The Kopeyskiy Rabochiy (literally ' the Kopeysk Worker'), the official newspaper of the administration of the city of Kopeysk in Russia's Chelyabinsk Region, boasts of being the "best-known Hollywood newspaper in the world."
And the boast is not unjustified. For over seven years, the newspaper from the small city of 147,500 has been able to gather dozens of snapshots of world-famous Hollywood actors intently reading its pages.
2017 turned out to be a record year for the newspaper; its editors received new photos from Jackie Chan, Penelope Cruz, Matt Damon, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, and many more, posing with the paper and congratulating Kopyesk's residents ahead of Russia's two main holidays: Victory Day and New Year's.
Газета «Копейский рабочий» снова радует фотографиями голливудских звезд, читающих номера издания из Челябинской области: https://t.co/FLmNiw3EXS pic.twitter.com/zGKLfFYQaq
— Рустем Адагамов (@adagamov) 30 декабря 2017 г.
"Kopeyskiy Rabochiy is once again bringing joy with photos of Hollywood stars reading the pages of the Chelyabinsk region newspaper."
Explaining to bewildered internet users how a small city newspaper in the middle of Russia was able to secure access to some of Hollywood's brightest stars, Kopeyskiy Rabochiy explained that the photos were sent in by Margarita Sushkevich, a Kopeysk native who immigrated to the US and married American film producer Jack Tewksbury.
The Kopeyskiy Rabochiy has been receiving the photos from the couple since 2011, and its editors say that in addition to being a pleasant gift, they are an effective tool for promoting the newspaper outside Kopeysk.
Новая партия фоток голливудских звёзд с газетой «Копейский рабочий». Их им с 2011 года присылает уроженка Копейска, которая уехала в США и вышла замуж за американского продюсера Джека Тьюксбери. pic.twitter.com/7c1tWDLtmN
— Svetlana Maximova (@iskora22) 29 декабря 2017 г.
"The new batch of Hollywood stars posing with the Kopeyskiy Rabochiy newspaper. They have been sent to the paper since 2011 by a Kopeisk native who left for the US and married American film producer Jack Tewksbury."
According to newspaper editor-in-chief Anna Vikalyuk, the undisputed fan favorite among the paper's readers is Hong Kong-Hollywood Kung Fu film legend Jackie Chan.
The complete collection of this year's haul can be found on the Kopeyskiy Rabochiy's official website here.