Literatura I Marksizm

(Literature and Marxism), a journal of the theory and history of literature, published in Moscow from 1928 to 1931. It was the organ of the Institute of Language and Literature under RANION (the Russian Association of Scientific Research Institutes in the Social Sciences) and the Institute of the Red Professors.

Literatura i marksizm published articles on the methodology of literary theory and criticism and history, and also on linguistics. Surveys of foreign literary theory and criticism were also published. The managing editors of the journal were V. M. Friche (1928–30) and V. Lebedev-Polianskii (1930–31). In late 1929 the methodology of the journal, which had mainly expressed the vulgar-sociølogist views of V. M. Friche, V. F. Pereverzev, and their disciples, came under criticism during debates at the Communist Academy. Beginning in 1930, the journal’s operation was associated with GAIS (the State Academy for Art Studies) and was characterized by a notable departure from vulgar sociologism. However, the journal’s association with the study of contemporary literature was weak.