Sputnik (magazine)
The magazine Sputnik (Russian attendant ) was founded in 1967 and published by the Soviet news agency Novosti in various languages. The target group was the socialist and Western countries. It served to about 1991 as a journalistic Ambassador of the Soviet Union. Today, it is mainly aimed at Russians abroad and only appears in Russian.
Sputnik saw himself as a digest of the Soviet press and attributed this as a subtitle. According to published articles from all areas of politics, culture, science and society, most commented throughout with color illustrations and photos as well as editorial features. The cultural diversity of different nationalities and regional geographic and climatic conditions of the country has been documented.
The magazine was printed in a small format and paperback on glossy paper. It was printed partly in Finland. Since the target group was also in the west, the editors sought to waive an excess of socialist rhetoric and, to a limited extent, also to introduce easy system-critical aspects. The German -language edition was distributed in both the GDR and the Federal Republic. Especially popular were the Radio Yerevan jokes that often took weaknesses of socialism on the grain.
In the wake of glasnost and perestroika policies of the CPSU General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev critical reporting also increased in the magazine Sputnik. The East German citizens experienced in this way about the political upheaval in the Soviet Union and read about Stalin's crimes, which was compared with Hitler. So far ostracized artists were rehabilitated in Sputnik articles, so the magazine in the GDR was always sought after.
Prohibition in the GDR in 1988
The SED leadership particularly irritated some articles about Stalin, who was always a staunch opponent of the Nazi dictatorship in their view. As Sputnik in the fall of 1988 reported on the Hitler -Stalin Pact of November 24, 1939, this official view began to falter.
Therefore, the East German government put a stop on 18 November 1988, the delivery of the magazine by the PZV, which amounted to a prohibition. The SED newspaper Neues brought to Germany on November 19 under the heading "Communication from the press office of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications " message " Berlin ( ADN). As the press office of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has announced that the magazine " Sputnik " was removed from the post newspaper list. She brings no contribution serves to consolidate the German -Soviet Friendship, instead distorting contributions to history. " No further reason was given. It was contrary to the doctrine own ( eternal friendship with the people of the Soviet Union at all levels, not just the government level) still noted that Sputnik was not an organ of the Soviet government and therefore could not adequately represent the Soviet Union. The indexed edition 10/1988 first reported under the heading Stalin and the war on the SED are denying of the Hitler -Stalin pact.
With the ban, the SED leadership fueled the resentment in the GDR and even in the party to continue. The word Sputnik - on leaflets or inscription - became synonymous with the suppression of expression and freedom of the press by the SED and their falsification of history on the role of Stalin. About the ban whispered GDR citizens not only anxious behind his hand.
The opposition Umweltblätter reported in December 1988 of protests against the ban practice that also affected five current Soviet films, and printed the most important contributions of the banned monthly journal after. An article discussed the question, " If there had been no Hitler, Stalin, where? " The focus was on contributions to Stalin, his dictatorship, his followers and the consequences. Even at its prominent successor Leonid Brezhnev was criticized. While reading the article, it became clear why the SED Politburo wanted it withheld its citizens. The parallels to his own power practice were obvious.
The magazine Sputnik is still on the European market, however, only in Russian as " Sputnik Novosti ". The target group are now particularly Russians abroad.