Alexander Lebedev: the Moscow metro is a triumph of technology and art

On July 1, 2017, the Greater Asia TV channel began operating - the first thematic television project aimed at forming a new direction of broadcasting, corresponding to the ideology of the “turn to the East.” The websitebigasia.ru began operating together with the TV channel, which, as an independent media outlet, has been developing a positive media segment in Russian-Asian cooperation for more than six years. A distinctive feature of the editorial policy of both the Big Asia TV channel and the websitebigasia.ru – this is the absence of negativity. Today the guest of the editorial office of the Metrostroyevets newspaper is Alexander Lebedev, who combines the positions of general director of Big Asia LLC and chief editor of the Big Asia TV channel and websitebigasia.ru.

–Alexander Alekseevich, the “Big Asia” TV channel will celebrate its 7th anniversary in June. Tell us what you managed to do during this time.

– We were able to create two media with a completely unique development concept. We are forming an exclusively positive agenda, which contributes to a turn to the East and the implementation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s idea of ​​building a Greater Eurasian Partnership. Today the world is changing so rapidly that, unfortunately, the media do not have time to change their ideology. There is enormous inertia in the media market. For thirty years we have been building this market according to the Anglo-Saxon model, and now we have decided to change the vector of development from West to East. This is difficult for many journalists to do. In 6.5 years, we were able to create a system that allows us to learn new things about our friends from Asian countries. Our slogan is “Opening Asia for Russia.” On our “platform” all countries that see the strength of the “Asian vector” in their development coexist peacefully.

–You work with the China Media Corporation (CMG), making a serious information product “China Panorama”. How does cooperation work out? What are the prospects?

– For more than two years we have been cooperating with CMG, the largest media association in the world. Our flagship project “Chinese Panorama” is nine news releases a week, 75 minutes of edited material, which, according to our colleagues, is the largest foreign array of information about the life of the PRC. I am sure that the path to business lies through knowledge. Through knowledge the path to mutual understanding, trust and friendship is paved. And we carry this knowledge!

–Since 2019, the TV channel has been broadcasting the program “Moscow – the best city on Earth.” You popularize Moscow. What about other million-plus cities in Russia?

– The project “Moscow is the best city on Earth” is a unique story of creative interaction between people who love Moscow, and I am absolutely sure that the capital of Russia is the best city in the world. It is pleasant to live and work here; Moscow is a city in which every person can realize himself and become happy. We film this program and post it on air on the website. Our presenter Michael Gibson, a British citizen, is recognized on the streets and on airplanes. I think that we have found the right format that can work well in other cities with a population of over a million. You just need to find the right name. For example, “Kazan – where Europe meets Asia.” This is the official slogan of the capital of Tatarstan, it is ideal for our channel. Residents of Kazan love to talk about the European progressive character of the city, but with an oriental soul and a rich history that goes deep into Asian culture.

–The program included a story about the construction of the metro in Moscow, in particular the Big Circle Line. Do you agree with the opinion that the Moscow metro is the most beautiful in the world? What are your favorite stations?

– I support the position that the Moscow Metro is not only the most beautiful in the world, but also a real museum of the history of our country, architecture and art. I really love the Mayakovskaya station, I studied at the Academy, which was located next to the Satire theater, and visited Mayakovka at least twice a day. Seriously, this is, of course, a triumph of technology and art. Numerous mosaics located in the niches of the vaulted ceiling depict popular Soviet themes. Few people know that it was at Mayakovskaya that aviation steel was first used for finishing columns.

–You are a former military man, captainI rank, served on missile submarines. How does military experience help you in running a large cable TV channel?

– I am convinced that there are no former military men. Having served in the Armed Forces for almost 30 years, you can no longer become just a civilian... Military is not only a state of mind, but a certain lifestyle and, naturally, a style of team leadership. I believe that the team should know the tasks and clearly understand their area of ​​responsibility. Everyone remembers the famous saying of the legendary Russian commander Alexander Suvorov that “you need to fight not with numbers, but with skill.” We were able to create a team that, without a large number, is able to solve large problems.