Vikenty Pashukanis

Who was Vikenty Pashukanis?

Vikenty Vikentyevich Pashukanis was a secretary of the publishing house "Musaget" and a founder of "Pashukanis' Publishing"; after the Russian Revolution he was an organizer of museums.

Vikenty Pashukanis was born in Moscow, Russia. His father was a Lithuanian from Kaunas and worked as a teacher in the gymnasium. Pashukanis graduated from the mathematical department of Moscow University. After graduation he worked as an exciseman. In 1914, Pashukanis became a secretary and a commercial director of "Musaget" - Moscow publishing house of symbolists. After the beginning of World War I Emil Medtner, who was one of the founders and the main owner of "Musaget", could not return from Zurich to Russia. In that time Pashukanis actually controlled the financial activity of "Musaget". In 1915-1917, he negotiated with Alexander Blok, over a series of fourteen letters, the publication of his poems which improved for some time precarious financial situation of "Musaget".

In 1915, Pashukanis proposed a re-organization of "Musaget" to make it more profitable; however, E. Medtner declined his proposal. Then, keeping his work in "Musaget", Pashukanis started his own company: "Pashukanis' Publishing". He mainly published the famous contemporary Russian poets: Igor Severyanin, Konstantin Bal'mont, Andrey Bely, and Victor Gofman. Books produced by "Pashukanis' Publishing" were elegant and of high print quality.