Big city (magazine)

Circulation

For April, 2013 the printing version of Big city is distributed for free in Moscow and also St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. The stated circulation is 81.5 thousand copies.

According to National drawing service from January till June, 2012 the Bolshoy Gorod magazine was included in the list of "drawing liars": at the actual circulation of 54,805 copies the edition states about the circulation of 120,000 pieces publicly, thereby overestimating circulation by 2.1 times^[1]

History

"Big city" is published since 2002. Originally Big city was included into Afisha publishing house.

In October, 2007 Philip Dzyadko came to a position of the editor-in-chief of Big city.

Till 2009 the magazine was distributed for free in cafe, shops, clubs, movie theaters and other places.

2010: Afisha-Rambler sells the magazine to Dozhd media holding

In September, 2010 the Bolshoy Gorod magazine was purchased by the Dozhd media holding belonging to Alexander Vinokurov and Natalya Sindeeva, the Rambler consolidated company has Poster.

In 2009-2010 the magazine was on sale in newsstands, however since December, 2010 the edition was distributed for free again.

2012: Alexey Munipov releases Philip Dzyadko from the editor-in-chief duty

• In May, 2012 Big city left with several options of covers on which different political slogans were printed: "It is more of us, than it seems", "Infinite lies of conditional Putin offends even those who do not complain of anything", "Return us Moscow", "In Russia there are tortures" and others.

• In June, 2012 the Chief Editor of the Bolshoy Gorod magazine Philip Dzyadko announced resignation. In the column published on the edition website today he thanks publishers and edition which for last five years never tried to interfere with editorial process. However recently investors suggested to change the direction of the magazine.

Philip Dzyadko from a duty of the editor-in-chief of "BG" will be released by his current managing director of the edition Alexey Munipov^[2].

The farewell column will leave on June 13 in the anniversary, 300th issue of the magazine. According to Philip Dzyadko, he worked in Big city about five years and it was "a fine adventure". "Even about edition I will not tell - to tell enough that it is great gang. But sometimes, irrespectively time and someone's nonsense, it is necessary to leave the gang <...>We so want changes", - he wrote, commenting on the resignation.

The managing director of the section of Media Alexey Munipov who will hold the editor-in-chief position, explained that owners of the edition do not require from edition not to write about policy and social sphere any more. "If such requirements arrived, we everything here would not work any more", - he considers.

At the same time after May issues investors suggested to change the direction of the magazine "лайфстайл" aside.

"The ugly word "layfstayl" means expansion of city subject - urbanistics, children, education that occurs in the city, etc. We hand over anniversary number right now - the live certificate that in ten years the magazine underwent such number of changes (and so many time was on the verge of closing) that the word "changes" frightens nobody here any more", - Munipov on the page in Facebook reported.

"It is short: all and all will be good. The main thing, gang there was also at the head of her Lesh also Katya on the website. Everything only begins. "BG" precisely should change, it in its blood so everything is correct, good night and good luck. And what from all this will turn out? It is sure, only beauty", - Dzyadko commented on this record.

According to him, "by first summer month of the third Putin term all in the eyes have a cleaning of sources of independent information". "I was not going to write this paragraph, but "the letter came to edition" - just it became known: Demyan Kudryavtsev "any more does not work" in ID Kommersant that there happened actually - it is still unknown, but it seems that the person doing the last years the most complex, huge work was forced to leave. Cowardice, nonsense and poverty of intellect - the best friends of managers of late Putin's government. However, too all know it", - he wrote.

Philip Dzyadko also told that the last year edition in general cancelled the subject heading list and did each number as the last, and everyone following - as the new magazine. "For new release thought out the rules and focuses and proceeded from stories, but not from a headline. First, it is cheerful. Secondly, time at us is changed each two weeks a historical period, and the BG magazine should be every time absolutely new", - he writes. "It is the magazine that in time air, and still it is a conversation with friends", - Dzyadko explained.

• In the fall of 2012 the website of Big city was restarted.

2013: Dismissal of all edition. Risk of closing

At the beginning of April, 2013 on the website of the edition the separate project "District Blogs" appeared. According to LiveInternet, on average in February and March the website of "BG" was visited by from 35 to 40 thousand users a day.

On April 11 it became known that two journalists of Big city entered in a long-list of the award "Political education": the editor of department Society of bg.ru Alexander Borzenko — for a series of an interview with the Moscow priests, and the special correspondent Svetlana Reuters — for materials about "Bolotnaya Square case" and tortures in the Kazan militia.

On April 12, 2013 it became known that all edition of the website of the Bolshoy Gorod magazine is dismissed, reported in the Facebook the Chief Editor of bg.ru Ekaterina Krongauz. According to Lenta.ru, the investor of Big city Alexander Vinokurov held in the morning on April 12 a meeting with Chief Editors of the edition Alexey Munipov and Ekaterina Krongauz and also the publisher of "BG" Maxim Kashulinsky.

"Suggest to leave at own will since April 15 without compensations and if we demand compensations — will close the magazine" — added later Krongauz.

By hearsay, going in the media market, Alexander Vinokurov thought of closing of all edition because of its unprofitability.

From Alexander Vinokurov's interview Lenta.ru (April, 2013)^[3]:

What of problems of Big city is more important for today, I cannot tell. So probably, not one problem which should be solved. Respectively, if we solve one, maybe, we will reach something. If we solve two — means, we will depart if we solve all problems, then we will surprise all: both readers, and investors, and observers. Somehow so.

It is clear. And why in general was in 2011 to buy the unprofitable magazine?

Question why it is on sale — ambiguous, at least for us. Perhaps, someone has the opinion. At that time we had no unambiguous opinion that it is on sale because of unprofitability. The reasons could be more. For example, there is one more reason: he, generally, was a direct competitor of Poster. And we bought it because we considered and we consider it a strong media brand. It which if it is correct to manage it, can cost more, bring income. Our opinion on this occasion did not change, and here we did not manage to make it in two years yet.

This here obvious history. Bought with absolutely good intentions of both the economic, and emotional plan. Expectations were not met yet. Hopes are not lost too, respectively. The quality of a brand if changed, then is not strong, and it did not become worse, actually. And still it seems to us that is necessary and it is possible to try something to make.

Some staff movements in general had a positive impact? When did Philip Dzyadko leave?

Do you know what biggest problem? If to speak about the human relations, then one more of the reasons why we bought it — because of such notable sympathy for a command and for Philip Dzyadko personally. But when all this as the broken trough, it is necessary to take some actions. What of these actions correct and correct, nothing knows it. And when you do not understand and do not know the exact solution, it is necessary to do at least some.

Whether the Bolshoy Gorod magazine changed? It seems to me how to the reader that is not strong. Whether he changed from the point of view of the advertiser? No matter, the devil only knows — not really. How it is the simplest to confirm it? Revenue. It somehow grows, but at all not in those scales which are necessary.

The website of "BG" developed especially actively in recent months. There was a redesign, starts of new projects. Same too, obviously, requires some additional resources?

Investments into the website were made and. But whether we achieved that result on audience of which dreamed at restart of the website? The answer — is not present. Audience at the website uneven and small. Well, small in the comparative plan.

It is clear. But here you say that you are ready for some changes in the nearest future?

We discuss with the publisher the prospects and plans for the magazine. Actually some slow improvement goes, but... For example, we will compare to Elephant. "Elephant" if it is attentive and reasonable to manage him, in 2013 can and should become the profitable edition. The Dozhd TV channel this year will not become the profitable edition yet. But if to look at dynamics of indicators on revenue, on audience — nobody in media of dews as Dozhd TV channel. And therefore I with much bigger optimism and confidence look at need and a possibility of investments into TV channel. And if you have a sad business plan, a sad command, then probability that the cheerful advertiser will come running and all this will shower with money and will improve, is not really big.

So Big city from your assets — the least priority?

No. It is just necessary to make the decision on Big city. It unprofitable 10 years. Journalists still speak about a karma. But here such it piece, this Big city. It is necessary to understand whether we know what should be made conceptually? Do we have money? Whether we believe that the model will work? And if we know it, are ready to doinvestirovat before these changes, then it is necessary to do it. If we are not sure and we have no money, then it is necessary either to sell, or to close. Investors when emotions leave behind a door act this way, generally. But such investors, fortunately, are not therefore we look for options.

There is an opinion that numerous problems in the industry are connected with illiteracy of investors who are not able to work at this market...

Investors... The matter is that investors not strongly differ some from others. Investors in pure form, homo economicus, interests in general only one — only profitability. But, of course, they in pure form do not exist as there is no clear market. So it is somehow strange to call investors illiterate.

2014

In December, 2014 Konstantin Gaaze resigned authority of the Chief Editor and left the project on personal circumstances. Functions of the managing director are performed by the publisher Polina Kozlovskaya.

Notes