Roman Borisovich Goul (1896, Kiev – 1986, New York), was a prose writer, author of memoirs, literary critic, film script writer, publisher, Goul for 20 years was editor-in-chief and later publisher of “Novyi Zhurnal”, the largest journal of Russian emigration.
Goul’s documents arrived as part of the “Novyi Zhurnal” archive. They do not have a direct relation to Goul’s editorial work and for this reason these papers have been compiled into an independent archive so as to avoid the papers’ disappearance within the massive archive of “Novyi Zhurnal” which keeps growing since the journal is still being published.
Goul’s archive consists of materials that are related to his literary, professional and public activity as well as his personal documents reflecting various stages of Goul’s life.
Goul was part of the White movement, served in the Voluntary Army, was taken captive by the followers of Petliura, and in 1919 under the threat of
the Red Army’s invasion was moved to Germany along with many captive
officers. Goul lived in a camp for the displaced where he worked as a logger, wrote a book “Ice Campaign” (with Kornilov), 1921. In 1920 Goul moved to Berlin where he was working for the journals “Novaia Russkaia Kniga” and “Nakanune”; started his literary activity, published books “General Bo” (1929) which in later editions was published under the name “Azef” (Skif, 1931) (in the center of the book is the character of anarchist Bakunin); in the beginning of 1930’s, based on the materials of a unique archive of B. Nikolaevskii on the history of Russian revolutionary movement, Goul wrote a series of works on Soviet military leaders (“Tukhachevskii: Krasnyi Marshal, 1932; “Krasnye Marshaly: Voroshilov, Budennyi, Bliukher, Kotovskii”, 1933). After the national socialists came to power in Germany, Goul was sent to a concentration camp for some time (his time at the camp he described in the book “Oranienburg: chto Ia Videl v Gitlerovskom Kontsentratsionnom Lagere”, 1937).
In 1933 Goul emigrated to France where his works were published in “Poslednie Novosti”, “Sovremennye Zapiski”, “Illiustrirovannaia Rossiia”. In 1933 Goul joined the Union of Russian Writers of France and the Russian Masonic Lodge “Svobodnaia Rossiia” and wrote movie scripts. In 1936 Goul published a book about leaders of the Bolshevic terror “Dzerzhinskii (Menzhinskii, Peters, Latsis, Iagoda)”. The same year in London Goul participated in the production of a movie about the Russian revolution “The Knight without Armour” (director Zh. Feder, starring Marlene Dietrich). Upon his return to France (with the money he received for his work on the movie) Goul bought a farm in the south of France for his brother Sergei, where Goul himself had to move during the German occupation of France (he was a farmer and worked at a glass factory). In 1945 Goul came back to Paris and joined the Russian Masonic Lodge “Jupiter” (the Great Lodge of France); in 1946 he finished an autobiographical novel “Kon’ Ryzhii” (published first in “Novyi Zhurnal”, 1946 – 1947; individual editions – 1952). In 1948 Goul released the journal “Narodnaia Pravda”, established the democratic group “Rossiiskoe Dvizhenie” in order to help compatriots who emigrated during/after the World War II.
In 1950 Goul came to the United States of America, in 1959 he became a member of the editorial board of “Novyi Zhurnal” and an editor of the New York branch of Radio Liberty. In 1960’s – 1980’s Goul’s main books were published and received recognition: two literary critical collections “Odvukon’: Sovetskaia Emigrantskaia Literatura” (1973); “Ovukon’ 2” (1982); three volume work “Ia Unios Rossiiu: Apologiia Emigratsii (published first in “Novyi Zhurnal”, 1978; individual editions: Volume 1: “Rossiia v Germanii”, 1981; Volume 2: “Rossiia vo Frantsii”, 1984; Volume 3: “Rossiia v Amerike”, 1989)
The archive holds Goul’s correspondence – family and business which is not related to his editorial work (editorial correspondence is included in the archive of “Novyi Zhurnal”); published and unpublished manuscripts of his books, film scripts; articles and reviews; collection of newspaper clippings which Goul collected throughout his whole life (collection includes articles on political and cultural life of the Russian emigration, articles on internal and foreign policies of the Soviet Union); family photographs and collection of photographs of Russian revolutionary movement leaders of the end of XIX – beginning of XX centuries; books, journals and reprints; third party materials
(D. Magula, E. Hapgood).