«Argumenty i Fakty» («AiF») is the largest and most popular weekly publication in Russia and leads the Russian press abroad. «AiF» has 32-64 pages in the Russian language.

The precise make-up of the newspaper varies according to region and includes; the main newspaper body with regional supplements and articles drawn from our world-wide correspondent network and representative offices abroad. The newspaper reaches readers of all ages and income levels among them: politicians, businessmen, technicians, office workers and home-makers.

«AiF» has won many Russian and international awards, and it continues to top readers polls run by the most influential media analyst organisations. In 1990 «Argumenty i Fakty» was listed in the Guinness Book of Records with the largest circulation of any weekly publication, at 33 400 000 copies worldwide. «Argumenty i Fakty» weekly has become a leading information source for both Russian speakers abroad and those with an interest in Russian culture and news and is well known in the CIS states, USA, Canada, Australia, Israel and throughout Europe.

History

First «AiF» issue. January, 1978. «Argumenty i Fakty» is a comparatively new publication whose history closely parallels that of the Russian society which spawned it. In the perestroika period of the 80’s «AiF» became the first fully independent publication in Russia, with little state oversight or control. From this position it was able to put forward the views of the general population and was a key mechanism for collecting and disseminating of unbiased news and opinion. Some key points in AiF’s history are listed below: