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Krokodil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Krokodil (Russian: "Крокодил", "crocodile") was a satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1922. At that time, a large number of satirical magazines existed, such as Zanoza and Prozhektor. Nearly all of them eventually disappeared.
Although independent political satire was dangerous during much of the Soviet period, Krokodil was given considerable license to lampoon political figures and events. Typical and safe topics for lampooning in the Soviet era (see citation below for many actual cartoons with translations) were the lack of initiative and imagination promoted by the style of an average Soviet middle-bureaucrat, and the problems produced by drinking on the job by Soviet workers.
Many notable persons contributed to it, incliding Vladimir Mayakovsky, Kukriniksy, and Yuliy Ganf.
Similar magazines existed in individual Soviet republics, e.g., Perets'/Перець ("pepper) in the Ukrainian SSR, Vozhyk/Вожык ("hedgehog") in the Belarussian SSR, and Šluota ("broom") in the Lithuanian SSR; and in other states of the Soviet bloc, e.g. Urzică ("The Nettle") in Romania.
Among the operas of Dmitri Shostakovich, known for his satirical character, there are 5 Romances on texts from Krokodil Magazine (1965), which is a satire of Soviet satire.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the magazine was discontinued. It was reinstated in 2005 in Russia, issued weekly, headquartered in Moscow, and with editor-in-chief Sergei Mostovshchikov. It is deliberately printed on old Soviet-style paper.
[1] This site contains a selection of classic Soviet era cartoons, most of them from Krokodil.