Guide books (entry)

Categories / Press. Mass Media/Periodical Press/Reference Guides
GUIDE BOOKS, reference publications, containing information on the city geography, history, arts etc., aimed both at tourists and Petersburgers. In the 18th century there emerged foreign publications similar to guidebooks: in 1713 an anonymous Description of St. Petersburg and Kronschlott in 1710-1711 was published in Leipzig (translated into Russian in 1882). In 1718 E. Liebtal's Description ...of the Capital City, St. Petersburg appeared in Frankfurt-upon-Mein and Leipzig. Guidebooks compiled by C. Weber came out in 1721 and 1729. In 1779 A. I. Bogdanov's History, geography and topographic description of St. Petersburg from its origin in the year of 1703 until 1751 was published. I. G. Georgi's Description of the Russian Imperial capital city, St. Petersburg and sightseeing in its vicinities appeared in 1794, and in 1816-28 P. P. Svinyin published his Sightseeing of St. Petersburg and its vicinities. In 1820 F. Schroeder produced an Up-to-date Guide Book of St. Petersburg with Historical References. I. I. Pushkarev's Guide to St. Petersburg and its vicinities was released in 1843. The alphabetic principle was employed in A. N. Grech's reference guide All St. Petersburg in a Pocket (1851), and V. O. Mikhnevich's All Petersburg in your Hand (1874) provided comprehensive city statistical data. Supplements to A. P. Chervyakov's St. Petersburg Guide, published in 1865 contain academic curricula and six city plans. Guide books of the second half of the 19th century, such as R. S. Popov's edition of St. Petersburg Guide. Description of St. Petersburg and its vicinities (1886), and F. V. Dombrovsky's Comprehensive Guide of St. Petersburg and its Vicinities (1896), include recommendations and information for visitors. D. N. Loman's Sightseeing of St. Petersburg (1898) provides an introduction to the city and tour itineraries, and the Guide of St. Petersburg, compiled by students of St. Petersburg Primary People's Training Schools (1903), is designed as an educational excursion. In 1913 V. Y. Kurbatov published his Petersburg: A Historical Sketch and Review of the Artistic Treasures of the Capital, laying particular emphasis on the architecture of old St. Petersburg, whereas G. K. Lukomsky in the guide book Old Petersburg. Walks through old quarters (1917) draws the readers' attention to buildings of a minor architectural value. In 1918 P. N. Stolpyansky published Petersburg: The story of the origins, foundation and development of St. Petersburg, and later in 1927 - a guide book for study tours Sankt-Piter-Burkh, today Leningrad, which consisted of 16 sketches. Guidebooks compiled in the 1920-30s had as a rule a collective authorship and contained predominantly information on the contemporary economics, politics and cultural activities in the city. A Guide of Leningrad (1926 and 1929) provided information on city institutions, organisations, enterprises and economic health. In 1931 one of the best pre-war time city guidebooks Leningrad: City guide:. History, Economy, Walks through the City, Museums, Directory (second edition - volumes 1-2, 1933) was published. The guidebook A Guide of Leningrad (1934) was supplemented by a new city plan and the edition of 1940 - by a plan of Leningrad with city transport itineraries. The Guide of Leningrad, published in 1957 under a collective editorship of L. N. Belova, P. Y. Kann, V. V. Mavrodin, А. V. Predtechensky et al. included Leningrad history, geography, architecture and monumental sculptural overview, city and suburbs itineraries and reference material. During the 1960-90s numerous thematic and universal guidebook publications were produced, with V. A. Vityazeva and B. M. Kirikov's Leningrad: City guide (1986) earning a note among the most recent ones.

References: Лисаевич И. И. С книгой по городу: Из истории путеводителей // ЛП. 1983. № 9. С. 34-36; Давыдов А. Ю. О путеводителях как источнике по истории культурной жизни Ленинграда // Вспомогательные исторические дисциплины. СПб., 1993. Вып. 24. С. 126-137; Острой О. С. С чего начиналась петербургиана: Описание путеводителей по городу с момента их возникновения до середины XIX столетия // Невский архив: Ист.-краевед. сб. СПб., 1997. [Вып.] 3. С. 481-491.

M. G. Khugayeva. Belova Lyudmila Nikolaevna
Bogdanov Andrey Ivanovich
Chervyakov А.P.
Dombrovsky F.V.
Georgi I.G. (see Georgi I.I.)
Grech Alexey Nikolaevich
Kann Pavel Yakovlevich
Kirikov Boris Mikhailovich
Kurbatov Vladimir Yakovlevich
Loman D.N.
Mavrodin Vladimir Vasilievich
Mikhnevich Vladimir Osipovich
Popov R.S.
Predtechensky Anatoly Vasilievich
Pushkarev Ivan Ilyich
Schroder Fedor Andreevich
Stolpyansky Peter Nikolaevich
Svinyin Pavel Petrovich
Vityazeva Vera Alexandrovna
Weber Friedrich Christian
Лисаевич И. И. С книгой по городу: Из истории путеводителей // Ленингр. панорама, 1983
Давыдов А. Ю. О путеводителях как источнике по истории культурной жизни Ленинграда // Вспомогательные исторические дисциплины. СПб., 1993
Острой О. С. С чего начиналась петербургиана: Описание путеводителей по городу с момента их возникновения до середины XIX столетия // Невский архив: Ист.-краевед. сб. СПб., 1997 1779