Moskovskij Komsomolets[a] (MK; Russian: Московский комсомолец, lit.'Moscow Komsomolets') is a Moscow-based daily newspaper with a circulation approaching one million, covering general news.[4] Founded in 1919, it is famed for its topical reporting on Russian politics and society.[5]

Moskovskij Komsomolets
The front page of MK (PDF ver.)
on 15 January 2021.
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatTabloid
Editor-in-chiefPavel Gusev
Founded1919
LanguageRussian
HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
123995, 1905 Goda Street, Building 7, Block 1
Circulation930,000[1]
ISSN1562-1987
Websitewww.mk.ru
five men in suits gathered around a table
Gusev (leftmost) during President Vladimir Putin's interview to the chief editors of Russian leading newspapers, 22 March 2001

History

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The newspaper was first published by the Moscow Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol) on 11 December 1919 as Yunyi Kommunar (Russian: Юный коммунар, lit.'Young Communard'). Over the next years it changed its name several time, starting a few months after the first issue when it became the Yunosheskaya Pravda (Russian: Юношеская правда, lit.'Youth Truth'). In 1924, after Vladimir Lenin's death, it was renamed to Molodoy Leninets (Russian: Молодой ленинец, lit.'Young Leninist'). It took its present-day name in September 1929.[6]

Between 1931 and 1939, the paper ceased publication. It was revived in 1940, but not for long: World War II interrupted publishing again in August 1941. Publishing resumed only on 2 October 1945. Until 1990, it served as the organ of the Moscow Committee and the Moscow City Committee of the Komsomol. In 1991, it was taken over by its editorial staff.[6]

Editors-in-chief

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Since 1983, Pavel Gusev has served as MK's editor-in-chief.[7]

Previous editors-in-chief include:

Contents

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The paper specialises in topical social and political material, economic surveys, city news, urban chronicles and diverse information.[6]

ZD Awards

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MK is also known as the host of Russia's oldest hit parade Zvukovaya Dorozhka (Russian: Звуковая дорожка, lit.'Sound Track'). It was founded in autumn 1975 by Yu. V. Filonov.[10] Also called the ZD Awards, it features both Russian and international acts. Since 2003, it has been held in concert halls. It is considered one of the major Russian music awards.[11]

Controversies

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Conflict around the article "Political prostitution has changed gender"

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On 16 March 2013, an article by Georgy Yans, titled "Political prostitution has changed gender", appeared in MK.[12] In it, Yans wrote about the political careers of three female State Duma deputies from United Russia: Olga Batalina, Ekaterina Lakhova, and Irina Yarovaya.

On the same day, United Russia State Duma deputy Andrey Isayev promised on Twitter to "toughly" deal with the authors who allowed themselves to enact a "dirty attack on three female deputies", while calling the bloggers who responded to his tweet "small creatures" who "are indifferent to" Isayev and the deputies.[13]

On 20 March 2013, United Russia deputies Sergey Neverov, Alexander Sidyakin [ru], Sergei Zheleznyak, Robert Schlegel, Olga Batalina, Ekaterina Lakhova, and Mikhail Markelov [ru] wrote requests to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where they asked to check the publication of an advertisement of "dubious nature" in MK. In their opinion, the editor-in-chief of MK "cannot help but know about the true nature of these advertisements".[14] Gazeta.Ru associated this move by the deputies with the conflict between Andrey Isayev and MK.[15]

On 22 March 2013, United Russia deputies demanded that the building of the editorial office of MK be returned to Moscow ownership. The initiators were four members of the United Russia faction: Anatoly Vyborny, Danil Volkov [ru], Vladimir Ponevezhsky [ru], and Valery Trapeznikov [ru].[16]

In October 2013, unknown persons bombarded the newspaper's editorial office with smoke bombs. Pavel Gusev believes that "some people from United Russia" are behind the attack, and the action itself is an act of revenge for the article.[17][18]

Circulation

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According to a poll conducted in May 2004 by the Levada Center, 9% of the Russians and 33% of the Moscovites who responded, read the paper "more or less regularly". For the year 2000 the poll reports 11% and 40%, respectively.[19]

It has a printed circulation of between 700,000[6] and 930,000[1] copies.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The newspaper officially uses the transliteration "Moskovskij Komsomolets" as a secondary name on its front page and website.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Московский Комсомолец [Moskovskij Komsomolets] (in Russian). RIA O'Key. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  2. ^ ИД "Московский Комсомолец": история успеха [Publishing House "Moskovskij Komsomolets": the story of success]. mkgazeta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Newspaper MK Moskovskii Komsomolets - read electronic version of the publication". pressa.ru. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Moskovskiy Komsomolets". Mondo Times. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Размещение рекламы в газете Московский комсомолец (МК)". de-tally.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d "Газета "Московский комсомолец". Справка". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Власть, зеркало или служанка?: энциклопедия жизни современной российской журналистики [Power, Mirror or Servant?: An Encyclopedia of the Life of Modern Russian Journalism] (in Russian). Vol. 2. Moscow: Russian Union of Journalists. 1998. p. 51. ISBN 5-88833-048-5.
  8. ^ Schmidt, S. O., ed. (2012). Субботин Александр Михайлович [Subbotin Aleksandr Mikhaylovich]. Московская энциклопедия: Книга 4. Р—Т [Moscow Encyclopedia: Book 4. R–T] (in Russian). Vol. 1. Moscow: Moskovskiye uchebniki. p. [page needed]. ISBN 978-5-7853-1503-7. Retrieved 11 October 2024 – via Moscow-Tombs.[Wikipedia:Citing sources|page-needed]&rft.pub=Moskovskiye uchebniki&rft.date=2012&rft.isbn=978-5-7853-1503-7&rft_id=https://moscow-tombs.ru/by-years/subbotin_am/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Moskovskij Komsomolets" class="Z3988">
  9. ^ Schmidt, S. O., ed. (2007). Борисов Михаил Алексеевич [Borisov Mikhail Alekseyevich]. Московская энциклопедия: Книга 1. А—З [Moscow Encyclopedia: Book 1. A–Z] (in Russian). Vol. 1. Moscow: Moskvovedeniye. p. 211. ISBN 978-5-903633-01-2. Retrieved 11 October 2024 – via Moscow-Tombs.
  10. ^ ""Московский Комсомолец" 19.06.1992 (М. Пушкина, Д. Шавырин, А. Троицкий)". nneformat.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  11. ^ "ZD Awards to Take Place in Izvestia Hall". tophit.ru. 11 April 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  12. ^ Yans, Georgy (16 March 2013). Политическая проституция сменила пол [Political prostitution has changed gender]. Moskovskij Komsomolets (in Russian). No. 26187. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013.
  13. ^ "Депутат-единорос пригрозил журналистам в твиттере". Lenta.ru (in Russian). 16 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  14. ^ "«Единая Россия» попросила проверить «рекламу секс-услуг» в «МК»". Lenta.ru (in Russian). 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Скандал в публичном доме". Gazeta.Ru (in Russian). 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  16. ^ "«Единая Россия» потребовала отнять у «МК» здание: комментарий редакции". Moskovskij Komsomolets (in Russian). 22 March 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  17. ^ Пресс-секретарь «Единой России» пригрозил главреду «МК» судом [The press secretary of United Russia threatened the editor-in-chief of MK with court]. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 23 October 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  18. ^ Нападение на редакцию газеты "Московский комсомолец" – очередная месть за публикацию о политической проституции, - считает главный редактор издания Павел Гусев [The attack on the editorial office of the newspaper "Moskovskij Komsomolets" is another revenge for the publication about political prostitution, says the publication's editor-in-chief Pavel Gusev] (in Russian). Echo of Moscow. 23 October 2013. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  19. ^ Чтение газет в России и Москве [Reading newspapers in Russia and Moscow] (in Russian). Levada Center. 7 June 2004. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2014.