The media policy of A. I. Kulabukhov towards publishing projects of the Kuban Cossack Circle (Union): A socio-political perspective

This article examines the censorship practices of Alexei Ivanovich Kulabukhov, a member of the Kuban Military Government responsible for civil affairs, concerning the publishing projects of the Kuban Cossack Circle (Union) during the Civil War in Kuban (late 1918 – early 1919). The primary objective of the study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact of Kulabukhov’s administrative decisions on the evolution of the Kuban Cossack Circle’s (Union’s) periodicals (Kuban, Kubanets, Slovo Kubantsa, Golos Kubantsa), identifying the socio-political determinants of his actions and assessing the consequences of this policy for the entire Kuban press system of the period. To achieve this goal, the study addresses several key tasks: identifying the historical and typological characteristics of the Circle’s (Union’s) publishing projects, reconstructing their editorial strategies, political and ideological focus, and analyzing the mechanisms and methods of Kulabukhov’s control over the Kuban information space. The research employs historical-typological analysis, comparative study, an d content analysis of the newspapers in question. The analysis of the publications that provoked Kulabukhov’s intervention – including materials related to internal disagreements within the Regional Council (Kraevaya Rada) and editorial polemics – reveals that his censorship practices were harsh, subjective, and often arbitrary. They were driven by the desire to politically consolidate anti-Bolshevik forces, prevent internal destabilization, and strengthen the authority of the Kuban government, ultimately leading to the systematic shutdown of the studied publications. The article highlights the tragic paradox of the efforts to reinforce counterrevolutionary authority by suppressing the freedom of speech, even among political allies. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of power dynamics and the press during the Civil War in southern Russia, while also refining the historical portrait of Alexei Ivanovich Kulabukhov – one of the key figures in the Kuban Military Government.