Crimean Journalism During the Great Patriotic War

This article explores Crimean journalism during the Great Patriotic War. The author analyzes state media policy, leading regional newspapers of that era, such as «Krasnyj Krym», «Mayak kommuny» and «Kerchenskij rabochij»; naval, frontline, army and divisional editions, such as «Krasnyj chernomorec», «Boevoj natisk», «Syn Otechestva», «V ataku», «Znamya Rodiny» and others; and the partisan newspapers «Krymskij partizan» i «Za Sovetskij Krym». The second part of the article explored the work of leading reporters from central and regional media who have made history in Crimean journalism in the ongoing period. Among them were Konstantin Simonov, Ilya Selvinsky, Sergei Borzenko, Max Alpert, Pavel Troshkin, Evgeny Khaldey, Leonid Yablonsky, Evgeny Petrov, Petr Pavlenko, Boris Lavrenev, Evgeny Stepanov, Sergei Sukovsky, Mikhail Sokhan, Boris Serman, Lazar Lagin, Aleksandr Hamadan, Lev Ish and Boris Sheinin. According to the author, the Great Patriotic War was fought both on the battlefield and on the information and propaganda front, and the main sources of Victory were not only weapons but also a worldview – patriotism, a conviction in the just nature of the war, and knowledge of the truth about the heroism of the Soviet defenders of the Motherland, on the one hand, and about the atrocities of the Nazis in the occupied territories, on the other. The contribution of Crimean journalism to the Victory can be judged, among other things, by its military awards – both collective and individual. Collective awards include the Order of the Red Banner awarded to the newspaper «Krasny Chernomorets» (now «Flag Rodiny»), the medal «For the Defense of Sevastopol» awarded to the newspapers «Slava Sevastopolya», «Krymskaya Pravda» and the same «Krasny Chernomorets». Individual awards include the Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union awarded to Sergei Borzenko, the Order of the Red Banner awarded to Konstantin Simonov, Petr Pavlenko, and Boris Sheinin and the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class awarded to Simonov and Sheinin, Selvinsky, Troshkin, Yablonsky and others.