Izvestia

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Izvestia functioned as a long-running high-circulation daily newspaper in the Soviet Union. While Pravda served as the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party, Izvestia expressed the official views of the Soviet government as published by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The name in Russian means "news" and is short for Izvestiya Sovetov Narodnykh Deputatov SSSR (in Russian, Известия Советов народных депутатов СССР, the Reports of Soviets of Peoples' Deputies of the USSR).

The newspaper began as the News of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers Deputies on 13 March 1917 [O.S. 28 February] in Petrograd. Initially, the paper expressed Menshevik and Socialist-Revolutionary Party views.

In August 1917 it took the title News of the Central Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. By October 1917 it became News of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets of Working and Military Deputies, and was eventually retitled Izvestiya Sovetov Narodnykh Deputatov SSSR.

After the Second All-Union Congress of Soviets, Izvestia became an official newspaper of the Soviet government (Central Executive Committee of the Supreme Soviet and Sovnarkom).

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Izvestia, describes itself as an "all-national" newspaper of Russia. Being one of the last major Russian-language newspapers critical of president Vladimir Putin, it was purchased by state-owned Gazprom on Friday 3rd June, 2005. As of 2005, the circulation of Izvestia is 240,967.