ABSTRACT
The development of the Russian mass media system in the 1990s may be better understood by first looking at the heritage that passed to it from its Soviet predecessors. This chapter gives a general description of the Soviet media system and outlines the major stages of its later transformation. Since my book deals with power practices, I consider here only this aspect of media functioning. However, it should be kept in mind that Soviet and Russian media history has not only been about power, control, and domination: it has also been much about entertainment, popular culture and everyday activity. The fact that I do not address all this here should not obscure the existence of these facets of reality.
