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Lenta.ru

Lenta.ru (stylised as LƐNTA.RU) is a Russian-language online newspaper. Based in Moscow, it is owned by Rambler Media Group. In 2013, the Alexander Mamut-owned companies "SUP Media" and "Rambler-Afisha" merged to form "Afisha.Rambler.SUP", which owns Lenta.ru.[1] In 2012, the online newspaper was one of the most popular Russian language online resources with over 600 thousand visitors daily.[2]

In March 2014, Lenta.ru underwent a change of leadership following politically motivated interference by its owner. Editor-in-chief Galina Timchenko and 39 staff members left the outlet and later founded a newspaper Meduza, in November of the same year.[3][4]

History

In 1999 Anton Nosik launched Lenta.ru together with Gleb Pavlovsky[5][6] of the Foundation for Effective Politics.[7] It was (like vesti.ru) a sister e-news project under the brand Gazeta.Ru.[8] Nosik served as its chief editor till 2004.[7]

A Berkman Center 2010 study found it to be the most cited news source in the Russian blogosphere.[9]

In 2013, Alexander Mamut through his ownership of the Afisha-Rambler-SUP Group acquired Lenta.ru.[1]

In 2013, Lenta.ru was ranked by comScore-study the 5th in terms of traffic among European news websites (in all languages).[10]

In January 2013, the website was relaunched with a new design and significant changes to the rubricating system. This was the most serious update of the site since 2004.[11]

In 2020, Mamut sold Rambler to Sberbank.[12]

Replacement of the leadership and staff in 2014

Following a March 10, 2014, Lenta.ru interview by Ilya Azar of from the Right Sector's Kyiv branch,[13] Russian censorship organization Roskomnadzor accused Lenta.ru of violating Russian media censorship and "counter-extremism" laws.[14][13][15][16][17][18] Since the warning by Roskomnadzor was the second issued in a 12-month period, Roskomnadzor could ask the courts to terminate Lenta.ru's mass media license.[14][17] Both the BBC and The Economist called Russian state response to the publications by Lenta.ru a censorship.[1][19]

On March 12, 2014 the owner, Alexander Mamut, fired the Editor-in-Chief Galina Timchenko and replaced her with Alexey Goreslavsky. Thirty-nine employees out of the total 84, including Director-general Yuliya Minder, lost their jobs. This includes 32 writing journalists, all photo-editors (5 people) and 6 administrators.[20] The employees of Lenta.ru issued a statement that the purpose of the move was to install a new Editor-in-Chief directly controlled by the Kremlin and turn the website into a propaganda tool.[21] Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, referred to the move as a manifestation of censorship.[22]

Galina Timchenko, together with a team of around 20 journalists who resigned from their jobs at Lenta.ru, started the new internet newspaper Meduza.[23][24]

Coverage of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 9 May 2022, the Russian Victory Day, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lenta.ru briefly displayed information about the Russian war against Ukraine in a way that did not comply with government regulations or the enforced guidelines of Lenta.ru. Articles were published regarding the mass killing of civilians, looting, abandoned bodies of Russian troops, the destruction of Mariupol, censorship, governmental lies to relatives of deceased soldiers, attacks against the freedom of press, and more. Lenta.ru journalists Egor Polyakov and Alexandra Miroshnikova have stated that they were the authors of these articles, and reported that they now need new jobs, lawyers, and political asylum. The content was quickly removed, but can be found in Wayback Machine.[25][26]

Chief editors

  • Anton Nosik (1999–2004)
  • Galina Timchenko (2004–2014)
  • Alexey Goreslavsky (2014–2016)
  • Alexander Belonovsky (2016–2017)
  • Vladimir Todorov (since 2017)[27]

Management

  • Director-general: Andrey Solomennik
  • Editor-in-Chief: Vladimir Todorov
  • Programmer: Maksim Moshkow[28] (until 2009)[29]

Awards and recognitions

Lenta.ru has taken first place four times in the Rotor contest in the category "Information site of the year" and once, in 2000 in the category "News site of the year".[30][31]

Maxim Moshkov has won the Rotor twice (in the categories "Programmer of the Year" in 1999 and "Man of the Year" in 2005).[32]

External links

References

  1. Russia Lenta.ru editor Timchenko fired in Ukraine row BBC, 12 March 2014, retrieved 17 April 2021^
  2. Rambler's Top 100 usage statistics for Lenta.Ru Rambler, 20 October 2008, retrieved 21 October 2008^
  3. Галина Тимченко: «Никто из нас не мечтает делать «Колокол» Forbes.ru, 2014-09-15, retrieved 2025-10-14^
  4. Российская аудитория сайта Meduza.io достигла 1,3 млн человек в месяц РБК, 2015-01-28, retrieved 2025-10-14^
  5. ISBN 978-5-17-086970-1^
  6. ISBN 978-5-17-132827-6^
  7. Фото: Два года без Антона Носика Газета.Ru, 9 July 2019, retrieved 2020-07-27^
  8. Helena Goscilo, Vlad Strukov. Celebrity and Glamour in Contemporary Russia: Shocking Chic Routledge, 2010-10-04^
  9. Public Discourse in the Russian Blogosphere: Mapping RuNet Politics and Mobilization Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 18 October 2010, retrieved 11 March 2019^
  10. Сайт РИА Новости вошел в двадцатку самых посещаемых сайтов в Европе РИА Новости, 2013-06-25, retrieved 2020-07-28^
  11. Антон Благовещенский. Lenta.ru обновила дизайн без "Студии Лебедева" Российская газета, 21 January 2013, retrieved 2020-07-28^
  12. Человек без костей Спецкор «Медузы» Анастасия Якорева рассказывает, как отличный юрист и удачливый переговорщик Александр Мамут сломался на медийном бизнесе Meduza, 3 March 2021, retrieved 17 April 2021^
  13. Илья (Azar, Ilya) Азар. "Мы — не вооруженные силы": Интервью с одним из лидеров украинского "Правого сектора" Lentka.com, 10 March 2014, retrieved 10 January 2020^
  14. Роскомнадзор вынес предупреждение электронному периодическому изданию "Лента.ру" за распространение материалов экстремистского характер Roskomnadzor, 12 March 2014, retrieved 10 January 2020^
  15. Правый сектор объявил срочную мобилизацию и вооружение Ukrayinska Pravda, 1 March 2014, retrieved 10 January 2020^
  16. Коллектив Ленты.ру не согласен со сменой главного редактора: В опубликованном коллективом письме, подписи под которым поставили 70 сотрудников редакции, журналисты назвали смену главного редактора прямым давлением на редакцию "Ленты.ру" и нарушением закона о СМИ. RIA Novosti, 12 March 2014, retrieved 10 January 2020^
  17. "Лента.ру" получила предупреждение от Роскомнадзора за интервью с одним из лидеров "Правого сектора" Echo Moscow, 12 March 2014, retrieved 10 January 2020^
  18. Роскомнадзор предупредил "Ленту.ру" за экстремистское интервью Свободная Пресса (Svobodnaya Press), 12 March 2014, retrieved 10 January 2020^
  19. We have ways of making you talk: Russia's stranglehold on journalists has become rather plain lately The Economist, 14 March 2014, retrieved 17 April 2021^
  20. В Lenta.ru сменился гендиректор и уволились 39 сотрудников 13 March 2014, retrieved 11 March 2019^
  21. Lenta.ru Lenta.ru, 12 March 2014, retrieved 11 March 2019^
  22. Olga Razumovskaya. Russian News Editor Fired Over Ukrainian Nationalist Interview The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2014, retrieved 11 March 2019^
  23. I was 'fired' because of the Kremlin BBC News, retrieved 2020-07-06^
  24. Nadia Beard. Russian journalists set up shop in Latvia after Kremlin crackdown The Guardian, 23 October 2014, retrieved 11 July 2017^
  25. Lenta.ru briefly filled with anti-war, anti-Putin content Two employees claimed responsibility for the protest Meduza, 9 May 2022^
  26. Pjotr Sauer. 'Paranoid dictator': Russian journalists fill pro-Kremlin site with anti-war articles The Guardian, 9 May 2022^
  27. В Lenta.ru сменился главный редактор РБК, 8 February 2016, retrieved 2020-07-29^
  28. Кто делает Lenta.ru Lenta.ru, 20 November 2012, retrieved 11 March 2019^
  29. Maksim E. Moshkow Lib.ru, retrieved 11 March 2019^
  30. Подведены итоги ежегодного профессионального конкурса Российский Онлайн ТОР за 2008 год 2008-03-22, retrieved 2020-07-30^
  31. Професcионалы профессионалам: Подведены итоги конкурса РОТОР++ 2007 Lenta.ru, retrieved 2020-07-30^
  32. Панорама высоких технологий. Объявлены результаты интернет-конкурса РОТОР 2005 Радио Свобода, 2005-04-26, retrieved 2020-07-30^