The Kremlin Wants You To Know There Is More To Mother Russia Than Contract Killings of Bankers and Journalists, So It Is Spending Big For Monthly Inserts In The Washington Post, The UK’s Daily Telegraph and Other Newspapers Around The World

Philip M. Stone - October 19, 2006

The Russian Federation wants a more positive view of the country seen around the world and is willing to pay the price to get it. Via the official Rossliskaya gazeta, the Kremlin has decided to invest several million rubles for a monthly insert, Trendlines Russia, to appear in The Washington Post, and The Daily Telegraph (UK) starting this year and in 10 other major national newspapers in other countries by the end of next year.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, The Washington Post will circulate a monthly six-page Trendlines supplement beginning November 1 and The Daily Telegraph has reached preliminary agreement to a distribute a four-page supplement at the end of each month.

The publications will be financed by the state, and produced by the RIA Novosti News Agency and Rossliskaya gazeta with senior editorial direction coming directly from the Kremlin. An initial grant of 50 million rubles ($2 million) has been given for the project’s initial stage although it is recognized that payments to the newspapers for carrying the inserts will be far higher than that, let alone the editorial costs.

It is not yet clear whether further funding will come direct from the Kremlin or will be hidden within the finances of Rossliskaya gazeta. The newspaper is set to receive  2.6 billion rubles ($100 million) for its 2007 budget in a Bill presently before Parliament.

The idea for the insert apparently comes from Presidential adviser Mikhail Lesin, who was head of the Press Ministry in the late 1990s. He will personally oversee the project for the Kremlin.

Lesnin was one of the prime instigators  for Russia last year launching its English language Russia Today television service. The station is expanding to Latin American and Arabic services next year, with the Arabic service alone set to receive  70 million rubles ($26 million) from next year’s federal budget.

Trendline will focus on showing Russia as investment friendly, but it will also offer the soft side by focusing on sports stars and historical places to visit. The first American edition for the Post will feature Russian boxers and hockey players, the activities of a Russian bank in the US, an interview with the Russian President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and an article on how Russia paid back its war loans early.

A staff of 15 has already been esgtablished and more journalists will be coming in from the US and the UK, according to Kommersant.

Countries promoting their image abroad is nothing new, although it is usually done on a tourism peg. It’s difficult to watch CNN International or BBC World these days without seeing several advertisements within an hour enticing viewers to Egypt, Malaysia, Croatia, India and many other countries.

Russia did have some good news to report about its recent string of contract killings. It says it has charged three Ukrainians with killing Andrei A. Kozlov. the first deputy chairman of Russia’s central bank who was killed execution style last month.. According to media reports the three men were hired by a fourth who provided two guns to commit the murder.

But there have still been no breakthroughs in the investigation of the murder earlier this month of renowned journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was gunned down in her apartment elevator.

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