''Izvestia'' ( rus, Известия, p=ɪzˈvʲesʲtʲɪjə, "The News") is a daily broadsheet newspaper in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. Founded in 1917, it was a newspaper of record in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

until Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, and describes itself now as a "national newspaper" of Russia. The word ''wikt:известие#Russian, izvestiya'' in Russian means "bring news" or "tidings", "herald" (an official messenger bringing news), derived from the verb ''izveshchat'' ("to inform", "to notify").

Origin

The newspaper began as the ''News of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers Deputies'' on in Petrograd. Initially, the paper expressed Menshevik and Socialist-Revolutionary Party views. In August 1917, it took the title ''News of the Central Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies''. By October 1917 it became ''News of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets of Working and Military Deputies'', and was eventually re-titled ''News of the Soviets of People's Deputies''. After the Second All-Union Congress of Soviets, ''Izvestia'' became an official newspaper of the Soviet government (Central Executive Committee of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union and Sovnarkom).

History

1917–1991

During the Soviet period, while ''Pravda'' served as the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Communist Party, ''Izvestia'' expressed the official views of the Soviet government as published by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The full name was ''Izvestiya Sovetov Narodnykh Deputatov SSSR'' (in Russian, ''Известия Советов народных депутатов СССР'', the ''Reports of Soviets of Peoples' Deputies of the USSR''). The Channel One Cup (ice hockey), Izvestia Trophy ice hockey tournament was named after the newspaper between 1969 and 1996. ''Nedelya'' was the weekend supplement of Izvestia.

1992–present

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ''Izvestia'' now describes itself as a "national" newspaper of Russia. The newspaper was owned by a vast holding company of Vladimir Potanin which had close ties with the government. A controlling stake in ''Izvestia'' was purchased by state-owned Gazprom on 3 June 2005, and included in the Gazprom Media holding. According to the allegations of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Raf Shakirov, editor-in-chief of ''Izvestia'', was forced to resign because the government officials did not like the paper's coverage of the Beslan school hostage crisis. Other sources informed that Potanin had asked him to leave for fear the Kremlin would be riled by the explicit photographs of the massacre published by ''Izvestia''. As of 2005, the circulation of ''Izvestia'' was 240,967. Its 2007 circulation certified by TNS Gallup Media was 371,000 copies. Until his death on 1 October 2008, the chief artist was Boris Yefimov, the centenarian illustrator who had worked as Joseph Stalin's political cartoonist. In 2008, Gazprom Media sold ''Izvestia'' to National Media Group.

References

External links

Official ''Izvestia'' website
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English translations of ''Izvestia'' articles at nonprofit WorldMeets.US

"Izvestia" digital archives in "Newspapers on the web and beyond"
the digital resource of the National Library of Russia {{DEFAULTSORT:Izvestia Newspapers published in the Soviet Union Russian-language newspapers published in Russia Eastern Bloc mass media Gazprom subsidiaries Publications established in 1917 1917 establishments in Russia Russian-language newspapers Newspapers published in the Russian Empire Newspapers published in Russia Mass media in Saint Petersburg Mass media in Moscow