Svistok

(Whistle), the satirical section of the journal Sovremennik (The Contemporary) that appeared only nine times between 1859 and 1863. “Svistok” was begun by N. A. Dobroliubov, who was the major contributor. It also included contributions by N. A. Nekrasov, N. G. Chernyshevskii, and M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin and parodies by Koz’ma Prutkov. In accordance with the literary and political views of Sovremennik, it denounced obscurantists and advocates of serfdom, ridiculed “progressive” liberals, and attacked “pure art.” The parody in verse and the literary feuilleton were the predominant satirical genres of “Svistok.”