''Strekoza'' (russian: Стрекоза, lit='Dragonfly') was a Russian weekly magazine of humour and satire established in Saint Petersburg in 1875 by the publisher German Kornfeld. Its original editor-in-chief was Nikolai Bogdanov who left in 1879 to be succeeded by Ippolit Vasilevsky (1879-1905). In its heyday its circulation peaked at 9 thousand.Стрекоза
at the Brief Russian Encyclopedia // Фундаментальная электронная энциклопедия. Краткая литературная энциклопедия Initially seen by many as a successor to the leading Russian satirical magazine '' Iskra'' which had been closed in 1873, ''Strekoza'' attracted many authors, associated with its radical predecessor, including

Pyotr Bykov Pyotr Vasilyevich Bykov (Пётр Васильевич Быков, 1 November 1844, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian Empire, – 22 October 1930, Detskoye Selo, Leningrad, USSR) was a Russian literary historian, editor, poet and translator. A Univers ...

Gavriil Zhulev Gavriil Nikolayevich Zhulev (russian: Гаврии́л Никола́евич Жулёв, 5 July 1836, Spasskoye, Bronnitsky Uyezd, Moscow Governorate, — 12 July 1878, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire) was a Russian satirical poet, dramatist an ...

Nikolai Leykin Nikolai Alexandrovich Leykin (russian: Никола́й Алекса́ндрович Ле́йкин; December 19, 1841 – January 19, 1906) was a Russian writer, artist, playwright, journalist and publisher. Biography Leykin was born in Saint ...

, Aleksey Pleshcheyev, Pyotr Sergeyenko and

Liodor Palmin Liodor (Iliodor) Ivanovich Palmin (russian: Лиодо́р (Илиодор) Ива́нович Па́льмин; May 27 (15), 1841 in Yaroslavskaya gubernia, Russian Empire – November 7 (October 26), 1891 in Moscow, Russian Empire) was a Rus ...

. Still, the political climate in Russia by this time had changed, and the magazine adopted a centrist, liberal stance, choosing not to conflict with authorities, even if Vasilevsky, its most active contributor, rarely missed an opportunity to fence with his conservative opponents, notably Mikhail Katkov and Prince Meshchersky. Among the authors whose work occasionally appeared in ''Strekoza'', were Nikolai Leskov, Yakov Polonsky,

Dmitry Grigorovich Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich (russian: Дми́трий Васи́льевич Григоро́вич) ( – ) was a Russian writer, best known for his first two novels, '' The Village'' and '' Anton Goremyka'', and lauded as the first author ...

and Viktor Bilibin. It was in ''Strekoza'' that in 1879 (No. 51 issue)

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

debuted with a piece called "The Mayor's Archeological Report" (Археологический рапорт городничего), followed in March 1880 (No.10 issue) by "The Don Landowner's Stepan Vladimirovich's Letter to His Learned Neighbor Dr. Friedrich" (better known under its shortened title "A Letter to a Learned Neighbor"). In all, ten Chekhov's stories appeared here in 1880, then two more in 1883-1884. In 1908 ''Strekoza'' folded. It was re-launched in 1915 by the publisher Isaak Bogelman, and lasted until 1918.

References

{{Reflist Defunct magazines published in Russia Magazines established in 1875 Magazines disestablished in 1908 Russian political satire Russian-language magazines Satirical magazines published in Russia Weekly magazines published in Russia