I am Dmitry Sudakov, editor of Russia’s leading newspaper Pravda

my question is this, back in the soviet era, Pravda was an incredibly useful part of russian life due to shortage of actual toilet paper. Now that toilet paper is readily available what role does your paper play in russian society today?

What an ironic question. MY answer to this is that we're only online

We are an independent online publication. We used to be the Soivet mouthpiece but then became an independent publication

What were you hoping to get out of this AMA? An improved global opinion on the legitimacy of your newspaper?

In fact, this is the first time we're doing it, I had no idea what it would all look like until I tried it. But, I was hoping to get in touch with people and see what they think, of course, we can;t change anything globally here.

On a more elevated note, I would say that we're (a lot of Russians) are sick and tired of all the bellicose rhetoric that politicians produce. All the recent news trends are very frustrating, it seems that the friendship between Russia and the USA has been buried forever. All this makes me sad in a way, because I always liked America and always wanted to go there (never been to the States), but now it just seems impossible. It's sad that policy-makers set different peoples against each other

Have you ever fired your gun in the air and yelled, 'Aaaaaaah?'

Edit: YARR HARR MATEY, THANK YE FOR THE GOLDEN DUBLOON

I don't have a gun, I never fired any, only in a place... what do you call it.. a shooting saloon?

Ok, people, I think I'm finished here, it's getting late here and I gotta go. Time for a cup of tea too! Thank you for your questions. Apart from what is going on in the world today, I do hope that Russians and Americans will remain friends no matter what. It would not be a lie if I say that we've always been attracted to each other as nations. Let's not kill this. I wish everyone to have a very good day, and please pass a very warm welcome to your loved ones from Russia. Just say Dmitry from Pravda said hi :) and if you ever wish to follow up with Russia's views on various things, you can always go to pravdareport.com

I’d tell you to go fuck yourself with a rusty spoon but I have the feeling it might have been in the cards for you tonight anyways tovarish

Don't be mean to others, and your life will get better in every way

What proof, if any, can you provide that supports your claims to not be governed by the state? Given the history of Russia, especially under current political circumstances, it is hard to take such statements at face value.

Actually, there are many media outlets here that are opposed to the official line of the Kremlin. In general, I have to say that we support Russia's foreign policy, but we can be critical of the government and the Kremlin about domestic issues, such as the widely discussed retirement age issue

What’s the biggest misconception people have about Russia?

Well, they think Russia is a dull, cold and gloomy country ful of very unfriendly people. I've heard that many in America believe that there are bears roaming in the streets of Russian cities, but this is so not true. No bears hahahaha :) And those who visited Russia during the World Cup could see how great Russia is

bears roaming in the streets

As an American I’ll clear this up, we don’t think they’re just roaming. We know they ride unicycles & wear little hats.

(I’m only playing, Russia does seem like a extremely beautiful place.. at least the environment.)

hahaha thanks for a funny comment. thumbs up! :)

From the 14 characteristics of Fascism:

1. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

I perceive that there is a current of fascism in Russia, because of the treatment of homosexuals.

My question is this - what is the reality of how homosexuals are perceived and treated in Russia? Or has media bias spun this out of proportion in the West?

OMG Why would you say THAT? I strongly disagree with you. You could have put it differently, but FASCISM??? Our grandfathers used to struggle against it, millions of Russians had been killed in that war, we despise fascism. As for your question about LGBT, I would say that LGBT people can be more or less just fine here, but they would have to move to bigger cities. I believe that they feel great in Moscow and St. Pete, but they would need to keep their private life private. Russia is a country that follows traditional values nad people tend to disrespect something that comes contrary to traditional things. In Russia, legal gay marriage seems unimaginable. I do not think it would ever happen here some time soon. But there are gay clubs in big cities, they have their sites and places of meeting - they have their own environment so to speak. Plus, there are big pop stars here who are gay and everyone knows that but people love them for their artistry anyway and are happy to go to see them in concerts.

A very warm Privet (Hello) from Russia!!

What do you believe to be the most important story Pravda has broken in the past year? Why did you feel it was so important?

The most important story was, I think, the op-ed by Senator John McCain (may he rest in peace). If you haven't read it, you should! http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/19-09-2013/125705-McCain_for_pravda_ru-0/

Is this visible in russia?

it is

« May he rest in piece »

Sorry i misspelled, but just corrected

Did you expect to get torched this bad when you posted or did you expect to be taken seriously?

No, I knew people would be throwing their darts at me - this AMA is actually a bright example of what online discussions look like these days

What happens if an editor wrote a negative or not "approved" article about Putin and his corrupt friends?

Do they get a warning? Fired? Or just accidentally poisoned themself?

No, actually we have been critical of Putin in his initiative to raise the retirement age in Russia. It's upsetting that people think of him as a dictator, but he is not - these are just my personal thoughts

Is the retirement age the only issue your publication has had with Putin?

No, there are others. Current social tensions in Russia- prices are rising and rising on everything, life gets increasingly expensive and all this never seems to stop even though we live in such a wealthy country with all this natural wealth

Do you drink tea?

yes, i love tea :)

Hello Dmitry! My question for you is in regard to travel. Besides the most commonly considered areas to visit, such as Moscow or Saint Petersburg, what is a lesser known place in Russia that you feel isn't visited as much but should see far more tourists, and why should people visit that place?

A lot of places to visit. The first thing that comes to mind is Kazan. Then there's the city of Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Saranks, Belgorod. If you're considering a city in Russia other than Moscow and St. Pete I would recommend Kazan. Moscow and St. Pete are very European but Kazan is a lot different.

How are black Americans treated in Russia?

Hi there, To tell you the truth, it's hard to find black people in Russia. I've never had a black friend, but as a person who spends most of his life in the field of intercultural communications, I find black people fascinating. I tried to study some of the slang that black Americans use, but then gave up on this as it's very hard to get :) There's something very special about black people

News these days is all over the place in validity and accuracy. What do you suggest to Russian readers (and other readers) do to make sure what they read is accurate and truthful?

I would say try to read an alternative view on a subject and try not to think inside the box

Is your newspaper state run?

We are an independent online publication. We used to be the Soivet mouthpiece but then became an independent publication

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Do you believe Ukraine and Russia are "brotherly" nations? Do you think Ukrainians feel this way?

I very much like to hope that the Ukrainians feel this way. I very much like to hope that we are still friends, but, of course, there are people in Ukraine who share a different point of view.

Do you feel unsafe as a citizen in Russia? Do you feel that in an AMA such as this, your responses are monitored?

No, I feel perfectly safe as a Russian citizen. Why would I feel unsafe?

How does your newspaper report on the way American media is handling Russia's interference in the election, if at all?

Honestly, I do not understand how Russia could either interfere or steal the election. Is it considered to be undeniable in the US? Russia stole the election and that's it? But HOW?? Trump has not made one single friendly step towards us

Trump himself has been nothing BUT friendly toward Putin and Russia (see: Helsinki summit). Fortunately, our system of government doesn’t allow him to make unilateral decisions on foreign policy (at least, not without political consequences).

What did you want Trump to do in Helsinki? Punch Putin in the face?

What's the biggest misconception people have about pravda?

They think pravda is a communist newspaper, but we are not. They also think we are the old pravda, but we are not, we're actually called Pravda.Ru - this is the actual name of the publication

What are your views on Trump compared to Obama?

Trump doesn't speak his mind. He used to say completely different things when he was running. All of a sudden, when he took offic,e he started saying opposite things. I personally think that he is the most bizarre president the US has had in years. Mr. Obama was not really the president, he was just a very nice guy. All in all, I believe that presidents in the US are just talking heads who say the things that someone else above them wants them to say

Explain how Obama was “not really the president” when he was voted in. I’m curious because I would say Putin is “not really the president” when he’s basically a dictator.

Edit: Sure okay, Putin was ‘voted’ in. Doesn’t mean there isn’t some sketchy stuff going on over there. You don’t have to be the worlds greatest detective to see it.

Of course he was voted, every president was voted. I mean Obama was not the person who made most of his decisions. Do you think that Obama could ever publicly declare that the American nation is an exceptional one? Somene had obviously written that speech for him - he just read it. This is what I meant when I said that he was not really a president

How do you personally prepare for the inevitable international retaliation for the on going information warfare against western democracies and other illegal activities that Russia is engaged in?

Do you store canned goods or have you invested in precious metals or something else to trade to food? Or do you trust that Putin will be able to provide for his loyal tools when shit truly hits the fan?

Generally, I have no idea what you're talking about. Russia conducting illegal activities against others? What about the US? No illegal activities against others? The US has delcared itself to be the world gendarme, which is the biggest illegal activity of all.

why are russians ok with being putin’s slave and destroying civilized society?

Many in Russia still like Putin for his strong pro-Russian views. They are happy to have him as a strong leader. I didn't vote for Putin in the last election, though.

What would you say is the most interesting story your newspaper has covered?

The were was a huge scandal between Russia and Norway about child molestation. Here is the link, but there's more than just one

http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/07-07-2011/118418-norway_children-0/

Are you ashamed or proud of your country for stealing the American election for Donald Trump, or do you think that line of thinking is fallacious?

How could we steal it? I've worked here for many years and this issue sounds like threadbare fiction. He has not done ANYTHING to improve the relationship with Russia contrary to his preelection promises. He's in fact worsened it - flushed it down the toilet, wouldn't you say?

Hi there, russian here for Chelyabinsk, I've heard about your website and been reading for a while, since it's a website, which are the demographics? I think this would be something interesting to tell!

We have three different versions of the website - the main one is the Russian one, the English one is called pravdaReport(.com) - it targets all English-speaking audiences, but mostly Europe and Americas. There's also the Portuguese version for Hispanic readers

Do you worry about traveling to the US with all of the paranoia and hatred directed toward Russians, especially on this website?

I've never been to the States, but you're right, I would be worried. I do not think I would get a visa now though

You are brave :). What are your reasons for the AMA? If you've been on reddit for any period of time, you should know that reddit has an extremely strong anti-Russia circlejerk and you are going to be questioned on every political issue in the last decade and then downvoted for any "russian point of view" answer. Is this your personal idea or the newspaper's one?

thank you for cheering me up. I am very much opposed to any sort of violence, but people can be very restricted to "I am right because I am, and I never accept an alternative view." I always try not to think inside the box. People in the States and in the EU judge Russia on the basis of what their media feed them. I remember very distinctly that Westenr leaders and Western media were very supportive of Russia during the 1990s, when we had the drunkard in power (Yeltsin). Russia was in ruins, and every Western leader was praising Russia for that. Wehn Putin came and started changing things, when Russia started protecting her interests - all those glorious songs in Russia's honor in the West ended. The West does not need Russia Strong

Why is russia so shit?

Russia is a great country. Come to visit my country to see it for yourself and don't judge until you see