Russia Beyond
The year 2007 marked the birth of Russia Beyond The Headlines. Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a newspaper published by the government of Russia, launched this multilingual project that same year. Eugene Abov served as the first publisher of the initiative. He held the position of deputy CEO at Rossiyskaya Gazeta during those early days. This state-backed effort aimed to present Russian perspectives to international audiences from its very inception.
On the 9th of January 2016, RBTH became part of TV-Novosti while retaining its own distinct brand. The organization later dropped all printed versions in 2017. This shift signaled a move away from physical media toward digital platforms. The parent company ANO TV-Novosti now operates the project alongside RT, formerly known as Russia Today. These structural changes redefined how the outlet functioned within the Russian media landscape.
Russia Beyond used a stylized R as its logo for nine years before making a change. On the 20th of February 2023, the project introduced a completely new one. Earlier updates occurred on the 5th of September 2017 when the name shortened to just Russia Beyond. That refresh also altered the look and feel of the English edition substantially. Designers removed elements regarded as distracting on screen when reading stories or watching videos.
In Europe, the media outlet paid London's Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro in France, Süddeutsche Zeitung in Germany, and the Italian daily La Repubblica to distribute supplements. In the United States it partnered with The Washington Post until 2015. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times were bundling the insert into their regular editions as of 2018. Beyond the Headlines paid the Daily Telegraph £40,000 per month to be distributed as a supplement to its weekend publication. The monthly Russia-themed supplement first appeared under the name Russia Now in 2007.
In 2007 former Slate journalist Jack Shafer accused Russia Beyond of being propaganda. Roy Greenslade, a commentator for The Guardian, made similar charges in 2014. These critics viewed the outlet as a state propaganda tool rather than independent journalism. Such assessments highlighted tensions between Western observers and Russian state media operations. The accusations persisted even as distribution deals expanded across multiple continents.
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Common questions
When was Russia Beyond The Headlines launched?
Russia Beyond The Headlines launched in 2007 as a multilingual project by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Eugene Abov served as the first publisher of this state-backed initiative.
Who owns Russia Beyond now and when did it join TV-Novosti?
The organization ANO TV-Novosti operates Russia Beyond alongside RT since the 9th of January 2016. This date marks when RBTH became part of TV-Novosti while retaining its own distinct brand.
What changes happened to the Russia Beyond logo and name in 2023?
On the 20th of February 2023, the project introduced a completely new logo after using a stylized R for nine years. Earlier updates occurred on the 5th of September 2017 when the name shortened to just Russia Beyond.
Which newspapers distributed Russia Now supplements in Europe and the United States?
In Europe, the media outlet paid London's Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro in France, Süddeutsche Zeitung in Germany, and the Italian daily La Repubblica to distribute supplements. In the United States it partnered with The Washington Post until 2015 before The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times began bundling the insert into their regular editions as of 2018.
When did critics accuse Russia Beyond of being propaganda?
Former Slate journalist Jack Shafer accused Russia Beyond of being propaganda in 2007. Roy Greenslade, a commentator for The Guardian, made similar charges in 2014 regarding state propaganda operations.