Question

12 января 1853 г. французский цензор дал заключение относительно постановки в Париже комедии Н.В. Гоголя "Ревизор":"...мы не считаем возможным разрешить постановку этой комедии в её настоящим виде". 15 апреля 1854 г. тот же цензор после исправления сценария указал в донесении: " мы считаем возможным разрешить представление этой пьесы под... названием: "Русские в из собственном изображении". Какие обяснения могли представить французские цензоры при запрещении постановки комедии Н.В. Гоголя "ревизор"? Почему только под таким названием была разрешина постановка?

Answer 1

Во Франции действовал гражданский кодекс,принятый ещё при Наполеоне,по которому провозглашалась тайна переписки,почтовых отправлений и пр. показ такой сцены мог вызвать сомнения в правильности гражданского кодекса и спровоцировать такое же поведение префектов или других должностных лиц во Франции

Answer 2

Explanation of French Censorship of Gogol's "The Government Inspector"

On January 12, 1853, the French censor gave an opinion regarding the staging of Nikolai Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector" in Paris, stating, "...we do not consider it possible to allow the staging of this comedy in its present form" This initial decision indicates that the French censor found the content or form of the play objectionable in some way.

On April 15, 1854, the same censor, after the script had been revised, indicated in a report: "We consider it possible to allow the performance of this play under the title: 'Russians in Their Own Image'" This suggests that the play was eventually permitted to be staged, but only under a different title and likely with significant modifications.

Possible Explanations for the French Censorship of Gogol's "The Government Inspector"

The French censors may have objected to the original staging of Gogol's "The Government Inspector" due to its content, themes, or portrayal of certain characters. The decision to disallow the play in its original form could have been influenced by concerns about its potential impact on the audience or its depiction of Russian society.

The requirement to change the title to "Russians in Their Own Image" before allowing the performance suggests that the French censors may have been more accepting of the play under a title that presented it in a different light. This indicates that the censorship decision was not solely based on the content of the play but also on how it was presented to the audience.

Conclusion

The French censorship of Gogol's "The Government Inspector" appears to have been influenced by concerns about the play's content or presentation. The decision to allow the performance under a different title suggests that the French censors may have been more amenable to the play when it was framed in a particular way.