Kommersant-Vlast

Kommersant-Vlast
Name	Kommersant-Vlast
Type	Weekly magazine
Format	Magazine
Founded	1999
Owner	Kommersant Publishing House
Language	Russian
Headquarters	Moscow

Kommersant-Vlast is a Russian weekly political and business magazine published in Moscow that focuses on political analysis, policy coverage, and investigative journalism about Russian and international affairs. It has covered events involving figures such as Vladimir Putin, Boris Yeltsin, Dmitry Medvedev, Sergei Shoigu and institutions like State Duma (Russian Federation), Federation Council of Russia, Central Bank of Russia and Gazprom. The magazine has reported on crises and events including the First Chechen War, Second Chechen War, 2008 Russo-Georgian War, annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.

History

Kommersant-Vlast was launched by the Kommersant publishing group in the late 1990s amid the political turbulence following the 1998 Russian financial crisis, and it emerged during the administrations of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin with coverage comparable to outlets like Ogoniok, Novaya Gazeta, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Early editorial teams included journalists who previously worked at Pravda, Izvestia, Argumenty i Fakty and Kommersant-Daily, and its pages chronicled events tied to personalities such as Anatoly Chubais, Yegor Gaidar, Sergei Kiriyenko and Alexander Rutskoy. Across the 2000s the magazine documented episodes connected to the YUKOS affair, the Moscow theater hostage crisis, the Beslan school siege, and the 2003 arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, often intersecting with reporting from The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde and Der Spiegel.

Editorial Profile and Content

Kommersant-Vlast offers in-depth reporting and opinion pieces on personalities and institutions such as Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Alexei Navalny, Sergei Lavrov, Nikolai Patrushev and Igor Sechin, and on events including the 2011–2013 Russian protests, the Crimean crisis, and international summits like the G8 and G20. The magazine features interviews with figures from United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and smaller factions, and cultural commentary referencing creators like Andrei Tarkovsky, Sergei Eisenstein, Vladimir Nabokov and Boris Pasternak. Its investigative reporting has intersected with organizations such as Transparency International, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and institutions like the European Court of Human Rights and International Criminal Court.

Circulation and Distribution

Kommersant-Vlast has been distributed across major Russian cities including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Kazan and reached readers abroad in locations such as London, Berlin, New York City, Paris and Beijing through international subscription networks and partnerships with outlets like AFP, Reuters, Bloomberg and BBC News. Circulation figures have fluctuated alongside market forces affected by events such as the 1998 Russian financial crisis, the 2008 global financial crisis, and media consolidation involving companies like Interros and Sistema. The magazine has appeared in print and digital formats alongside platforms maintained by Kommersant and syndicated through services associated with Yandex and Rambler.

Ownership and Management

The magazine is part of the Kommersant media group, historically connected to owners and financiers associated with entities like Alisher Usmanov, Vladimir Potanin, Boris Berezovsky (historically), and corporate structures involving Sberbank and private investment groups, with editorial leadership drawn from journalists who have worked at Kommersant-Daily, Novaya Gazeta, Izvestia and The Moscow Times. Senior editors and managers have at times interacted with political actors including representatives from Presidential Administration of Russia (2000–present), policy advisers linked to Sergei Ivanov, and legal frameworks such as the Mass Media Law (Russian Federation). Ownership changes and executive appointments have mirrored shifts seen across Russian media conglomerates like RBC (RosBusinessConsulting), Gazprom-Media, and Interfax.

Political Stance and Controversies

Kommersant-Vlast's coverage has been characterized variously as pro-reform, pragmatic, and at times critical of administrations from Boris Yeltsin to Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, provoking disputes with state bodies including the Federal Security Service (Russia), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), and regulatory agencies such as the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media. Controversial episodes include reportage touching on the YUKOS affair, allegations linked to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, reporting on Ukraine–Russia relations, and investigative pieces that drew reactions from figures like Igor Sechin and Viktor Zubkov. The magazine has faced legal pressures and advertiser responses similar to those experienced by Novaya Gazeta, Echo of Moscow, Dozhd (TV Rain), and international outlets such as The Washington Post when covering sensitive topics like sanctions, corruption, and national security.

Awards and Recognition

Kommersant-Vlast and its journalists have received industry recognition from institutions and awards including those associated with European Press Prize, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Russian media prizes that involve juries including editors from RBK, Kommersant-Daily, Meduza and coverage cited by international organizations like Reporters Without Borders and Committee to Protect Journalists. Contributors have been shortlisted for prizes connected to reporting on personalities such as Anna Politkovskaya and issues involving cases adjudicated at the European Court of Human Rights and the International Press Institute.

Category:Russian magazines Category:Russian-language magazines Category:Magazines established in 1999