This article will discuss one of the oldest editions ever created by humanity. The Almanac is a literary centenarian who has withstood many changes over its many years of history, but has not lost its relevance and relevance.
Definition
The Almanac is a serial publication, continuing from issue to issue, a collection having literary, artistic or popular science themes. This term goes back to the Arabic "almana", which means "time, measure." In the 14th and 15th centuries, almanacs were calendar tables with the addition of astronomical ones.
This type of print publication differs from the journal in the absence of regular periodicity - the almanac usually comes out either once a year, or does not have any specific release dates. It contains information about various social activities: information on literary innovations, scientific achievements, legislative changes, and so on. Thus, in terms of its subject matter, the almanac approaches the type of calendars-directories.
Almanac in the ancient world
Almanacs appeared a very long time ago. Even the ancient Romans distributed handwritten collections indicating the dates of religious holidays. The Egyptians used stone tablets that contained information about the movement of the planets. In Denmark and Norway in ancient times, wooden copper plates were produced, on which various memorable dates were indicated. In antiquity, an almanac - this was primarily a reference book of a calendar and astrological nature.
Almanac in Europe
In Europe, the first printed almanac appeared in Vienna in 1457. Even illiterate people could use it, since weather and astronomical phenomena were depicted using various symbols in it. The almanac contained information about planetary motion, dates of full moons, forecasts of droughts, fires and famines. In 1474, a similar collection was published in Hungary, in Latin and German. Since the 16th century, the custom to produce various almanacs in Europe has become firmly established. In addition to basic information, this publication included information about the mint, the movement of mail, courtrooms, markets and fairs. In order to attract the demand and interest of the higher nobility, the almanac began to publish a list of clergy, a genealogy of roots, and so on. Such collections were called court or royal. They are published first in France, then in Saxony and Prussia, and later in England. Gradually, in addition to background information, poems, anecdotes, and short stories began to be included in the almanac. After the advent of printed calendars, these collections acquired the character of periodicals. Economic, genealogical, religious, diplomatic almanacs appeared.
Literary Almanac
Over time, this type of print has become more interesting and informative. Currently, the almanac is a magazine containing various kinds of useful information, most of which has current interest. Collections are produced, created by the type of encyclopedia, in which relevant information is published every year. Such almanacs are sometimes called annuals. The most famous reference book of this type is the Almanac of Old Moore, founded in 1970 by Moore Francis. However, the most popular, first in Western Europe, and then in other countries, began to use literary and artistic almanacs. They appeared in the mid-18th century in France. One of the first to be produced in Paris (1746-1833) was L'Almanach des Muses. In Germany, the almanac Musenalmanach, published in Gottingen in 1770-1807, was distributed. “Musen-Almanach” appeared later, in which F. Schiller published his unpublished poems (1796-1800).
Almanac in Russia
The first almanac published in Russia is the collection of Anodes by N. M. Karamzin, created at the end of the 18th century in imitation of Western publications. In the 1920s and 1830s, more than twenty almanacs appeared in Russia. A. S. Pushkin called "almanashnikov" a special type of publisher. At different times, friends and enemies of the great poet published a number of literary collections. The Polar Star almanac (3 books, 1823-1825) was published by K. F. Ryleev and A. A. Bestuzhev with the participation of such famous authors as V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Griboedov, F. V. Bulgarin, I.A. Krylov, A.S. Pushkin, P.A. Vyazemsky, F.N. Glinka, V.K. Kyukhelbekker, E.A. Baratynsky. The collection of Mnemosyne (1824-1825) has survived four editions, it was produced by V.K. Kyukhelbekker and V.F. Odoevsky. The Northern Flowers almanac was published from 1824 to 1831 under the direction of O. M. Somov and A. A. Delvig. Many years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Symbolists began to publish a literary collection of the same name. Updated "Northern Flowers" withstood five editions - in 1901-1904 and 1911.
Modern Almanac
Nowadays, the almanac is a collection interesting to a wide range of readers. It can have any subject interesting to readers. Writers seek to publish their works in arbitrarily created factions. An example is the legendary literary almanac Metropol, released in a circulation of only 12 copies in 1979 in Moscow using the Samizdat method. Bella Akhmadulina, Evgeny Rein, Andrey Voznesensky, Vladimir Vysotsky, Yuri Kublanovsky, Heinrich Sapgir, Yuz Aleshkovsky, Yuri Kurabchievsky and other authors not allowed in the official press took part in the release of this uncensored collection. Disobedient writers were persecuted in the USSR, one of the copies of Metropol was exported to the United States and distributed there in a reprint way, and Vasily Aksyonov outlined this story in his novel Say Raisins.
Almanac "Islam in the modern world" is dedicated to the religious and socio-political problems of Muslim countries, is issued in electronic form and on paper. The authors of this publication discuss the situation of Islamic civilization from a political, economic and geographical point of view.
The best almanacs of Russia
"Hunting open spaces" - an almanac of literary and artistic content, founded back in 1950. Over the long history, he has withstood many incidents, ups and downs and is now one of the oldest hunting publications in Russia. Among its authors are famous scientists and politicians, poets and writers, directors and actors, as well as people of various specialties. “Hunting open spaces” is a long-livers with historical and literary value.
In modern times, almanacs appeared not only in the form of printed collections, but also on television screens. For example, “Around the World” almanac is a television show that the USSR Radio and Television has released as an appendix to the Travelers Club program. Kinoalmanah was broadcast on air from 1988 to 1990 and contained interesting information about martial arts, travels, nature and art. The transfer was very popular.
Conclusion
Thus, the almanac is a form of publication, which at all times remains in demand and relevant. You can express your opinion on various issues, publish your literary creation or entertaining information that is interesting for a certain circle of readers in this collection. Now almanacs are issued in a variety of formats: print, electronic and television.