"I recall with special warmth correspondent Alexei Kucherenko -- he eventually moved to work with me -- and future editor-in-chief Andrei Vasilyev. I always respected Kommersant reporters and trusted them and their professionalism. When Kucherenko took my first interview and asked if it was necessary to coordinate it, I immediately said no. At that time I had an iron rule: not to re-read or edit interview. The freshest thoughts and emotions are always the most correct," Ilyumzhinov added.
Kommersant became my desktop newspaper, the outlet that allowed looking at the events at a different angle, especially in the situation of emergence of a new generation of Russians who earn money and move into politics. The newspaper reflected very accurately the state of society without stamped phrases of traditional media but with lively and informationally saturated articles," Kirsan Nikolayevich emphasized.
"It was the voice of those, who earned for themselves and created jobs. It was noticeable that young guys with their own writing style, unconventional thinking, who survived perestroika and glasnost did not go abroad to grumble outside but continued to live in the country, grow with it and concern themselves about its problems and challenges", head of FIDE concluded.