Izvestiia served as the paper of record—the official daily newspaper—of the Soviet government from 1917 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, when Izvestiia became an independent publication.
During the February Revolution of 1917, Izvestiia was founded in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) as the main newspaper of “The Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies.” At the time, Izvestiia reflected the views more common among the Menshiviks and other democratic socialist parties, with a moderate lean toward other liberal opposition groups. After the October Socialist Revolution, Izvestiia passed into the hands of the Bolsheviks. When the new Soviet government transferred the capital to Moscow, the newspaper was relocated as well. During the Soviet era, Izvestiia became the mouthpiece of the Kremlin, informing the public of government policies through its pages. Izvestiia was also recognized for its extensive international coverage, having correspondents in more than 30 foreign countries. This also made the paper an important channel for Soviet foreign policy.
Researchers of language, history, international relations, economics, social sciences, and more have access to a rich source of Russian documentary history from one easy search. The Izvestiia Digital Archive delivers unprecedented access to a repository chronicling the dramatic transformation of Soviet society, from Izvestiia’s beginnings as the official publication of Lenin’s revolutionary contemporaries to its status as the official publication of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
From the first day of publication in February 1917, Izvestiia published first-hand accounts of events that shook the world, from the Russian Revolution, the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, Sputnik, and the fall of the Berlin wall. During the Soviet era, Izvestiia was less ideologically vocal than official party newspapers. The newspaper also played a real role during the Khrushchev era “Thaw” when the paper’s editors advocated de-Stalinization and reform.
