The 2013 year has become a test of strength for us. The economic crisis fell suddenly, with a “cutting deposits”, in the possibility of which no one believed until the very last moment. We lost 90% of advertisers, and with them the usual sources of income. We had questions: how to continue to publish a newspaper without advertising? How to pay employees? How to save everything that we built for so many years? We decided not to give up. They searched for exits, supported each other and survived. This year was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the newspaper.
An unexpected blow
We anticipated the onset of the economic crisis. But they did not expect that he would happen so soon and so much affect our work. We, without exaggeration, lost 90% of advertising income. After all, most of the advertising in our publications was located by developers and banks, legal, audit and accounting companies, and after March 2013 they practically stopped advertising.
How to survive without advertising?
What to do to a newspaper in which there is no advertising? How to publish expensive glossy magazines? How to pay about 30 salaries monthly if there is not enough cash receipts even to rent an office? That year was very difficult for us. In order to keep the business afloat, we, the shareholders, began to invest personal funds: in 2013-2014, I and Igor Alekseevich Nosonov were returned from the family budget to the newspaper everything that we earned on it over the previous years.
Projects, support and resistance
But we did not give up. Constantly invented some new commercial projects, searched for new sources of financing. Unfortunately, in those years, Russian state structures did not help us (at one time there was a myth that the “Bulletin of Cyprus” lives on grants). Russian money allocated to work with compatriots was spent on supporting communities in “problem countries”, where the Russians were oppressed, did not allow them to study in their native language, and limited the right to work. And Cyprus has always been loyal to Russia.
And no matter how much we applied for support, explaining the critical financial situation and the need to save the newspaper, we have always been refused. Exceptions can be counted on the fingers. The Moscow government helped us, providing grants several times for holding a Cyprus-Russian festival. The size of assistance, however, covered no more than 5-10% of the cost of organizing the event. Once a small amount (equivalent to a weekly cost of maintaining a newspaper) was allocated by the Russian World fund. But where else to find 50 times the same amount?! In 2013, every day turned into a battle for the life of the "Herald of Cyprus." Without diligence. But we did not give up, did not lose heart.
Statement for strength
2013-2016 became a real test. And morally (to constantly think about where to find money, to constantly be stress, that they are not enough even for the most necessary expenses), and on the physical (irregular working day for company managers, overload, stress). But we coped.
In an effort to raise their “fighting spirit” of the editorial office and at the same time show advertisers that we do not surrender and continue to work in full force, we held a business technique for 300 people at the Russian Embassy. So we celebrated the 18th birthday of Cyprus's 18th birthday, present adulthood, an important stage of formation.
New initiatives and educational projects
In the same year, our educational center organized the first “total dictation” in Cyprus - a new fashionable Russian project, which only gained momentum. Cyprus has become one of the first European countries to participate in it.
Then the second supplemented edition of the Russian -speaking community of Cyprus was published, which collected information about all Russian -speaking public and educational institutions of the island. In addition, with the goal of helping Russian schools on the island of “Bulletin of Cyprus”, he began the release of thematic books about the history of Russia. The first was the "reign of the Romanovs house." This book is an accurate reproduction of a textbook for elementary grades, published in 1913 to the 300th anniversary of the Romanov House. It allows you to look at the history of Russia without the ideological coloring of the 20th century, to see it as it was presented before the revolution. After then, we have issued many more books on the history of Russia and Cyprus. The inspirer and - in many ways - the author of the texts of this long -term project was one of the shareholders of VK Igor Nosonov.
Natalia Kardash
(Fragment from the book “20 years in Cyprus - in the center of events”, published in 2019)
This article is part of a series of articles about the history of the "Herald of Cyprus" dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the newspaper. Read other materials by tag#History of the Herald of Cyprus and by links:
How in 30 years the "Bulletin of Cyprus" has influenced the life of Russian -speaking people
1995. Advertising booklet, which accidentally became the beginning of a new era
1996. The newspaper comes to life: the first headings, the first letters of readers
1997. They came here, "to talk in Russian"
1998. "Bulletin of Cyprus" - almost "Literary Gazeta"
1999. "Bulletin of Cyprus" united lovers of books and films
2000. Library "Vestnik Cyprus" and the first KVN
2001. Change of team: a new stage in the history of the newspaper
2002. Seven employees and a thousand guests
2003. Sturrent period: magazines, courses, reference books
2004. The largest regional media holding
2005. The anniversary year and the emergence of multinational holidays
2006. The editors received up to 500 visitors per week
2007. Uniting adults and children, newspaper employees established the Association
2008. Good traditions "Bulletin of Cyprus"
2009. How we went on the air: the story of "Televials" in Cyprus
2010. Invisible work, visible result
2011. Chess, business journal and economic diplomacy: year of great ambitions
2012. Studs, nesting dolls and helicopter: unforgettable year
