The newspaper Pravda shut down less than a year before the 80th anniversary of its founding. However, to be absolutely accurate about things, it would be incorrect to say that the newspaper was in existence for 79 years: Those who have studied the history of the Soviet press know that Pravda was shut down several times during the times of Tsarist Russia.

However, a historical chain can be traced from 1912 until 1991: The newspaper was a publication of the Communist Party, and, as such, it became a state-owned newspaper. The chain was broken after the well-known order signed by the then-Russian president on Aug. 22, 1991. The recently destroyed Communist Party and its team of journalists did not struggle for their newspaper or for its history. Instead, they registered a new paper with the same title shortly thereafter.

The managers of the new newspaper could not resist the temptations of the new era and the new economy: Then editor-in-chief (and current Speaker of the Russian Parliament) Gennady Seleznyov left the paper to Greek swindlers who claimed to be Communists.

The next editor-in-chief, Alexander Ilyin, handed Pravda's trademark - the Soviet medals of the Communist newspaper that had the authorities had somehow let stand - and the registration certificate that had been issued in August of 1991 over to the new Greek owners, the Yannikoses.

At that time, a very serious split occurred in the editorial office. Over 90 percent of the journalists who had been working for Pravda until the coup d'etat of 1991 quit their jobs. They established their own version of the newspaper, which was then closed under government pressure.

These journalists had to take their fight to cyberspace, and the Internet newspaper PRAVDA On-Line was launched in January of 1999, the first Russian newspaper of its kind. We think that both the newly registered newspaper and PRAVDA On-Line (you are now on its server) have an equal moral right to continue the history of the newspaper that was closed by then-President Boris Yeltsin in August of 1991. The number of journalists that work in the head offices of both publications is comparable with the number of journalists who worked for Pravda at the time it was closed.

In spite of the fact that the journalists of both these publications are still in touch with each other, we have different conceptions about news about Russia and the world. The newspaper Pravda analyzes events from the point of view of the Party's interests, whereas PRAVDA On-line takes a pro-Russian approach to forming its policy.

Wouldn't you agree that this gives more diversity to the world?

Editorial staff >>