Abstract

The sharpened attention of Russian society to the World War that broke out in 1914 prompted teachers, scholars and public figures to organize lectures and to explain the causes and nature of the war, its course and consequences. Educational and public organisations, self-government bodies, primarily the Moscow Society of People’s Universities, district and city authorities, were particularly active. When the war began, the procedure of coordinating lectures did not radically change, since the Moscow province was not subject to full military censorship. Nevertheless, the provincial and city governors had the authority to prohibit any lecture, and the wartime circumstances provided a good excuse for it. In the second half of 1914, all lectures of Moscow Society of People’s Universities about the war were banned without explanation. From 1915 onwards, the government’s approach became more flexible: against the background of the protracted war, pro-war propaganda had to be intensified, and lectures could be useful in this regard. In addition, during the first year of the war many lecturers had managed to “prove themselves” by staying within the boundaries of a stipulated program and not touching upon issues of domestic politics. Finally, lectures were oft en permitted, because they were part of charity events. However, the practice of bans and suspicion of the authorities towards civic organisations and public figures continued amidst the loosening of certain restraints. When deciding on public lectures on military subjects, the Moscow authorities took into account the weighty opinion of the military censorship. The approval process could be protracted and end with a controversial decision. Quite often a lecture that was allowed in one place was banned in another. On the whole, the number of lectures and public readings about the war did not match the demands of the population, and the empty information space was filled with negative rumours, which became one of the most important factors in the 1917 revolution.