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Appendix 195 “Pesn’ sanintsev,” Golos Moskvy, March 6, 1908, 2 Song of the Saninists We Saninists are the heroes Of suggestive novels And we’re twice, even three times, as shameless As hooligans on the boulevard. Having cast off the yoke of morality We’re immune to reproaches, In a restaurant We sign Kuprin’s name on the check. Just try and demand money from us At the entrance to the hall, We’ll finish off The speaker just like that . . . That’s right! The truth can only Be found in Artsybashev’s novel. For the sake of our education We wander around like a herd. We’re close to art, Our power is the review: Poets without pretensions Are truly unfortunate. 196 Appendix [44.210.237.223] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 12:09 GMT) If we don’t like the sound of A newspaper or a poet: We’ll write our reply like a bomb: A very long feuilleton. We’re children of the yellow press, We’re just as shameless, We’re eternal but different, We’re Saninists! We’re demons! Videant Consules! Appendix 197 “Videant Consules,” Poltavskii golos, April 30, 1908, 3 Videant Consules! As (our) brothers and sisters are drowning in the mire (Our) fathers and mothers are sleeping soundly, And their children in their ignorance regard Rotten and vulgar debauchery as love. People, learning, books are forgotten, The sanctuary is defiled—while conscience is asleep . . . Everything is forgotten—and the hand of the disgraceful “league” Reigns over the merry young people. You keep silent? Hasn’t the mob of priests Of printed vulgarity slain enough victims already? Or are you waiting for a common grave To cover the young sons of the fatherland? When a fire is destroying a house, People rush to extinguish the flames. Here the hope of the fatherland is dying . . . Why isn’t someone coming to help? When a frail boat is sinking at sea, From the shore people hurry to the rescue . . . Why are you taking so long? Or has grief blinded you So that you don’t see your ruin? 198 Appendix [44.210.237.223] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 12:09 GMT) Fewer words, don’t be embarrassed by your weakness, Or else society, the family will perish. Hurry to rescue those perishing, Before the boat has sunk entirely. Evgenii, a gymnasium student Collective Letter to the Editor from a Group of Schoolgirls Vsevolod Azrum, “Vinovaty li ‘ogarki’?” Vestnik vospitaniia 8 (1908): 123–24 Appendix 199 Collective Letter to the Editor from a Group of Schoolgirls Comrades! We, gimnazistki [students of a girls gymnasium], want to share with you a burning issue. Hitherto each one of us has tormented herself with it individually, but now that it has been raised openly inside the gymnasium, we want to bring it out in the open. Comrades! This issue is one of debauchery that is so prevalent among you. By raising this question, we do not want to reproach you. But we do want to share our feelings with you. Tell us, comrades, have you ever thought about the position in which you put your future wives? Why can’t she, pure as she is, demand of a man the same purity ? We call on you to start combating the debauchery among you, to start fighting for a pure attitude toward women. You should not see in her only a female of the species but a comrade. Gimnazistki who flirt with you are doing so unconsciously. Now that our consciousness is awakening, you should also come to join us in order to arouse the consciousness of our female friends among you. We demand of you a conscious attitude toward this issue. Comrades! Unite in the fight against the savage instinct. Perhaps you laugh at an appeal that is so extraordinary for modern “moral” society. But there is also something good in you. You should give our appeal serious consideration. We believe, comrades, that you will join us in this fight. A group of gymnazistki 200 Appendix [44.210.237.223] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 12:09 GMT) Appendix 201 202 Appendix [44.210.237.223] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 12:09 GMT) Kievskaia mysl’, April 28, 1908, 2 Love Leagues in Kiev People have begun talking again about the Darefa society, which was quite well known a few years ago. It wasn’t really a “society.” There existed a circle of womanizers and scoundrels who tried to...