The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-06-01
.USSR PUBLISHING
|. HOUSE IS NOW IN
ELEVENTH YEAR
To Build Huge Plant
for Mass Books

MOSCOW, U,S.S.R. by MaiD -
On May 81 the State Publishing
House of the R.S.F.S.R. (Gosizdat),
which is the largest publishing es-
Enlistment in the world, celebrated
the tenth anniversary of it's exist
ence.
The State Publishing House was
founded by the well known author
and publicist Wazlaw Worowsky,
former Soviet ambassador to Italy,
who was assassinated in Lausanne,
Switzerland, in 1928, by the white
guard Conrad.
At the present time "Gosizdat"
is headed by Artemy Khalatov,
member of the Central Executive
Committee of the U.S.S.R.
Published 500,0O0,000 Copies.
"Gosizdat" is a publishing organ
ization of universal type, control
ling powerful printing establish
ments as we'll as an extensive chain
of book stores all over the country,
exceeding thousand in number.
During its ten years of existence
the State Publishing House has pub
lished about $4,000 books and perio-
ideals involving 500 million copies.
The rate at which it's publishing
activity developed may be guaged
from the following figures: while
in 1890 about 600 books and perio-
ideals were published in 35 million
copies, in 1928 a total of $500 in
dividual publications were issued ag-
gregating in excess of los million
copies.
Thus in nine years the number of
publications went up ninefold and
the number of copies printed in
creased three times.
Ribbon of Books.
In addition to it's own chain of
stores whose turnover constitutes
two-t thirds of the total book business
in the U.S.S.R., "Gosizdat" is con-
nected by general agreements with
the cooperative movement whose
commercial network includes tens of
thousands of establishments.
The "Gosizdat" production for the
past ten years has been most wildly
illustrated at the Cologne exhibition
in the form of an endless ribbon of
books encircling the earth six times.
Book Factory"
The five-year plan of development
provides for the trebling of the
publications to be issued by the
"Gosizdat." 1t is estimated that in
1888 about 300 million copies of
books will be published. This pro-
gram will necessitate a considerable
extension of the "Gosizdat" printing
facilities and it has therefore been
decided to launch the construction of
a huge printing plant, to be known
as the Book Factory" properly
equipped for the production of mass
literature by the million of copies.
During the current year building
operations will be commenced on
"The House of the Book" which will
contain the entire edition, publishing
and business departments of the
"Cosizdat" together with great
storerooms.
In Soviet Russia the book publish
ing industry does not pursue purely
commercial objects. "Gosizdat" IS
primarily an organization for the
promotion of Cultural-political aims.
The making of profit is not an aim
in itself for the "Cosizdat" and it is
allowed only to the extent that it
is necessary for the further develop
ment of publishing and bookselling
fields. "Gosizdat" utilities its finan-
cial and economic consolidation pri-
marily to the end of cheapening the
book for the buyer so as to make
it accessible to the largest number
of people. The price of mass books
in 1928 was reduced by an average
of 10 per cent compared with the
previous year, while this year the
"Gosizdat" has made it its object to
effect further price reduction of at
least 20 per cent.