TASS traces its history to the St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency, which began operations on September 1, 1904. As Russia’s first unified media organization for disseminating official information, TASS has played a central role in the country’s media landscape for more than a century.
In recognition of its significant contribution to the development of Russian media and its professional achievements, the TASS team was awarded the Order “For Valiant Labor” by Presidential Decree No. 701 of August 17, 2024.
According to Medialogia, TASS was the most cited Russian media outlet abroad and the most frequently mentioned news agency in Russia in 2025. The agency publishes approximately 3,000 news reports every day in the six official UN languages — English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and French — along with about 1,000 photo and video materials from correspondents in Russia and around the world. Together, these services provide a comprehensive view of current events.
TASS serves Russian and international media organizations, federal and regional government bodies, diplomatic missions, businesses and public organizations. Its subscribers have access to 70 news feeds and specialized thematic services.
The agency employs more than 1,800 people.
TASS Correspondent Network
TASS operates regional information centers in St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Pyatigorsk, Vladivostok, Rostov-on-Don and Kaliningrad, as well as 66 bureaus across Russia and 61 offices in 56 countries. This extensive network enables TASS to gather and deliver information rapidly about events in Russia and around the world to the widest audience possible.
TASS on the ISS
TASS is the only media organization in the world with a permanent correspondent on the International Space Station (ISS). Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin became the first special correspondent for the TASS on the ISS project in 2021. He was followed by Oleg Artemyev, Dmitry Petelin, Oleg Kononenko, Ivan Vagner, Alexey Zubritsky and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. On July 14, 2026, Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina became the first female correspondent for TASS on the ISS.
TASS in the Digital Environment
As of August 1, 2026, the TASS website, one of Russia’s largest online media platforms, had more than 111.9 million users. TASS content is also available across all social media platforms operating in Russia. The combined audience of the agency’s digital projects and products exceeds 1.1 billion.
TASS develops editorial and educational projects covering a broad range of topics, including Russian history and culture, the memory of the Great Patriotic War, economics and finance, science and other areas of public life.
The agency also develops modern media resources and digital projects under the TASS brand. These include This is the Caucasus, an information and educational project exploring the people and life of the North Caucasus, and Newm TASS, an educational project aimed at younger audiences.
Visual Content
In 2026, the TASS Photo Archive marked its 100th anniversary. Founded on February 1, 1926, it is the oldest photo service in Russia and the CIS specializing in real-time photo and video news. For a century, it has documented events in Russia and around the world.
The TASS editorial team covers the activities of the president and government, the implementation of national projects, and major developments in politics, economics, the military, culture, science, sports, education and public life in Russia, as well as key events on the international agenda. TASS produces photo and video reports around the clock from Russia and across the globe, including from the zone of the special military operation.
The TASS media bank contains more than 73 million photo and video items, including over 1.2 million unique historical photographs taken by agency reporters since the early 20th century.
Thematic stock collections are continuously updated with photographs by Russian and international contributors. Extended rights are available for the use of these materials for a wide range of purposes.
Media Events
TASS press centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk and Kaliningrad host more than 1,500 media events every year. Participants include political leaders from Russia and other countries, executives and representatives of major Russian and international companies, and prominent figures from the cultural, scientific and sporting communities.
TASS also organizes major business and expert forums, bringing together government and business leaders, experts, opinion leaders, and representatives of science and culture to discuss issues of importance to Russia and the wider world. The agency’s events are held at major federal forums, including the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), the Russian Institute for Social Development (RISD), the Russian Internet Forum and Innoprom, among others.
International Cooperation
TASS actively develops international partnerships and maintains ties with more than 200 media organizations in 112 countries.
The agency regularly organizes annual meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of leading international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The 10th such meeting was held in 2026.
TASS also participates in major international and regional media associations. In 2025, it was unanimously elected to chair the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) through 2028. OANA brings together 41 news agencies from 33 countries, representing nearly half of the world’s population.
TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov chairs the Council of Heads of State News Agencies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS Information Council).
The agency is also a member of the World Media Summit (WMS), the News Agencies World Congress (NAWC) and the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). It cooperates with the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA), the Atlantic Federation of African News Agencies (FAAPA) and other regional associations of news organizations around the world.
TASS is a founding member of the World Association of Russian Press (WARP), an international association of Russian-language media.
In 2025, TASS, together with the Dialogue Regions nonprofit organization and the New Media Workshop, founded the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), an international fact-checking association. The organization brings together fact-checkers from across the world to identify, analyze and debunk disinformation using specialized methodologies and advanced information technologies.
Professional Development
TASS operates the TASS News Academy, an educational center offering specialized training programs for journalists, content managers, press-service employees and public relations professionals.
IT Services
TASS is actively engaged in the development of information technologies and provides a range of digital products for distributing information, analytical and visual content.
The agency’s news terminal and media bank provide users with extensive technical capabilities for managing and working with large volumes of diverse data.
TASS is also a leader in the implementation of advanced advertising technologies, including on its website, tass.ru.
As part of its information technology and media services, TASS offers:
- Access to photographic materials and rights to use copyrighted content from the TASS media bank, subject to contract.
- Access to information materials and rights to use copyrighted content from the TASS news terminal, subject to contract.
- Placement and distribution of advertising materials on the TASS website.