Printed media in the Soviet Union

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Printed media in the Soviet Union, i.e., newspapers, magazines and journals, were under strict control of the Communist Party and the Soviet state.


Contents

[edit] Late Soviet Union

[edit] Newspapers

[edit] Circulation

In 1988 the Soviet Union published more than 8,000 daily newspapers in approximately sixty languages, with a combined circulation of about 170 million. Every all-union newspaper was circulated in its Russian language version. Nearly 3,000 newspapers, however, reached the population in non-Russian languages, constituting roughly 25 percent of the total circulation, although non-Russians made up almost 50 percent of the population.

[edit] Staff

Most of newspaper reporters and editors belonged to the Communist Party-controlled Union of Journalists, composed of nearly 74,000 members. In 1988 some 80 percent of the union's reporters and editors were party members. Inevitably, assignments of editors had to be approved by the party. In the late 1980s, all the central editors in chief of major all-union newspapers belonged to the CPSU Central Committee.

The party also sought to control journalists by combining higher education and Higher Party Schools with schools of journalism. Reporters and editors thus were trained under the aegis of the professional party elite. For newspaper journalists and television and radio reporters, newspaper photographers, and literary editors, Moscow University's School of Journalism provided a main conduit to party positions concerned with the media. In the 1980s, some 2,500 graduate, undergraduate, evening school, and correspondence students annually graduated from the School of Journalism. Students were taught party strictures within the following eight departments: Theory and Practice of the Party-Soviet Press, History of the Party-Soviet Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting, Movie-making and Editorial-publishing Work, Foreign Press and Literature, Russian Journalism and Literature, Stylistics of the Russian language, and Techniques of Newspaper Work and Information Media. By the late 1980s, Moscow University's School of Journalism had graduated approximately 100,000 journalists.

[edit] Late developments

In the late 1980s, newspapers gradually developed new formats and new issues. Under Andropov, Pravda began to print short reports of weekly Politburo meetings. Eventually, other major newspapers published accounts of these meetings as well.

Under Gorbachev, Politburo reports expanded to provide more details on the leadership's thinking about domestic and foreign affairs. Before Gorbachev's assumption of power, Western sources had identified a partial list of proscribed topics, which included crime, drugs, accidents, natural disasters, occupational injuries, official organs of censorship, security, intelligence, schedules of travel for the political leadership, arms sales abroad, crime or morale problems in the armed forces, hostile actions against Soviet citizens abroad, and special payments and education for athletes. After 1985 Gorbachev's policy of openness gave editors a freer hand to publish information on many of these subjects.

In the 1980s, regional newspapers differed in several ways from all-union newspapers. The distribution of regional newspapers varied from circulation at the republic level to circulation in a province, city, or district. The party allowed many regional newspapers to print most of their issues in the region's native language, which reflected the Stalinist policy of "national in form, socialist in content." Local newspaper circulation remained restricted to a region. These publications often focused on such issues as local heroes who contributed to the good of the community or significant problems (as expressed in letters to the editor) relating to crime or natural disasters. By contrast, after Gorbachev came to power, most all-union newspapers began to report on societal shortcomings. However, in the late 1980s regional papers continued to contain more personal advertisements and local merchant notices than the all-union newspapers, if the latter carried any at all.

[edit] Letters to Editor

Main article: People's correspondent

Originally, Lenin argued that criticism should be channeled through letters to the editor and would assist in cleansing society of its problems. He believed that public discussion would facilitate the elimination of shortcomings and that open expression of problems would create a significant feedback mechanism for the leadership and for the country as a whole. Lenin's ideas in this regard were not carried out by Stalin and Khrushchev, who apparently believed the party needed no assistance from the people in identifying problems. But in 1981, Brezhnev created the Central Committee Letters Department, and later Andropov called for more letters to editors to expose corruption and mismanagement. Chernenko advocated that greater "media efficacy" be instituted so that newspapers, for example, would carry more in-depth and current analyses on pressing issues. Gorbachev expanded the flexibility allowed by giving newspapers leeway in publishing letters critical of society and even critical of the government.

Newspaper letters departments usually employed large staffs and handled extremely high volumes of letters daily. Not all letters were published because they often dealt with censored subjects or their numbers simply posed too great a burden for any one newspaper to handle. The letters departments, however, reportedly took their work very seriously and in the late 1980s were used by the press to encourage the population to improve society.

Letters to editors on a great number of previously forbidden topics also elicited responses from the population that could be manipulated by the Soviet newspapers to influence public opinion in the desired direction. Because party members made up the majority of active newspaper readers, according to polls conducted in the Soviet Union, they wrote most of the letters to the editor. Thus, their perspectives probably colored the newspapers' letters sections.

[edit] Publications

[edit] Major newspapers

Translations of names given in parentheses.

Of all the newspapers, Pravda (Truth), an organ of the CPSU Central Committee, was the most authoritative and, therefore, the most important. Frequently, it was the bellwether for important events, and readers often followed its news leads to detect changes in policies. With about 12 million copies circulated every day to over 20 million citizens, Pravda focused on party events and domestic and foreign news.

Other newspapers, however, also commanded wide circulation. Izvestiya (News), the second most authoritative paper, emanated from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and in the late 1980s circulated to between 8 and 10 million people daily. Izvestiya also contained official government information and general news and an expanded Sunday section composed of news analysis, feature stories, poetry, and cartoons.

Trud (Labor), issued by the Soviet Labor Unions, circulated six days a week, reaching 8 to 9 million people. It emphasized labor and economic analyses and included other official decrees.

Komsomolskaya Pravda (Komsomol Truth), published by the Komsomol, was distributed to between 9 and 10 million people.

Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star), published by the USSR Ministry of Defense, covered most daily military news and events and published military human interest stories and exposes.

The literary bimonthly Literaturnaya Gazeta (Literary Gazette) disseminated the views of the Union of Writers and contained authoritative statements and perspectives concerning literature, plays, cinema, and literary issues of popular interest.

A publication of the Central Committee, Sovetskaya Rossiya (Soviet Russia), was the Russian Republic's most widely distributed newspaper, with a circulation of nearly 12 million.

Major sports newspaper, Sovetskiy Sport, published by the government and VTsSPS, had a circulation of 5 million.

A weekly regional newspaper, Moskovskiye Novosti (Moscow News), appeared in both Russian and English editions and reported on domestic and international events. It became very popular during the late 1980s, both in the Soviet Union and abroad.

The weekly newspaper Za Rubezhom (Abroad) devoted its pages exclusively to international affairs and foreign events.

Finally, Sotsialisticheskaya Industriya (Socialist Industry), a daily newspaper, concentrated on industrial and economic events, statistics, and human interest stories.

[edit] Republican and regional newspapers

Republican, regional, and local newspapers were published in dozens of languages, even very minor ones. For example, the Khakas language newspaper Ленин чолы printed around 6.000 copies, three times a week, for the around 60.000 speakers of the language. Below is a non-exhaustive table of those newspapers; it generally includes the most important newspaper published in each language.

Original name Transliterarion Meaning Republic/Region Language
Алтайдын чолмоны Altaydyn cholmody The Star of Altai Gorno-Altai AO Altai
БагӀараб байрахъ Baarab bairakh Red Flag Dagestan ASSR Avar
ביראָבידזשאנער שטערן Birobidzhaner Shtern Birobidzhan Star Jewish AO Yiddish
Буряад унэн Buryad Unen The Buryat Truth Buryat ASSR Buryat
Дагестанская правда Dagestanskaya Pravda Daghestan's Truth Dagestan ASSR Russian
Заря Востока Zarya Vostoka Eastern Dawn Georgian SSR Russian
Звезда Алтая Zvezda Altaya The Star of Altai Gorno-Altai AO Russian
Звязда Zyazda Star Byelorussian SSR Belarusian
Казахстанская правда Kazakhstaskaya Pravda The Kazakh Truth Kazakh SSR Russian
Коммунизм алашара Kommunizm alashara The Light of Communism Karachevo-Cherkassian AO Abazin
Коммунист Kommunist The Communist Dagestan ASSR Lezgin
Коммунист Kommunist The Communist Armenian SSR Russian
Коммунист Kommunist The Communist Azerbaijan SSR Azerbaijani
კომუნისტი Komunisti The Communist Georgian SSR Georgian
Красное знамя Krasnoye Znamya Red Flag Komi ASSR Russian
Кызыл тан Kyzyl tan Red Dawn Bashkir ASSR Tatar
Кыым Kyym Spark Yakut ASSR Yakut
Ленин байрагъы Lenin bayragy Lenin's Flag Uzbek SSR Crimean Tatar
Ленин ёлу Lenin yolu Lenin's Path Dagestan ASSR Kumyk
Ленин йолы Lenin yoly Lenin's Path Karachevo-Cherkassian AO Nogai
Ленин чолы Lenin choly Lenin's Path Khakas AO Khakas
Ленинская правда Leninskaya Pravda Lenin's Truth Karelian ASSR Russian
Молдова сочиалистэ Moldova Socialista Socialist Moldavia Moldavian SSR Moldavian
Мокшень правда Mokshen' Pravda The Moksha Truth Mordovian ASSR Moksha Mordvin
Neuvosto-Karjala -- Soviet Karelia Karelian ASSR Finnish
Правда Востока Pravda Vostoka The Eastern Truth Uzbek SSR Russian
Правда Севера Pravda Severa The Northern Truth Arkhangelsk Oblast Russian
Правда Украины Pravda Ukraini The Ukrainian Truth Ukrainian SSR Russian
Радянська Украïна Radyanska Ukraina Soviet Ukraine Ukrainian SSR Ukrainian
Rahva hääl -- People's Voice Estonian SSR Estonian
Риа таза Ria Taza New Path Armenian SSR Kurdish
Рæстдзинад Rästdzinad Truth Northern Ossetian ASSR Ossetian
საბჭოთა აფხაზეთი Sabchota Abkhazeti Soviet Abkhazia Abkhazian ASSR Georgian
საბჭოთა აჭარა Sabchota Adzhara Soviet Adzharia Adjar ASSR Georgian
საბჭოთა ოსეთი Sabchota Oseti Soviet Ossetia South Ossetian AO Georgian
Совет Башкортостаны Sovet Bashkortostany Soviet Bashkiria Bashkir ASSR Bashkir
Совет Каракалпакстаны Sovet Karakalpakstany Soviet Karakalpakstan Karakalpak ASSR Karakalpak
Совет кенди Sovet kendi Soviet village Azerbaijan SSR Azerbaijani
Совет Түркменистаны Sovet Türkmenistany Soviet Turkmenistan Turkmen SSR Turkmen
Совет Ўзбекистони Sovet O'zbekistoni Soviet Uzbekistan Uzbek SSR Uzbek
Սովետական Ղարաբաղ Sovetakan Karabakh Soviet Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh AO Armenian
Սովետական Հայաստան Sovetakan Hayastan Soviet Armenia Armenian SSR Armenian
Սովետական Ղարաբաղ Sovetakan Vrastan Soviet Georgia Georgian SSR Armenian
Советон Ирыстон Soveton Ironston Soviet Ossetia South Ossetian AO Ossetian
Советская Аджария Sovetskaya Adzharia Soviet Adzharia Adjar ASSR Russian
Советская Башкирия Sovetskaya Bashkria Soviet Bashkiria Bashkir ASSR Russian
Советская Белоруссия Sovietskaya Belorussia Soviet Byelorussia Byelorussian SSR Russian
Советская Киргизия Sovietskaya Kirgizia Soviet Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz SSR Russian
Советская Литва Sovietskaya Litva Soviet Lithuania Lithuanian SSR Russian
Советская Молдаия Sovietskaya Moldavia Soviet Moldova Moldavian SSR Moldovian
Советская Мордовия Sovietskaya Mordovia Soviet Mordovia Mordovian ASSR Russian
Советская Россия Sovietskaya Rossia Soviet Russia Russian SFSR Russian
Советская Татария Sovietskaya Tataria Soviet Tatarstan Tatar ASSR Russian
Советская Эстония Sovietskaya Estoniya Soviet Estonia Estonian SSR Russian
Социалистік Қазақстан Sotsialistik Qazaqstan Socialist Kazakhstan Kazakh SSR Kazakh
Социалистик Татарстан Sotsialistik Tatarstan Socialist Tatarstan Tatar ASSR Tatar
Tiesa -- Truth Lithuanian SSR Lithuanian
Туркменская искра Turkmenskaya Iskra The Turkmen Spark Turkmen SSR Russian
Cīņa -- The Fight Latvian SSR Latvian
Шарк Капысы Shark Kapysy The Gate of the East Nakhichevan ASSR Azerbaijani
Шин Shin Truth Tuvan ASSR Tuvan
Czerwony Sztandar -- The Red Flag Lithuanian SSR Polish
Хальмг Унн Khalmg Unn The Kalmyk Truth Kalmyk ASSR Kalmyk
Эрзянь правда Erzyan Pravda The Erzya Truth Mordovian ASSR Erzya Mordvin
Эркин Тоо Erkin Too Free Mountain Kyrgyz SSR Kyrgyz
Югыд туй Yugyd Tui The Milky Way Komi ASSR Komi

[edit] Magazines and journals

In the late 1980s, weekly, monthly, and quarterly magazines and journals numbered almost 5,500 and had a circulation nearly equal to that of the daily newspapers. The same CPSU regulations and guidelines that applied to newspapers extended to magazines and journals. In the mid-1980s, under the regime's less-restrictive censorship policy, both magazines and journals published articles and stories to fill in historical "blank spots." These articles included works of past and contemporary authors once banned and new works that challenged the limits imposed on literary society by previous leaders. Assessments and criticisms of past leaderships exposed many historical atrocities, particularly those committed under Stalin. As a result, in the late 1980s the number of subscribers to periodicals climbed considerably, and magazines and journals frequently sold out at kiosks within minutes.

In the late 1980s, these magazines and journals created reverberations throughout society with their publication of controversial articles.

Krokodil (Crocodile), one of the most popular magazines with a circulation of approximately 6 million, contained humor and satire and featured excellent artistic political cartoons and ideological messages.

Nedelya (Week), another magazine, was published as a weekly supplement to Izvestiya newspaper and appeared every Sunday, having a circulation of some 9 to 10 million.

Such journals as Ogonyok (Little Fire), a weekly that became more popular in the late 1980s because of its insightful political exposes, human interest stories, serialized features, and pictorial sections, had an audience of over 2 million people. In 1986 it published excerpted works by the previously banned writer Nikolai Gumilev, who was shot in 1921 after being accused of writing a counterrevolutionary proclamation. In 1988 it also published excerpts of poetry from Yuliy Daniel, imprisoned after a famous 1966 trial for publication of his work abroad.

Novy Mir (New World), one of the most controversial and often original literary reviews, attracted widespread readership among the intelligentsia. The monthly publication reached nearly 2 million readers and concentrated on new prose, poetry, criticism, and commentary. Many previously banned works were published in its pages, most notably Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. (The publication of Doctor Zhivago in the West not only resulted in Pasternak's expulsion from the Union of Writers in 1956 but won him the 1958 Nobel Prize for Literature.)

Oktyabr (October), a journal resembling Novy Mir in content, circulation, and appeal, espoused more conservative viewpoints. Nevertheless, Anna Akhmatova's "Requiem" a poetic tribute to those who perished during Stalin's purges, appeared in its November 1987 issue.

Sovetskaya Kultura (Soviet Culture), a journal with broad appeal, published particularly biting indictments of collectivization, industrialization, and the purges of the 1930s. In 1988 the journal published articles indirectly criticizing Lenin for sanctioning the establishment of the system of forced labor camps.

[edit] Books

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

Notable book publishers of the Soviet Union include Progress Publishers, which produced much of the English-language translations of the works of Marx and Engels for export to the West.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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