
Russian Telegraph Agency (, ROSTA) was the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
news agency
A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and News broadcasting, television Broadcasting, broadcasters. A news agency ma ...
in
Soviet Russia
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
between 1918 and 1935. It was the central information organ of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.
After the creation of
Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
The Russian News Agency TASS, or simply TASS, is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904. It is the largest Russian news agency and one of the largest news agencies worldwide.
TASS is registered as a Federal State Unitary Enterpri ...
in 1925, it remained the news agency of Soviet Russia. Its name was associated with ''
Rosta windows'' (, ''Okna Rosta'').
History
In 1904, Minister of Finance
Vladimir Kokovtsov
Count Vladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov (; – 29 January 1943) was a Russian politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Russia from 1911 to 1914, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II.
Early life
He was born in Borovichi, Borov ...
argued for a state telegraph news agency by saying that private owners were not reliable. In July 1904, at a meeting of special departments, the project for creating a state telegraph agency was approved. On 1 September 1904, the agency started its work. The agency was located in Petrograd before the revolution. During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the agency changed its name from St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency (SPTA) to Petrograd Telegraph Agency (PTA).
During the
October Revolution
The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
, Petrograd Telegraph Agency's building was occupied by Baltic sailors under the leadership of
Leonid Stark Leonid Nikolaevich Stark (Russian: Леонид Николаевич Старк; pseudonyms: Afghani, L. Manucharov, P. Ryabovsky,1889 – November, 1937) was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Soviet diplomat and editor.
Biography
Leonid Stark w ...
. He transmitted the first reports about the revolution in Russia to all newspapers in the world. On 18 November 1917,
Council of People's Commissars
The Council of People's Commissars (CPC) (), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (), were the highest executive (government), executive authorities of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), the Soviet Union (USSR), and the Sovi ...
decreed that the Petrograd Telegraph Agency will be the central information body.
On 7 September 1918, the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee
The All-Russian Central Executive Committee () was (June – November 1917) a permanent body formed by the First All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (held from June 16 to July 7, 1917 in Petrograd), then became the ...
adopted the “Resolution on the merger of the Petrograd Telegraph Agency (PTA) and the Press Bureau under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee”. The new agency was named the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The technical base of ROSTA was made up of the structures of the Petrograd Telegraph Agency (PTA) and private news agencies. The resolution of the
Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nation ...
required all media to reprint the decrees of the Soviet government and the latest news received through ROSTA channels. It moved first to
Metropol Hotel,
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, and then to a separate building on Milyutinsky Lane.
On 23 December, Belarusian Branch of the Russian Telegraph Agency (BELOTROSTA) was opened on Zakharyevskaya street in
Minsk
Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
.
On 12 December 1920, the agency was subordinated to
Glavpolitprosvet
The Main Political and Educational Committee of the People's Commissariat of Education of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic ({{langx, ru, Гла́вный поли́тико-просвети́тельный комите́т Нарк ...
. In 1919, agency had only 42 branches, and then by 1922 there were already 474 branches and correspondent offices. This allowed the Russian Telegraph to supply the capital and provincial periodicals with new information as quickly as possible. The agency then changed its addresses to Armenian Lane in 1923.
After the creation of the
Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
The Russian News Agency TASS, or simply TASS, is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904. It is the largest Russian news agency and one of the largest news agencies worldwide.
TASS is registered as a Federal State Unitary Enterpri ...
(TASS) on July 10, 1925, ROSTA functioned as the news agency of the RSFSR. In March 1935, by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, ROSTA was liquidated, and its functions were transferred to
TASS
The Russian News Agency TASS, or simply TASS, is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904. It is the largest Russian news agency and one of the largest news agencies worldwide.
TASS is registered as a Federal State Unitary Enterpri ...
.
Activity
In addition to disseminating information via telegraph channels, ROSTA in 1918-1920 printed its own publications: the newspaper “AgitROSTA", the magazines "Krasnaya Zvezda” and “Red Journalist”, which were published once or twice a week, as well as large-circulated newspapers.
Rosta windows
Rosta windows or satirical Rosta windows (, ''Okna satiry Rosta'') were
stencil
Stencilling produces an image or pattern on a surface by applying pigment to a surface through an intermediate object, with designed holes in the intermediate object. The holes allow the pigment to reach only some parts of the surface creatin ...
-replicated
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
poster
A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...
s created by artists and poets within the Rosta system, under the supervision of the Chief Committee of Political Education during 1919–21. Inheriting the
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n design traditions of
lubok
A ''lubok'' (plural ''lubki''; ) is a Russian popular print, characterized by simple graphics and narratives derived from literature, religious stories, and popular tales. ''Lubki'' prints were used as decoration in houses and inns. Early exampl ...
and
rayok
A rayok ( rus, раёк, p=rɐˈjɵk, "small paradise") was a Russian fairground Raree show, peep show. Performed using a box with pictures viewed through magnifying lenses, these were accompanied by lewd rhymed jokes. ''The Fall of Adam and Eve ...
, the main topics were current political events. They were usually displayed in windows, hence the name.
The first Rosta window was created in Moscow by Mikhail Cheremnykh (1890-1962). He was soon joined by
Vladimir Mayakovsky
Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky ( – 14 April 1930) was a Russian poet, playwright, artist, and actor. During his early, Russian Revolution, pre-Revolution period leading into 1917, Mayakovsky became renowned as a prominent figure of the Ru ...
, a popular and prolific author,
Dmitry Moor
D. Moor () was the professional name of Dmitry Stakhievich Orlov (; 3 November 1883 in Novocherkassk – 24 October 1946 in Moscow), a Russian artist noted for his propaganda posters. The pseudonym "Moor" was taken from the name of the protagonis ...
(1883-1946),
Amshey Nurenberg
Amshey Markovich Nurenberg (; April 17, 1887 – 10 January 1979) was a Ukrainian, Russian and Soviet painter, graphic artist, art critic, and memoirist. He was an adherent of the School of Paris.
During his life, Nurenberg worked in differ ...
(1887-1979),
Alexander Rodchenko
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (; – 3 December 1956) was a Russian and Soviet artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer. He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design; he was married to the artist Varvara Stepa ...
,
Mikhail Volpin
Mikhail Davydovich Volpin (; 28 December 1902 – 21 July 1988) was a Soviet screenwriter. He is known for his professional partnership with Nikolai Erdman, with whom he was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1950.
Early years
Volpin was born into a ...
and others. Similar projects were performed in other Soviet cities. Cheremnykh and Mayakovsky, for example, produced a poster in 1921 satirising a
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
delegation led by
Joseph Noulens
Joseph Noulens (29 March 1864 – 9 September 1944) was a French politician and diplomat.
Noulens became a member of the Chamber of Deputies in 1903 and served as Minister of War from 1913 to 1914 and then as Minister of Finance from 1914 to 191 ...
.
The design featured graphical simplicity suitable for viewing from distance and often used
lubok
A ''lubok'' (plural ''lubki''; ) is a Russian popular print, characterized by simple graphics and narratives derived from literature, religious stories, and popular tales. ''Lubki'' prints were used as decoration in houses and inns. Early exampl ...
-styled sequences of pictures according to some plot, similar to modern
comics
a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
. The posters were not printed but rather painted with cut-out stencils made from cardboard. Once the required number of posters was painted, the stencils were sent to another city and put in circulation throughout the Soviet Union.
During the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, this approach was reproduced in Tass windows by
Kukryniksy
The Kukryniksy () were three caricaturists/cartoonists in the USSR with a recognizable style.
"Kukryniksy" is a collective name, which is derived from the names of three caricaturists Mikhail Kupriyanov (Михаил Васильевич Куп� ...
.
See also
*
Media of Russia
Television, magazines, and newspapers have all been operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. Even though the Constitution of Russia guarantees freed ...
References
External links
Rosta Windows - Vladimir Mayakovsky(Russian)
Parodies of Rosta Windows in the 1990s(Russian)
English)
Bibliography
* Ward, Alex (2008). ''Power to the People: Early Soviet Propaganda Posters in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem''. London, UK, Ashgate,
{{art-org-stub
News agencies based in Russia
Culture of the Soviet Union
Mass media in the Soviet Union
1918 establishments in Russia
Mass media companies established in 1918