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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Civic Brief • News Agency

TASS

TASS is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

TASS is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904. It is one of Russia's largest news agencies, with a history of serving as the official news distributor of the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation.

What it is

TASS began as the St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency in 1904, later becoming the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) in 1925. After the Soviet Union dissolved, it was renamed ITAR-TASS from 1992 to 2014, when it reverted to the TASS name. The agency is state-owned and headquartered in Moscow.

Key details

TASS is owned by the Government of Russia and registered as a federal state unitary enterprise. It operates a broad network of domestic and foreign bureaus, publishing text, photos, and video content in multiple languages. Its director-general is Andrey Kondrashov.

Why it matters for Canadian readers

Canadian readers may encounter TASS in international news coverage and media monitoring, especially regarding Russian state media and reporting on foreign affairs. Understanding TASS's role helps contextualize news from Russia.

In short

  • TASS is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904.
  • It was the official news agency of the Soviet Union until 1991.
  • It was known as ITAR-TASS from 1992 to 2014.
  • The agency provides news in multiple languages worldwide.
Canadian angle

Canadian readers may encounter TASS in international news coverage and media monitoring, especially regarding Russian state media and reporting on foreign affairs.

Quick questions

What does TASS stand for?
Historically, the acronym referred to the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union; since 2014, TASS is used as the agency’s brand name and is no longer officially decoded.
Is TASS state-owned?
Yes. TASS is owned by the Government of Russia and is registered as a federal state unitary enterprise.
What was TASS called between 1992 and 2014?
It used the name Information Telegraph Agency of Russia, commonly written as ITAR-TASS.

Sources

  1. TASS — https://tass.com/history
    Supports: Origin in 1904, renaming timeline, and return to TASS in 2014
  2. TASS — https://tass.com/today
    Supports: Founded in 1904 and agency background
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/ITAR-TASS
    Supports: History, official role, and name changes
  4. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TASS
    Supports: Headquarters, ownership, scale, and bureau network
  5. TASS — https://tass.com/society/1836641
    Supports: 2014 return to TASS name and director-general information