Vsiakaia Vsiachina

Russian magazine

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July 15, 2026

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Vsiakaia Vsiachina was a Russian magazine published from 1769 to 1770. Modeled after the British publication The Spectator, it was used by Catherine II to criticize her political opponents. This approach led to the suspension of other periodicals, such as Nikolay Novikov's "Drone" and "Windbag," though his "Painter" was spared by being dedicated to the Empress. The first Russian periodical was a learned journal called "Monthly Works," published by the Academy of Sciences from 1755 to 1764. The first privately published Russian magazine, "Industrious Bee," began in 1759 and featured essays and translations inspired by The Spectator.1

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history of publishing
Continental Europe
Catherine II used her Vsiakaia Vsiachina (1769–70), also modeled on the Spectator, to attack opponents, among them Nikolay Novikov, whose “Drone” (1769–70) and “Windbag” (1770) were suspended and whose “Painter” (1770–72) escaped only by being dedicated to the Empress.
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Catherine II used her Vsiakaia Vsiachina (1769–70), also modeled on the Spectator, to attack opponents, among them Nikolay Novikov, whose “Drone” (1769–70) and “Windbag” (1770) were suspended and whose “Painter” (1770–72) escaped only by being dedicated to the Empress.
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