Leningradskaia Pravda Digital Archive

During the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks seized control of Petrograd and precipitated the Russian Civil War (1917-1923). As part of their effort to curb imperial influence, the Bolsheviks closed the newspaper Sanktpeterburgskiia Viedomosti, which had been founded by Peter the Great in 1702. 

After Pravda was relocated to Moscow in 1918, Petrogradskaia Pravda was established to function as the official organ of the local Communist Party committees and soviets. During this time, it covered events such as the Polish-Soviet War (1918-1921) and the establishment of the Soviet Union (1922).

Following Lenin’s death in 1924, Petrograd was renamed Leningrad—and the title was subsequently renamed Leningradskaia Pravda.

Leningradskaia Pravda is perhaps best known for continuously publishing during the Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944), during which time only a single issue did not appear. Following World War II, the title covered the trials and executions of Nazis who committed atrocities during the siege.

Leningradskaia Pravda continued to publish through the second half of the twentieth century, during which time the publication was awarded the Order of Lenin for its revolutionary merits. Following the August 1991 Soviet coup attempt, the newspaper ceased publication. 

The Leningradskaia Pravda Digital Archive is a valuable resource for scholars of history, politics, sociology, and Slavic studies. It also represents a valuable historical preservation project and may be of interest to institutions that study war, genocide, and the Holocaust. 

When paired with Sanktpeterburgskiia Viedomosti from our Open Access Russian Imperial Newspapers collection and Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti from our Russian Central Newspapers (UDB-COM) database, this archive completes the most definitive collection of what is popularly viewed as the longest publishing newspaper in Russia.