patriotism; to inspire unshakable love toward the Soviet fatherland, the Communist party, and its leaders; to propagate Bolshevik vigilance; to put an emphasis on internationalist education; to strengthen Bolshevik willpower and character, as well as courage, capacity for resisting adversity and conquering obstacles; to develop self-discipline; and to encourage physical and aesthetic culture.[8]
The third edition of theGSE subsequently expanded on the role of education:
Education is essential to preparing for life and work. It is the basic means by which people come to know and acquire culture, and it is the foundation of culture's development...The Soviet education rests on the principles of the unity of education and communist upbringing; cooperation among the school, the family, and the society in bringing up young people; and the linkage of education and training to life and the practical experience of building communism. The underlying principles of the Soviet system of public education include a scientific approach to and continual improvement of education on the basis of the latest achievements in science, technology and culture; a humanistic and highly moral orientation in education and upbringing; and co-education of both sexes, secular education which excludes the influence of religion.[10]
Based on his extensive talks with the editors of theGSE, to whom he was granted unprecedented access,William Benton, publisher of theEncyclopædia Britannica, wrote the following in observation of theGSE's chief editor B. A. Vvedensky stating their compliance with the 1949 decree of the Council of Ministers:
It is just this simple for the Soviet board of editors. They are working under a government directive that orders them to orient their encyclopedia as sharply as a political tract. The encyclopedia was thus planned to provide the intellectual underpinning for the Soviet world offensive in the duel for men's minds. The Soviet government ordered it as a fighting propaganda weapon. And the government attaches such importance to itspolitical role that its board of editors is chosen by and is responsible only to the high Council of Ministers itself.[8]
Complete set of an English-language version of theGreat Soviet Encyclopedia
The third edition was translated and published into English in 31 volumes between 1974 and 1983 byMacmillan Publishers. Each volume was translated separately, requiring use of theindex (volume 31) to locate specific items.
The third edition was translated into Greek and published in 34 volumes between 1977 and 1983 from Akadimos publishing company (owned byGiannis Giannikos), which has also translated various Soviet encyclopedias and literature. All articles that were related toGreece or Greek history, culture and society were expanded and hundreds of new ones were written especially for the Greek edition. Thus the encyclopedia contains, for example, both the Russian entry on Greece as well as a much larger one prepared by Greek contributors. Each article written especially in the Greek edition is marked with the note "Greek version supplement" (or "Συμπλήρωμα ελληνικής έκδοσης" as written in the Greek translation).
Finally, a supplementary volume covering the 1980s was published in 1989. It contains translated and original Greek articles which, sometimes, do not exist in the 34-volume set. The articles of the Greek version are being gradually digitised now; the digitised volumes can be found on "vivlio2ebook" blog, which is dedicated on digitising various books in Greek language. It is written on Modern (Demotic) Greek, but it uses the polytonic alphabet.
TheSoviet Encyclopedia is a systematic summary of knowledge in social and economic studies with an emphasis on applied sciences.[11] It became a universal reference work for the Soviet intelligentsia.[12] According to the publisher's foreword in the English-language translation of the encyclopedia, the encyclopedia is important for knowledge and understanding of the USSR. A major value of theEncyclopedia is its comprehensive information about the Soviet Union and its peoples. Every aspect of Soviet life is systematically presented, including history, economics, science, art, and culture. The ethnic diversity of USSR's peoples and its languages and cultures are extensively covered. There are biographies of prominent cultural and scientific figures who are not as well known outside of Russia. There are detailed surveys of USSR's provinces and towns, as well as their geology, geography, flora and fauna.[12]
The encyclopedia's Chief Editorial Board and advisory board sought input from the general public. The entry list was sent to universities, scientific institutions, museums, and private specialists in every field. More than 50,000 suggestions were received and many additions were made.[13] Scholars believe that theEncyclopedia is a valuable and useful source for Russian history.[14] TheEncyclopedia, though noted as having a strong Marxist bias, provides useful information for understanding the Soviet point of view.[15][16]
Following the arrest and execution ofLavrentiy Beria, the head of theNKVD, in 1953 theEncyclopedia—ostensibly in response to overwhelming public demand—mailed subscribers to the second edition a letter from the editor[17] instructing them to cut out and destroy the three-page article on Beria and paste in its place enclosed replacement pages expanding the adjacent articles onF. W. Bergholz (an 18th-century courtier), theBering Sea, andBishop Berkeley.[18][19] By April 1954, the Library of the University of California, Berkeley had received this “replacement.”[20] This was not the only case of political influence. According to one author,Encyclopedia subscribers received missives to replace articles in the fashion of the Beria article frequently.[21] Other articles, especially biographical articles on political leaders, changed significantly to reflect the currentparty line. An article affected in such a fashion was the one onNikolai Bukharin, whose descriptions went through several evolutions.[22]
Publication of theGreat Soviet Encyclopedia was suspended in 1990 and halted in 1991, but in 2002 it was reinstituted by decree ofVladimir Putin. In 2003 and 2004 a team of editors overhauled the old encyclopedia by updating facts, removing most examples of overt political bias, and changing its name to theGreat Russian Encyclopedia. Many outdated articles were entirely rewritten. In 2004 the first volume of the newly overhauledGreat Russian Encyclopedia was published. The complete edition of 36 volumes was released by 2017.[23]
Publication of theGreat Russian Encyclopedia is overseen by theRussian Academy of Sciences, and funded by theGovernment of the Russian Federation. The encyclopedia is now found in libraries and schools throughout theCIS.[24] Additionally, the 1980s editions remain in widespread use, particularly as references in scientific and mathematical research.
^The 3rd edition contains more than 95,000 articles, and nearly 35,000 illustrations and maps. Compare with over 120,000 articles in the RussianBrockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890–1907) and with 100,000 in the 15th edition ofBritannica
^abcdeFrom extensive discussions with the editors of the second edition of theGSE, editor-in-chief Vvendensky. Benton, W.This Is The Challenge. Associated College Presses. 1959
^John T. Jost, Aaron C.,Social and Psychological Bases of Ideology and System Justification, Oxford University Press US, 2009,ISBN0-19-532091-3,Google Print, p.465
Great Soviet Encyclopedia, ed. A. M. Prokhorov (New York: Macmillan, London: Collier Macmillan, 1974–1983) 31 volumes, three volumes of indexes. Translation of third Russian edition ofBol'shaya sovetskaya entsiklopediya
Kister, Kenneth.Kister's Best Encyclopedias. 2nd ed. (1994)
