Novaya Gazeta
Encyclopedia
Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper
well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs.
It is published in Moscow
, regions within Russia and in some foreign countries. As of 2009, the newspaper is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Four Novaya Gazeta journalists were murdered between 2001 and 2009.
, who was critical of Russia's actions in Chechnya
, wrote for Novaya Gazeta until her assassination on October 7, 2006. The journalist wrote in an essay that the editors received:
Yury Shchekochikhin, a renowned journalist and deputy in the State Duma
, had also worked for the newspaper as an investigative journalist and had been a deputy Editor-in-Chief of it until he died after a mysterious and severe allergy on July 3, 2003. Some of his contributions published in Novaya Gazeta were related to the investigation of the Three Whales Corruption Scandal
.
Former Soviet President
Mikhail Gorbachev
and State Duma
Deputy Alexander Lebedev
own 49% of the newspaper and the paper's staff controls the remaining 51% of shares. Gorbachev has long been a friend of the paper. He used the money from his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize
to help set up Novaya Gazeta in 1993 and purchase its first computers.
On 13 April 2009, the newspaper was granted the first-ever print interview in a Russian publication with President Dmitri Medvedev, discussing such issues as civil society and the social contract, transparency of public officials and Internet development.
Novaya Gazeta issues regularly contain free inserts of its side-projects or other newly launched newspapers. United Civil Front newspaper (by the corresponding organisation
) and Yabloko
's newspaper were published in the form of such inserts in the past.
Current inserts are Shofyor ("Driver" or "chauffeur") side-project, popular-scientific Kentavr ("Centaur").
Le Monde diplomatique
(Russian version) has been promoted by means of being issued as such inserts for one year. The number of subscribers after that has amounted to 43 and continuation of issuing the insert has been considered senseless.
Novaya Gazeta has published The New York Times International Weekly on Fridays since 2009. This 8-page supplement features a selection of articles from The New York Times
translated into Russian.
funds in 1998 when he was Prime Minister of Russia
. The newspaper based the accusations on a letter allegedly written to Colin Powell
and signed by US Congressmen Philip Crane, Mike Pence
, Charlie Norwood
, Dan Burton
and Henry Bonilla
and posted on the website of the American Defense Council. The newspaper went on to claim that Kiriyenko had used some of the embezzled funds to purchase real estate in the United States
. It was later revealed that the letter was a prank concocted by The eXile
. In response, Kiriyenko sued Novaya Gazeta and Rozhnov for libel, and in passing judgement in favour of Kiriyenko the court ordered Novaya Gazeta to retract all publications relating to the accusations, and noted "Novaya gazeta’s content on the missing IMF funds include a great deal of unproven information" and also went on to say that the newspaper "is obliged to publish only officially proven information linking Mr Kiriyenko with embezzlement."
On 26 November 2001, Novaya Gazeta published an article by Oleg Lurie stating that the management of the International Industrial Bank
headed by Sergey Pugachyov
had been involved in money laundering in the Bank of New York
. Pugachyov's bank brought a libel suit against the newspaper citing financial losses, as a number of its customers had allegedly changed the terms of their accounts in a loss-making way because of the publication. On 28 February 2002, the bank won the case in Moscow's Basmanny municipal court and was awarded 15 million ruble
s (about $500,000) in lost revenue, an unprecedented sum for Russian newspapers that might undermine the very existence of Novaya Gazeta, especially as on February 22 Novaya Gazeta had been ordered by the same Basmanny court to pay about $1 million for a corruption allegation against the Krasnodar Krai
's top judge. In April the decision on the International Industrial Bank case was reconfirmed by a court. However, in an article of 27 May 2002, Yulia Latynina
, a Novaya Gazeta journalist, revealed that the bank's three customers named in the lawsuit were its subsidiaries or otherwise controlled by its board of directors, and claimed that Novaya Gazeta had requested to open a criminal fraud investigation into the activities of the bank. As a result, in June 2002 the International Industrial Bank renounced its claim to the compensation.
On January 26, 2010, the paper's web site was subjected to a denial of service attack and effectively taken offline. As of February 1, 2010, the site was still inaccessible. At the height of the attack the server was receiving 1.5 million connections per second. The newspaper maintained its online presence by publishing articles on its LiveJournal
page. On April 7, 2011, the web site was targeted again with the same botnet
that appears to be used in a large scale attack on LiveJournal that hosts many opposition blogs.
was shot and killed in Moscow on 19 January 2009 leaving a press conference about his last minute appeal against the early release of Yuri Budanov
, a former commander imprisoned for kidnapping, abuse of power and aggravated murder of a young Chechen woman. Anastasia Baburova
, a freelance journalist for Novaya Gazeta and a member of Autonomous Action
, was with Markevlov at the time and was also shot and killed. Racist groups hailed Markelov's killing in Internet chatter, but it is unclear whether they were behind it.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs.
It is published in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, regions within Russia and in some foreign countries. As of 2009, the newspaper is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Four Novaya Gazeta journalists were murdered between 2001 and 2009.
Historical background
Novaya Gazeta is known for being critical of Russian government policy. Journalist Anna PolitkovskayaAnna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
, who was critical of Russia's actions in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
, wrote for Novaya Gazeta until her assassination on October 7, 2006. The journalist wrote in an essay that the editors received:
Visitors every day in our editorial office who have nowhere else to bring their troubles, because the Kremlin finds their stories off-message, so that the only place they can be aired is in our newspaper, Novaya Gazeta.
Yury Shchekochikhin, a renowned journalist and deputy in the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
, had also worked for the newspaper as an investigative journalist and had been a deputy Editor-in-Chief of it until he died after a mysterious and severe allergy on July 3, 2003. Some of his contributions published in Novaya Gazeta were related to the investigation of the Three Whales Corruption Scandal
Three Whales Corruption Scandal
The Three Whales Corruption Scandal is a major corruption scandal in Russia involving several furniture companies and federal government bodies which has unfolded since 2000.-2000 smuggling investigation :...
.
Former Soviet President
President of the Soviet Union
The President of the Soviet Union , officially called President of the USSR was the Head of State of the USSR from 15 March 1990 to 25 December 1991. Mikhail Gorbachev was the only person to occupy the office. Gorbachev was also General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between...
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
and State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
Deputy Alexander Lebedev
Alexander Lebedev
Alexander Yevgenievich Lebedev is a Russian businessman, referred to as one of the Russian oligarchs.In May 2008, he was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the richest Russians and as the 358th richest person in the world with an estimated fortune of $3.1 billion...
own 49% of the newspaper and the paper's staff controls the remaining 51% of shares. Gorbachev has long been a friend of the paper. He used the money from his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
to help set up Novaya Gazeta in 1993 and purchase its first computers.
On 13 April 2009, the newspaper was granted the first-ever print interview in a Russian publication with President Dmitri Medvedev, discussing such issues as civil society and the social contract, transparency of public officials and Internet development.
Inserts
Svobodnoe Prostranstvo ("Free Space"), which formerly was a colour supplement to Novaya Gazeta, is included in the Friday issue.Novaya Gazeta issues regularly contain free inserts of its side-projects or other newly launched newspapers. United Civil Front newspaper (by the corresponding organisation
United Civil Front
United Civil Front is a social movement in Russia founded and led by chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov. It is part of The Other Russia, an opposition coalition active in Moscow...
) and Yabloko
Yabloko
The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" (Russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко» Rossiyskaya obyedinyonnaya demokraticheskaya partiya "Yabloko"; is a Russian social...
's newspaper were published in the form of such inserts in the past.
Current inserts are Shofyor ("Driver" or "chauffeur") side-project, popular-scientific Kentavr ("Centaur").
Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
(Russian version) has been promoted by means of being issued as such inserts for one year. The number of subscribers after that has amounted to 43 and continuation of issuing the insert has been considered senseless.
Novaya Gazeta has published The New York Times International Weekly on Fridays since 2009. This 8-page supplement features a selection of articles from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
translated into Russian.
Controversies
In 2004 the newspaper printed seven articles by columnist Georgy Rozhnov, which accused Sergey Kiriyenko of embezzling US$4.8 billion of International Monetary FundInternational Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
funds in 1998 when he was Prime Minister of Russia
Prime Minister of Russia
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
. The newspaper based the accusations on a letter allegedly written to Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
and signed by US Congressmen Philip Crane, Mike Pence
Mike Pence
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence is the U.S. Representative for Indiana's , and previously the , serving since 2001. The 6th district covers much of Eastern Indiana. He is a member of the Republican Party....
, Charlie Norwood
Charlie Norwood
Charles Whitlow Norwood, Jr., D.D.S. was an American politician and dentist, serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 until his death...
, Dan Burton
Dan Burton
Danny "Dan" Lee Burton is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the , serving since 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party....
and Henry Bonilla
Henry Bonilla
Henry Bonilla is a former congressman who represented Texas's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He was defeated in his bid for re-election by Ciro Davis Rodriguez, a former Democratic member of Congress, in a special election runoff held on December 12, 2006...
and posted on the website of the American Defense Council. The newspaper went on to claim that Kiriyenko had used some of the embezzled funds to purchase real estate in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was later revealed that the letter was a prank concocted by The eXile
The eXile
The eXile was a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free tabloid newspaper, aimed at the city's expatriate community, which combined outrageous, sometimes satirical, content with investigative reporting...
. In response, Kiriyenko sued Novaya Gazeta and Rozhnov for libel, and in passing judgement in favour of Kiriyenko the court ordered Novaya Gazeta to retract all publications relating to the accusations, and noted "Novaya gazeta’s content on the missing IMF funds include a great deal of unproven information" and also went on to say that the newspaper "is obliged to publish only officially proven information linking Mr Kiriyenko with embezzlement."
On 26 November 2001, Novaya Gazeta published an article by Oleg Lurie stating that the management of the International Industrial Bank
International Industrial Bank
International Industrial Bank is one of the largest Russian banks founded in 1992 by Sergey Pugachyov and Sergey Veremeyenko...
headed by Sergey Pugachyov
Sergey Pugachyov
Sergey Viktorovich Pugachyov is a Russian "oligarch", formerly also a politician.-Early life:The son of an army officer, Pugachyov was brought up in Saint Petersburg, where he studied art. As a young man, he became a friend of Vladimir Putin....
had been involved in money laundering in the Bank of New York
Bank of New York
The Bank of New York was a global financial services company established in 1784 by the American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It existed until its merger with the Mellon Financial Corporation on July 2, 2007...
. Pugachyov's bank brought a libel suit against the newspaper citing financial losses, as a number of its customers had allegedly changed the terms of their accounts in a loss-making way because of the publication. On 28 February 2002, the bank won the case in Moscow's Basmanny municipal court and was awarded 15 million ruble
Russian ruble
The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation and the two partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Formerly, the ruble was also the currency of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union prior to their breakups. Belarus and Transnistria also use currencies with...
s (about $500,000) in lost revenue, an unprecedented sum for Russian newspapers that might undermine the very existence of Novaya Gazeta, especially as on February 22 Novaya Gazeta had been ordered by the same Basmanny court to pay about $1 million for a corruption allegation against the Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
's top judge. In April the decision on the International Industrial Bank case was reconfirmed by a court. However, in an article of 27 May 2002, Yulia Latynina
Yulia Latynina
Yulia Leonidovna Latynina is a Russian journalist, writer and radio host. She works at the radio station Echo of Moscow. She also writes for Novaya Gazeta and The Moscow Times.-Writer, journalist and radio host:...
, a Novaya Gazeta journalist, revealed that the bank's three customers named in the lawsuit were its subsidiaries or otherwise controlled by its board of directors, and claimed that Novaya Gazeta had requested to open a criminal fraud investigation into the activities of the bank. As a result, in June 2002 the International Industrial Bank renounced its claim to the compensation.
On January 26, 2010, the paper's web site was subjected to a denial of service attack and effectively taken offline. As of February 1, 2010, the site was still inaccessible. At the height of the attack the server was receiving 1.5 million connections per second. The newspaper maintained its online presence by publishing articles on its LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
page. On April 7, 2011, the web site was targeted again with the same botnet
Botnet
A botnet is a collection of compromised computers connected to the Internet. Termed "bots," they are generally used for malicious purposes. When a computer becomes compromised, it becomes a part of a botnet...
that appears to be used in a large scale attack on LiveJournal that hosts many opposition blogs.
Awards
- The newspaper was awarded the Henri Nannen Prize in 2007.
- Novaya Gazeta was awarded the Four Freedoms AwardFour Freedoms AwardThe Four Freedoms Award is an annual award presented to those men and women who have "demonstrated" an achievement to the principles lined out in the Four freedoms speech president Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave to the US Congress on 6 January 1941...
for Freedom of Speech on the 29th of May 2010.
Freelance journalist killed with Markelov
Journalist and human rights lawyer Stanislav MarkelovStanislav Markelov
Stanislav Yuryevich Markelov was a human rights lawyer and journalist who wrote investigative articles on Chechnya. Markelov had been the attorney for the family of Elza Kungaeva, a young Chechen woman killed by Russian colonel Yuri Budanov, who was released from prison in mid-January, 15 months...
was shot and killed in Moscow on 19 January 2009 leaving a press conference about his last minute appeal against the early release of Yuri Budanov
Yuri Budanov
Yuri Dmitrievich Budanov was the Russian military officer convicted by a Russian court of kidnapping and murder in Chechnya.Budanov was highly controversial in Russia: despite the conviction, Budanov enjoyed widespread support of Russian households, as polled by public opinion. At the same time,...
, a former commander imprisoned for kidnapping, abuse of power and aggravated murder of a young Chechen woman. Anastasia Baburova
Anastasia Baburova
Anastasia Eduardivna Baburova was a journalist for Novaya Gazeta and a student of journalism at Moscow State University. She was born in Sevastopol, Ukraine.A member of Autonomous Action, she investigated activities of neo-Nazi groups...
, a freelance journalist for Novaya Gazeta and a member of Autonomous Action
Autonomous Action
Autonomous Action, Avtonomnoe Deystvie, is a revolutionary anarchist federation in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine that was founded in January 2002.AD is composed of anarcho-communists, syndicalists, autonomist-marxists, and radical ecologists...
, was with Markevlov at the time and was also shot and killed. Racist groups hailed Markelov's killing in Internet chatter, but it is unclear whether they were behind it.
External links
, computer translation, English edition.- LiveJournal page
- Image of the current issue's front page.
- Interview with Novaya Gazeta’s Editor-in-Chief Dmitriy Muratov by US Secretary Condoleezza Rice
- Novaya Gazeta Fined $1.5 Million for Libel by Nabi Abdullaev, The Moscow TimesThe Moscow TimesThe Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
, March 19, 2002. - Noviye Izvestia Dead Who's Next? by Vladimir PribylovskyVladimir PribylovskyVladimir Valerianovich Pribylovsky is a Russian historian, journalist and human rights advocate opposed to current Russian authorities.-Biography:...
, The Moscow TimesThe Moscow TimesThe Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
, February 28, 2003.