RIA NOVOSTI

The Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti

RIA Novosti is Russia's leading news agency in terms of multimedia technologies, website audience reach and quoting by the Russian media. Integrated multimedia newsroom, vast network covering over 45 countries of the world and the Russian regions allow RIA Novosti to deliver news and information in all possible formats, including video, animated infographics and cartoons to professional clients and the end user in 14 languages. RIA Novosti has proven expertise in creating tailored interactive news & information services for mobile operators and content providers.

Day after day RIA Novosti combines media expertise with innovative technologies to effectively reach its audience of millions.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF RIA NOVOSTI

RIA Novosti’s history dates back to June 24, 1941 when by a resolution of the USSR Council of People’s Commissars and the Communist Party Central Committee, “On the Establishment and Tasks of the Soviet Information Bureau”, the Soviet Information Bureau (Sovinformburo) was set up under the USSR Council of People’s Commissars and the Central Committee. Its main task was to oversee work to cover international, military events and the events of the country’s domestic life in periodicals and on the radio (from October 14, 1941 to March 3, 1942 was based in Kuibyshev – modern-day Samara). The bureau’s main task was to compile reports on the situation on the frontline of the war, work on the home front, and the partisan movement for the radio, newspapers and magazines. Sovinformburo directed the activity of the All-Slavonic Committee, Anti-Nazi Committee of Soviet Women, Anti-Nazi Committee of the Soviet Youth, Anti-Nazi Committee of Soviet Scientists, and the Jewish Anti-Nazi Committee. In 1944, a special bureau on propaganda for foreign countries was set up as part of Sovinformburo. Through 1,171 newspapers, 523 magazines and 18 radio stations in 23 countries, Soviet embassies abroad, friendship societies, trade unions, women’s, youth and scientific organizations, Sovinformburo informed readers and listeners about the struggle of the Soviet people against Nazism and in the post-war years about the main areas of Soviet domestic and foreign policies.

Sovinformburo heads: A.S. Shcherbakov (from 1941 to 1945), S. A. Lozovsky (from 1945 to 1948), Y.S. Khavinson, D.A. Polikarpov.

In 1961, the Novosti Press Agency (APN) succeeded Sovinformburo. It became the leading information and press body of Soviet public organizations. The constituent conference was held on February 21, 1961. The conference of representatives of Soviet public organizations adopted a decision to create a press agency of public organizations named Novosti. The agency’s guiding body was the Council of the Agency’s Founders. The APN founders were the USSR Journalists Union, USSR Writers Union, Union of Soviet Societies of Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, and the Znaniye Society. On April 3, 1961 the Agency charter was adopted. Under its charter, APN’s aim was “to contribute to mutual understanding, trust and friendship among peoples in every possible way by broadly publishing accurate information about the USSR abroad and familiarizing the Soviet public with the life of the peoples of foreign countries.” APN’s motto was “Information for Peace, for the Friendship of Nations.” APN had bureaus in over 120 countries. The Agency published 60 illustrated newspapers and magazines in 45 languages with a one-time circulation of 4.3 million copies. With the Union of Soviet Friendship Societies, APN published the newspaper Moscow News, which in September 1990 became an independent publication. APN Publishing House put out over 200 books and booklets with a total annual circulation of 20 million copies. In 1989, a TV center opened in APN. Later, it was transformed into the TV-Novosti TV company.

APN heads: Boris Burkov (1961-1970), Ivan Udaltsov (1970- 1975), Lev Tolkunov (1975-1983), Pavel Naumov (1983-1986), Valentin Falin (1986-1988), Albert Vlasov (1988-1990).

By a decree of USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, “On the Establishment of the Information Agency Novosti,” the Information Agency Novosti (IAN) succeeded APN on July 27, 1990. “To provide information support for the USSR’s state domestic and foreign policies and proceeding from the interests of the democratization of the mass media,” the Novosti Press Agency was renamed the Information Agency Novosti (IAN). IAN’s tasks remained the same - preparing and publishing printed, TV and radio materials in the USSR and abroad; studying public opinion on Soviet foreign and domestic policies in the USSR and abroad.” A computer databank was created in the Agency. Initially, it contained over 250,000 documents. In 1991, the Infonews hotline started operating in the Agency. IAN had bureaus in 120 countries. It published 13 illustrated magazines and newspapers. The chairman of the IAN Board was Albert Ivanovich Vlasov.

The Russian Information Agency Novosti was created in September 1991 on the basis of IAN and the Russian Information Agency. By a decree of the Russian president dated August 22, 1991, RIA Novosti was placed within the competence of the Press and Information Ministry. RIA Novosti had about 80 bureaus and news offices abroad, over 1,500 subscribers in CIS countries and about a hundred in non-CIS countries. In 1993, by a decree of the Russian president of September 15, 1993 “On the Russian Information Agency Novosti,” RIA Novosti became a state news-analytical agency. RIA Novosti’s radio channel - RIA-Radio worked in 1996. In August 1997, the TV channel Kultura was set up on the basis of the RIA TV channel under the sponsorship of the VGTRK TV and radio broadcasting company. By a decree of the Russian president, “On Improving the Work of the State Electronic Media,” the VGTRK information holding was created in May 1998, which RIA Novosti joined.

In May 1998, the Agency was renamed the Russian Information Agency Vesti. As a mass media body, it retained the name of RIA Novosti. The main criteria of RIA Novosti’s information services were the combination of promptness, objectiveness, authenticity and its own opinion regardless of the political situation.

RIA Novosti heads:

- Andrei Vinogradov (August 1991- January 1992);

- Maisarat Makharadze (January 1992 - August 1993);

- Vladimir Markov (September 1993 - March 1998);

- Eduard Gindileyev (May - August 1998);

- Alexei Volin (August 1998 - June 2000);

- Alexei Zhidakov (acting chairman from June to October 2000);

- Vladimir Kulistikov - chairman of the Board of RIA Novosti (from October 2000 to April 2001);

- Alexei Zhidakov - chairman of the Board of RIA Novosti (April 2001- January 2003);

- Svetlana Mironyuk (chairperson of the Board of RIA Novosti (January 24, 2003 - April 9, 2004).

In April 2004, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Russian Information Agency Vesti was renamed the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti (Russian abbreviation - FGUP RAMI RIA Novosti).