Pressfax 31 Aug PRAVDA

This intelligence summary details the return of the Soviet newspaper PRAVDA to publication on 31 August 1991, following a period of suspension initiated by a decree from the Russian president. The document notes that the newspaper has undergone significant changes, including a revamped masthead that no longer features a portrait of Lenin, though it retains a reference to its founder, V.I. Lenin. The new chief editor, Gennadiy Seleznev, addressed readers, explaining that the editorial collective had continued to work during the suspension and remains committed to centrist positions and the defense of human rights. The newspaper's content has shifted to include commentary on the recent coup in Moscow, photographs of events, and a new effort to make the publication more lively. Notably, the newsdesk has issued a solicitation for 'news and original ideas' from readers, explicitly mentioning that they are open to topics ranging from 'pure sensation' to 'insoluble' problems of everyday life, and even 'encounters with flying saucers'. The report concludes by noting that the newspaper is currently operating without significant financial support and that the intelligence summary was filed to convey the flavor of the revamped publication.