Ashes for Rabinovich

A Ukrainian media tycoon has become the owner of Moscow News

52-year-old Israeli citizen Vadim Rabinovich will have to defend freedom of speech in Russia and defend liberal freedoms. It was he who became the new owner of the Moscow News newspaper, which, after a series of scandals, the previous owner - co-owner of Menatep Group Leonid Nevzlin - promised to sell “at least for one dollar” to anyone who agrees in our country to fight with the printed word for democratic freedoms and will maintain independence from the power of one of the mouthpieces of perestroika. Apparently, Mr. Rabinovich, who is one of the key figures in the Ukrainian media market, decided to take on this task. Yesterday, the Media International Group holding, of which he is president, confirmed information about the purchase of 100% of the shares of the Moscow News company and the distribution network of this publication. “MN” will join the holding, which, in addition to the Ukrainian publishing house “CN-Capital News” and the television and radio company AITI, also includes the weekly newspaper “MIG” published in Israel and the daily newspaper “New Russian Word” (USA, Canada) aimed at immigrants from the USSR , Europe). Vadim Rabinovich had previously shown interest in the Russian media market - in any case, his name appeared in the domestic press in 2001 in connection with his intention (which never materialized) to buy about 30% of NTV shares. Now the Ukrainian media tycoon has finally become the owner of the famous Russian publication.

According to Vremya Novostei, the deal to sell Moskovskiye Novosti was completed on Wednesday. The amount has not yet been disclosed, however, according to our sources, the matter was not limited to one dollar. In any case, Vadim Rabinovich got a newspaper brand recognizable in Russia and the CIS and a “construction site” very reminiscent of ashes, on which, under the guise of “MN”, one can begin the creation of a new team. Before the sale, Leonid Nevzlin helped relieve the new owner of the newspaper from moral and material obligations to the staff and the public council at the editorial office. The indecently prolonged conflict between the last editor-in-chief of MN and the group of old-timers of the publication that he fired led to the resignation of the supervisory board. Last week, having learned that Mr. Kiselev not only refuses to return previously dismissed employees, but also appointed two new deputies, council members Lyudmila Alekseeva, Yuri Afanasyev, Alexander Gelman, Yuri Levada, Yuri Ryzhov, Alexander Yakovlev, Egor Yakovlev and Yevgeny Yasin considered themselves deceived and declared that they abdicated all responsibility for the publication. Mr. Nevzlin, graphically indignant at the “incorrectness” of Yevgeny Kiselyov, publicly apologized to authoritative members of the public and stated that he had no other choice “except to get rid of the newspaper.” True, having previously saved her from the editor who brought into her a powerful scandalous current.

According to Vremya Novostei, the decision to resign Mr. Kiselev was made on Wednesday, however, at the end of the week, Moscow News press secretary Tatyana Blinova denied the dismissal of the editor-in-chief. “There was no talk of appointments or resignations,” she described the Saturday staff meeting at which the change in ownership of the newspaper was officially announced. True, she confirmed that Evgeniy Kiselyov was no longer at this event.

It is expected that the names of the new editor-in-chief and general director of MN will be announced today.

Irina BELASHEVA