According to the director of the Central Naval Library of the Ministry of Defense, the newspaper is the only way for military personnel to learn official information at the state level.
SVETLOGORSK, April 18. /tass/. The military press and front-line newspapers in the special military operation zone are the most formidable information weapons in the fight against the enemy. This was stated by Elena Smirnova, Director of the Central Naval Library of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, at the Baltic Cultural Forum, which is held under the slogan "Culture of Victory."
"The military press has always been and remains a formidable information weapon in the fight against the enemy. <...> Take even such a moment as a newspaper at the front. At one time, there were active discussions about whether they were needed at the forefront at all. I'll tell you this - you definitely need them. For example, take the "Red Star". It is the only newspaper at the front that carries official information to military personnel at the state level. In addition, it is forbidden to use the Internet on the front line, and the newspaper can be delivered to any dugout. This newspaper, as during the Great Patriotic War, is kept and passed on to each other. We see the motto of military newspapers "Read and pass on to a comrade" in action after 80 years," Smirnova said.
She also noted that the Central Naval Library has a unique collection of naval newspapers. "I can assume that there is no such collection in any library in Russia. Military newspapers are in the greatest demand among our users. We often receive requests with the full name of the serviceman, and thanks to our search in newspapers, we repeatedly found information about the participants of the Great Patriotic War, and their descendants learned about the exploits of their grandfathers," she added.
According to Smirnova, today, as 80 years ago, one of the important tasks of the library is to collect printed materials about military events. Thanks to the General Staff of the Navy, the Central Naval Library began receiving electronic versions of periodicals covering the special military operation. "The electronic library of military periodicals currently contains nine newspaper titles," she explained. These include front-line newspapers created by field editorial offices, directly by military formations participating in the SVR.
"Newspapers are published under the auspices of various branches of the armed forces, which is reflected on the emblems of these troops located on the front pages. They become particularly relevant in the combat zone, where it is often impossible to use gadgets due to the danger of bearing the location of troops. Many newspapers have appeared on the telegram channel platform. Let's recall the wall newspapers of the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, the correspondents are often military personnel themselves, participants in a special military operation, most of whom have never been involved in journalism in their peaceful lives," Smirnova added.
About the forum
The Baltic Cultural Forum is being held in the Kaliningrad Region for the seventh time, on April 17-19. This is a discussion platform where, together with professionals, experts and authorities, artists discuss issues in the field of Culture. More than 100 speakers will speak at the forum.
