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''The Moscow News'', which began publication in 1930, was
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's oldest
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. Many of its feature articles used to be translated from the Russian language '' Moskovskiye Novosti.''


History


Soviet Union

In 1930 ''The Moscow News'' was founded by American socialist
Anna Louise Strong Anna Louise Strong (November 24, 1885 – March 29, 1970) was an American journalist and activist, best known for her reporting on and support for Communism, communist movements in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.Archives Wes ...
, who was one of the leaders of the Seattle General Strike in 1919. It was approved by the Communist leadership—at that time already dominated by
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
—in 1930 as an international newspaper with the purpose of spreading the ideas of socialism to international audience. The paper was soon published in many languages, including major world languages, such as French,
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,
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,
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,
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, Hungarian, and
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, as well as languages of neighboring countries, such as Finnish. The first head of the foreign department of the ''Moscow News'' was British communist Rose Cohen. She was arrested in Moscow in August 1937, and shot on November 28, 1937 (she was rehabilitated in the USSR in 1956). In 1949, the ''Moscow News'' was shut down after its editor-in-chief, Mikhail Borodin, was arrested (and most likely died in a prison camp (
Gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
). The paper resumed publication under the supervision of the Communist Party on January 4, 1956. In 1985, during the tenure of
Gennadi Gerasimov Gennadi (or Gennady) Ivanovich Gerasimov (; 3 March 1930 – 14 September 2010) was the last List of ambassadors of Russia to Portugal, Soviet, and then Russian ambassador to Portugal from 1990 to 1995. Previously he was foreign affairs spokesman ...
as editor-in-chief, he hired Bob Meyerson as an editor stylist (a re-write editor). At that point Meyerson (who had spent a year at the
Moscow State University Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public university, public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, a ...
as a graduate student and also a year at the Pushkin Russian Language Institute, and was the only American pacifist living full-time in the Soviet Union) became the only American working for any Soviet newspaper during the next three years. In addition to his daily editing duties, Meyerson managed to write about a dozen articles featuring courageous American tourists who had come to the USSR as bridges for peace. Simultaneously, those articles promoted freedom of speech in the USSR by highlighting the efforts of rare topics such as citizen diplomacy, civil disobedience, and the dangers of nuclear energy, the dangers of nuclear war, and the work of some US diplomats in Moscow who intentionally or unintentionally were perpetuating the Cold War and the nuclear arms race. Thanks to some key help from several of his co-workers, and the support of Gerasimov and several American sponsors, in 1988 Meyerson was able to found the first branch of
Toastmasters International Toastmasters International (TI) is a US-headquartered nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping people develop communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. History On 24 March 1905, Dr ...
ever in a communist country, which marked the first time that courses in public speaking were allowed at the Moscow State University, which was
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
's alma mater. At Gerasimov's request, in early 1989, Meyerson founded a second Toastmasters club in Moscow, this time at Gerasimov's alma mater, the
Moscow State Institute of International Relations Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (, also known as MGIMO University) is an higher education, institute of higher education located in Moscow, Russia. The institute is run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Russian ...
(MGIMO). A third club for working professionals was founded later that year, with Meyerson suggesting a name that would encourage the members not to be afraid to speak out. That club was "The Moscow Free Speakers," and remarkably, it was still functioning in 2016. When Gennad Gerasimov left ''The Moscow News'' in 1986 to become the official press spokesman for Gorbachev, he was replaced by Yegor Yakovlev. In 1988 Gorbachev met English publisher Robert Maxwell and asked for his help in updating the newspaper. A small team of top Daily Mirror executive journalists was set up in Pushkin square and worked with Yakovlev creating a redesign and waiting for news of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in order to relaunch the newspaper with the headline “Coming home!” The newspaper began to break one taboo after another during the era of Gorbachev's reforms known as glasnost (openness) and perestroika (rebuilding) and sales soared, often selling out within 15 minutes of publication. When Revel Barker, Mirror managing editor, addressed the Moscow News journalists on the concept of a free press, they accused him of “bringing about the downfall of the Soviet Socialist system”. During that time some communists were so infuriated at the paper's shocking revelations and criticism that they started referring to The Moscow News as "yellow press." Around 1989 there was a suspicious late night fire in a prestigious restaurant on the ground floor of the same building housing ''The Moscow News'' headquarters. There was one fatality as someone slipped from an ice-covered second floor window. Due to considerable water and structural damage to the English-language section of the paper, the staff had to relocate several blocks away to a much newer building on Kalininsky Prospekt. About a year later, after the former fire-damaged building had been renovated, the staff moved back to
Pushkin Square Pushkinskaya Square or Pushkin Square () is a pedestrian open space in the Tverskoy District in central Moscow. Historically, it was known as Strastnaya Square () before being renamed for Alexander Pushkin in 1937. It is located at the juncti ...
. In 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Meyerson left ''The Moscow News'', but stayed in Russia for two more years. Alexander Vainshtein became chief editor of the newspaper. In 2003 ''The Moscow News'' was sold to the
Yukos OJSC "Yukos Oil Company" (, ) was an oil and gas company based in Moscow, Russia. Yukos was acquired from the Russian government by Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Bank Menatep during the controversial "loans for shares" auctions of ...
-funded Open Russia Foundation. In 2004, the ''Moscow News'' began to introduce a fully colored front-page.


Russian Federation

Perhaps in the mid-1990s, Sergey Roy became the editor-in-chief. Under President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
, and suffering from declining sales, ''Moscow News'' was bought by
Mikhail Khodorkovsky Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (, ; born 26 June 1963), sometimes known by his initials MBK, is an exiled Russian businessman, Russian oligarchs, oligarch, and Russian opposition, opposition activist, now residing in London. In 2003, Khodork ...
, one of Russia's oligarchs and owner of
Yukos OJSC "Yukos Oil Company" (, ) was an oil and gas company based in Moscow, Russia. Yukos was acquired from the Russian government by Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Bank Menatep during the controversial "loans for shares" auctions of ...
. Khodorkovsky hired
Yevgeny Kiselyov Yevgeny Alexeyevich Kiselyov (, ; born 15 June 1956) is a Russian television journalist. As the host of the NTV (Russia), NTV weekly news show ''Itogi'' in the 1990s, he became one of the nation's best known television journalists, criticizing ...
, an outspoken liberal journalist who started a scandal in the ranks by firing nine veteran journalists. Kiselyov was eventually replaced by Arkady Gaidamak, an Israeli businessman, who became owner of the newspaper in October 2005. ''The Moscow News'' has had numerous other owners: Ogonyok, International Book, and the All-Union Society of Cultural Ties with Foreign Countries among others have had a stake in the historic newspaper at one time or another. In 2007, the English version of ''The Moscow News'' was partially owned by the
RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (), is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013, by a decree of Vladimir Putin, it was liquidated and its assets and workforce were transferred to the newly created ...
news agency, with some of articles translated from '' Moskovskiye Novosti''. Between January and September 2007, the paper was managed by Anthony Louis, who introduced several changes. The paper's format was changed to a completely new layout with new fonts and masthead design. The paper went from 16 to 32 pages and featured a variety of popular columnists, both Russian and foreigners. Local and business coverage was expanded, as well as a sport and local section that features regular original writing by staff writers, most of whom are expatriates living in Moscow. Distribution on domestic and international
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (, ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; , , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. Aeroflot is headquartered in the Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow, with its hub being Sheremetyevo Interna ...
flights was reintroduced as well. The paper was available free of charge at many business establishments in the Russian capital, and was sold in kiosks at prominent locations, such as
Pushkin Square Pushkinskaya Square or Pushkin Square () is a pedestrian open space in the Tverskoy District in central Moscow. Historically, it was known as Strastnaya Square () before being renamed for Alexander Pushkin in 1937. It is located at the juncti ...
. Between September 2007 and February 2009, the editor-in-chief was Robert Bridge.


Closure

In the summer of 2012, the paper started appearing less often, dropping being from a bi-weekly to being a weekly, and its news and politics sections took on a broader, more in-depth focus. It ran occasional advertisement, and was distributed mainly free of charge. It continued to cover both Russian and global news and columns by writers including Mark Galeotti. The paper was financed entirely by its owners. It ceased publication in 2014 and became a web-only news medium, although from two months later the web edition was no longer updated. The printed paper's last editor-in-chief was Natalia Antonova. On January 23, 2014, the paper ceased appearing in print "by order of the management". On March 14, 2014, the paper "ceased updating materials on its news website, Facebook page and Twitter account due to the liquidation process and reorganization of its parent company, the Russian state news agency
RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (), is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013, by a decree of Vladimir Putin, it was liquidated and its assets and workforce were transferred to the newly created ...
". Both events followed President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
's December 9, 2013 abolition of the state-owned news agency, which would be merged in 2014 into a new news agency ''Rossiya Segodnya'' (
Russia Today RT, formerly Russia Today (), is a Russian state-controlled international news television network funded by the Russian government. It operates pay television and free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as pro ...
). Editor Natalia Antonova wrote in a March 14 farewell signed article: "If you write about Russia with any kind of nuance, you may confuse and anger many people. At first this will scare you, then it will infuriate you, then you'll get used to it." The newspaper can be viewed in its entirety from 1930 – 2014 in a digital archive.


Editors-in-chief

*1932–1949: Mikhail Borodin *1983–1986:
Gennadi Gerasimov Gennadi (or Gennady) Ivanovich Gerasimov (; 3 March 1930 – 14 September 2010) was the last List of ambassadors of Russia to Portugal, Soviet, and then Russian ambassador to Portugal from 1990 to 1995. Previously he was foreign affairs spokesman ...
*1986–1991: Yegor Yakovlev *1991–1995: Len Karpinsky *1995–2003: Viktor Loshak *2003–2005:
Yevgeny Kiselyov Yevgeny Alexeyevich Kiselyov (, ; born 15 June 1956) is a Russian television journalist. As the host of the NTV (Russia), NTV weekly news show ''Itogi'' in the 1990s, he became one of the nation's best known television journalists, criticizing ...
*2006–2007: Vitaly Tretyakov


References


External links

* * Baker, Peter and Susan Glasser. ''Kremlin Rising''. Scribner: New York, 2005. p. 287. {{DEFAULTSORT:Moscow News English-language newspapers published in Russia Mass media in Moscow Newspapers published in the Soviet Union Defunct English-language newspapers published in Europe Newspapers established in 1930 1930 establishments in Russia de:Moskowskije Nowosti fr:Moscow News ru:Московские новости