How a Soviet military newspaper accidentally branded Margaret Thatcher with her iconic nickname

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The official organ of the Russian Armed Forces, Krasnaya Zvezda, has served as a central voice for military policy since 1924. Yet, its most enduring global legacy is not a tactical directive, but a biting insult aimed at a British politician that she eventually adopted as a badge of honor.

Established by the Politburo of the Russian Communist Party on 29 November 1923, Krasnaya Zvezda—meaning Red Star—began its run as the central printing body for the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs. Its first issue hit the stands on 1 January 1924. Throughout the twentieth century, it functioned as the primary mouthpiece for the Soviet Armed Forces, maintaining its institutional continuity even after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The newspaper’s unexpected influence on Western political culture peaked on 24 January 1976. In an article penned by Yuri Gavrilov, the publication criticized the anti-Soviet rhetoric of Margaret Thatcher, then the leader of the British Conservative Party. The piece, titled Iron Lady Raises Fears, sought to frame her Britain Awake speech as a dangerous manifestation of cold-war hostility. Instead of recoiling from the label, Thatcher and her political allies embraced the moniker, transforming a Soviet attempt at disparagement into a symbol of her uncompromising personality and governing style.

While the newspaper’s origins are rooted in the early Bolshevik era, its operational structure has evolved significantly. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it served the Russian Ministry of Defence from 1992 until 2018. On 1 January 2018, the publication was transferred to a new Moscow-based publishing house managed by the Russian Armed Forces. Today, it maintains a broad distribution network, with printing operations spanning Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Khabarovsk, and Simferopol, continuing its long-standing role as the official voice of the Russian military establishment.

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