Finding Aid for Sophie Pregel and Vadim Rudnev Collection, 1926-74 | University of Illinois Archives

Title: Sophie Pregel and Vadim Rudnev Collection, 1926-74

ID: 15/35/56

Primary Creator: Pregel, Sophie (1894-1972)

Extent: 1.3 cubic feet

Arrangement: alphabetically, by correspondent

Subjects: Literary Criticism, Novoselye, Poetry, Russian Emigres, Russian Literature, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - Art and Literature

Formats/Genres: Papers

Languages: English

Sophie Pregel (1894-1972), born in Odessa, was a student of theatre in Odessa and St. Petersburg, and followed a career as a poet, writer, translator, organizer, editor and correspondent. She emigrated in 1922 to Paris and later moved to New York, where she published the journal Novoselye (1942-50). She published six collections of poetry in Paris, including: "Razgovor s pamiat'iu," 1935; "Solnechnyi proizvol," 1937; "Polden'," 1939; "Berega," 1953; "Vstrecha," 1958; and "Vesna v Parizhe," 1966. Her lyrics show the influence of Russian Modernist poets and many of her themes revolve around her native land. In her efforts as a publisher, she sought to unite the emigré community of Western Europe and North America to establish ties with the Soviet Union and to acknowledge the heroic struggle of the Russian nation during World War II. Ms. Pregel had the distinction of earning the recognition of both emigré and Soviet literary communities. Novoselye, published in New York and Paris from 1942 to 1950, was a literary journal established by Sophie Pregel. She was assisted by Mark Slonim and other members of the Russian emigré community in the United States. The purpose of the journal was to establish an independent organ devoted to literature and culture that would cross political boundaries, to maintain a continuity by the publication of a literary journal at a time when the center of emigré cultural life in Paris was occupied by the Nazis, to channel the creative potential of Russian Community abroad, to establish links with the homeland and the serve as a source of cultural and historical information on the United States. Over forty issues of the magazine were published with a consistently high level of quality and contributions from such eminent figures as Ivan Bunin, Aleksei Remizov, Nadezhda Teffi and Iurii Terapiano. Ms. Pregel served as a frequent contributor and translator as well as the organizer and editor of the journal, which moved to Paris in 1948.

Repository: University of Illinois Archives

Accruals: 5/14/86; 10/21/86

Access Restrictions: Access to the materials requires agreement to a conditions of use form; please contact the Archives to request a copy of the form. Researchers may view only one folder at time. The contents of each folder must be verfied by a staff member before and after use.

Finding Aid Revision History: rev. J. Gauchman/W. Maher, 1/15/2007

Other Note: 17 Pages

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/uasfa/1535056.pdf

PDF finding aid for Sophie Pregel and Vadim Rudnev Collection (15/35/56)