Proletariatis Brdzola

(Georgian; in Armenian, Proletarian kriv; in Russian, Bor’ba proletariata [Struggle of the Proletariat]), an illegal Bolshevik newspaper, organ of the Caucasian Union of the RSDLP. It was established by a resolution of the First Congress of the Social Democratic Organizations of the Caucasus in March 1903, which merged the illegal Georgian newspaper Brdzola and the illegal Armenian newspaper Proletariat. It was published from April-May 1903 through October 1905.

Initially Proletariatis brdzola was printed in Baku at the Nina underground press, and beginning in September 1904 in Tbilisi at the Avlabar press of the RSDLP. The editorial staff, which included V. S. Bobrovskii, M. N. Davitashvili, F. I. Makharadze, J. V. Stalin, A. G. Tsulukidze, M. G. Tskhakaia, and S. G. Shaumian, maintained communications with V. I. Lenin and the Bolshevik center abroad. To continue the numbering of Brdzola and Proletariat, the first issue of Proletariatis brdzola was published as no. 5–6 in Georgian and as no. 2–3 in Armenian, and the last issue as no. 12 in Georgian and no. 9 in Armenian. The content of the papers in Georgian and Armenian was identical. Beginning with the July-August 1905 issue, the publication also came out in Russian; no. 1 of the Russian publication corresponded to no. 9 of the Georgian publication and to no. 6 of the Armenian publication and so forth. Three issues were published in Russian. The circulation of the Georgian-language newspaper was 1,200–2,500; the Armenian-language issue, 1,000–1,200; and the Russian-language issue, 1,200–1,500. The newspaper reprinted articles by Lenin and materials from the Leninist newspaper Iskra and the Bolshevik newspapers Vpered and Proletarii.

From November 1903 through November 1904 the editorial staff also published “Proletariatis brdzolis” purtseli (Leaflet of the “Struggle of the Proletariat”) in Georgian and “Proletarian kriv” tertik in Armenian and Russian. Since two issues of supplementary leaflets of Brdzola and Proletariat were published in April and May 1903 (Brdzolis purtseli in Georgian and “Proletariat” i tertiknerits in Armenian), the first issue of “Proletariatis brdzolis”purtseli in all three languages was published as no. 3. Twelve issues in all were published; the last was no. 14. The content of the leaflets in all three languages was identical.