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| Description | Journal 5 contains:
The magazine includes satirical descriptions and illustration of the French, British, German and Russian nationalities focusing on their peculiarities and stereotypes. The illustrations represent a caricature of a man from each country alongside some of the country's stereotypes. All the poems and illustration are drawn and written by Nicholas Hans.
Introduction: Nicholas Hans wrote this journal after his internment in the emigration camp of Harif-Bei. He makes a comparison between emigrations camps for exiles and imprisonment in Siberia. He beseeches the government not to forget about the exiles. He expresses the hope that the young generation will get through the hard life of being an exile and realise it will be better than being in Siberia.
National Caricatures Parodies:
French: The French satire mainly refers to the general traits of the French nationality: such as their frivolity and national pride. The illustration drawn by Hans himself, portrays a French man in uniform smoking a cigarette with a glass of wine in front of him and three women in the background.
English: Regarding the British people, Hans underlines their pride for the parliament and the royalty as well as for the London West End- a clear reference to the series of palaces, expensive town houses, fashionable shops and places of entertainment present in the area- vitality of the city and capital of the empire. Hans points out the British's imperial power and progress. In this illustration Hans clearly drew inspiration for the portrayal of an English man from Arthur Conan Doyle's description of Sherlock Holmes. The man is depicted with a deerstalker, a pipe and a glass of water. Within the pipe's smoke Hans drew a little navy fleet.
German: Hans transcribes a quote from Bismarck "We are not afraid of anybody except God" connected to the strong patriotic feeling of the Germans and their loyalty to the Emperor Wilhelm II.
Hans mocks their love for their own food (Hausbrot, Compotes and Soups) and beer. In this instance Hans drew a German man (likely from Bavaria or Tyrol) with a typical hat with feathers smoking a cigar, with in front of him a beer stein. Behind the man a row of hanging hams and sausages.
Russian: Hans concludes this magazine with a caricature of its own people. The Russians ideals are vodka, bribes and gendarmes.
A strict and orderly regime is what characterises Russia as a military country.
The illustration reflects this idea by depicting an inebriated, red-nosed gendarme drinking vodka.
Note: These magazines have been translated and described by one of our volunteers.
The information given is the opinion of the author/s of the magazine and we have tried to capture the spirit of the publications as much as possible.
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