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The full-color magazine Budilnik was published originally in Saint Petersburg (in 1865-1871), then in Moscow (in 1873-1917); Strekoza – in St. Petersburg (in 1875-1908 and in 1915-1918). According to the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary “Budilnik is (alongside Iskra) the best humorous journal using humor to deal with serious subjects, mocking disorders, and by no means indulging rough and greasy instincts of the crowd”; Strekoza <...> is one of the best modern satirical journals".
These journals will be of interest to contemporary readers for their high-quality illustrations and caricatures drawn by professional artists. These illustrations boldly portray the life and customs of their time with acute social and political satire, providing an opportunity to learn more about the economic and political situation in Russia of the last third of the XIX century and to compare how it has changed over time.
One of the writers who have made their debut in print in Strekoza was Anton P. Chekhov. In 1883, the journal published his story Once a Year. The writer's collaboration with the journal ended in 1884. In the early 1880s, Chekhov’s stories also appeared in Budilnik (under pseudonyms A. Chekhonte, Brother of my brother).