The State Publishing House had its origins in Imperial Russia as the Royal Print Yard of St. Petersburg. In 1917, the Soviets nationalized the print yard and requisitioned its presses. From requisitioning emerged the Publishing House of the Petrograd Soviet that was formed in the winter of 1917 by the Literary and Publishing Department of People's Commissariat for Education. In 1919, the State Publishing House in St. Petersburg changed its name to Petrogosizdat (Petrograd State Publishing) and in 1924, ...