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Pravda

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Pravda is a famous Russian newspaper with a very long history. Its name means "truth" in Russian. For many years, it served as the official voice for the leaders of the Soviet Union. At its peak, it was a huge publication with 11 million readers.

First Issue of PRAVDA
First Issue of PRAVDA

Because it was the main government paper, people used it to learn about new laws. It was a way for the government to share its official ideas with everyone. Even people in other countries watched it to see how the Soviet Union was changing.

The paper has gone through many different stages to stay alive. It started in 1903 as a journal about art and social life. Later, it became a political newspaper for the Bolshevik party.

Prawda.16.3.1917
Prawda.16.3.1917

During World War I, the police closed the paper down. To keep publishing, it had to change its name eight different times. Some of these names included "Worker's Truth" and "Northern Truth." Eventually, it moved to Moscow in 1918 and became the main tool for the ruling party.

Delegates at the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)
Delegates at the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)

Many important people helped shape the newspaper over the years. A wealthy engineer named V.A. Kozhevnikov founded the very first version in Moscow. Later, the leader Vladimir Lenin decided to make it the official party organ in 1912.

RIAN archive 669616 Wartime city life - Moscow in October - December 1941
RIAN archive 669616 Wartime city life - Moscow in October - December 1941

Leon Trotsky also helped edit the paper in 1908. Another leader, Nikolai Bukharin, became an editor after the 1917 Revolution. He stayed in that role until 1929 when he had a dispute with Joseph Stalin.

There are many interesting facts about how the paper worked. The very first issue in 1912 cost only two kopecks. It had four pages and included poems and news about workers.

RIAN archive 708414 Front pages of Pravda newspaper issues
RIAN archive 708414 Front pages of Pravda newspaper issues

In the past, many groups were required to subscribe to it. The name Pravda was even used for a city called Pravdinsk.

Правда 18.11.1940
Правда 18.11.1940

This city had a paper mill that made newsprint for the newspaper. Even streets and farms were named after the paper.

Today, the name Pravda belongs to two different groups. After the Soviet Union ended, the paper was sold to a Greek family in 1992. This led to a split in 1996 between the owners and the journalists.

ПРАВДАобращениесталина
ПРАВДАобращениесталина

Now, one Pravda is run by a political party. The other is a private website called Pravda.ru. This online version is available in many languages like English and French. It shows how one old name can live on in two very different ways.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:First Issue of PRAVDA.jpg
First Issue of PRAVDA.jpg
File:Prawda.16.3.1917.png
Prawda.16.3.1917.png
File:Delegates at the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks).jpg
Delegates at the 17th Congress of the...
File:RIAN archive 669616 Wartime city life - Moscow in October - December 1941.jpg
RIAN archive 669616 Wartime city life -...
File:RIAN archive 708414 Front pages of Pravda newspaper issues.jpg
RIAN archive 708414 Front pages of Pravda...
File:Правда 18.11.1940.png
Правда 18.11.1940.png
File:ПРАВДАобращениесталина.jpg
ПРАВДАобращениесталина.jpg
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