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Izvestia

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Izvestia is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Russia.

Izvestia-frontpage
Izvestia-frontpage

The name is derived from the Russian verb "izveshchat," which means to inform or notify. In Russian, the word "izvestiya" can mean "the news," "tidings," or even a "herald." A herald is an official messenger who brings news to others. Today, the publication describes itself as a "national newspaper" of Russia.

Izvestia logo old
Izvestia logo old

During the Soviet period, the newspaper served a very specific political role. It acted as the organ of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. This meant it was used to disseminate official state propaganda. While another paper called Pravda served as the mouthpiece for the Communist Party, Izvestia expressed the official views of the Soviet government. It published the views released by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The paper also focused heavily on covering foreign relations.

The history of the publication began in February 1917. Since its founding, the newspaper has undergone many name changes. In its earliest months, it was known as the Izvestiya of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. As the government changed, so did the titles. For much of the early 20th century, it carried very long, descriptive names. These names often included many different groups, such as peasants, workers, soldiers, and Cossack deputies. By 1938, it was named the Izvestia of the Soviets of Deputies of the Workers of the USSR. It changed names again in 1977 before finally becoming simply "Izvestia" in 1991.

Ownership of the newspaper has shifted several times through different eras of Russian history. For a time, it was owned by a large holding company belonging to Vladimir Potanin. This company had close ties to the government. On June 3, 2005, the state-owned company Gazprom purchased a controlling stake in the paper. This stake was included in the Gazprom Media holding. In 2008, Gazprom Media sold the newspaper to the National Media Group.

Moscow IzvestiaBuilding 0623
Moscow IzvestiaBuilding 0623

The newspaper has also been home to notable figures and specific cultural connections. Boris Yefimov served as the chief artist for many years until his death on October 1, 2008. Yefimov was a centenarian illustrator who had previously worked as a political cartoonist for Joseph Stalin. The newspaper also had a connection to sports. Between 1969 and 1996, an ice hockey tournament called the Izvestia Trophy was named after the paper. Additionally, Izvestia published a weekend supplement called Nedelya.

There have been difficult moments regarding the paper's editorial independence and content. In 2005, the editor-in-chief, Raf Shakirov, resigned from his position. The Committee to Protect Journalists alleged that he was forced to resign. This happened because government officials were unhappy with how the paper covered the Beslan school hostage crisis. Some reports suggested the owner requested his departure due to fears that the Kremlin would be upset by explicit photographs of the massacre published in the paper. More recently, in May 2024, the European Union placed the newspaper on its sanctions list. The European Union accused the publication of spreading propaganda.

Data regarding the reach of the newspaper shows changes in its circulation over time. In 2005, the circulation of Izvestia was recorded at 240,967 copies. By 2007, the circulation was certified by TNS Gallup Media to be 371,000 copies. These numbers reflect the scale of the publication as a national news source. The paper's long history connects it to major political shifts, from the Russian Empire and the February Revolution to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the modern Russian state.

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File:Izvestia-frontpage.jpg
Izvestia-frontpage.jpg
File:Izvestia logo old.png
Izvestia logo old.png
File:Moscow IzvestiaBuilding 0623.jpg
Moscow IzvestiaBuilding 0623.jpg
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