Bearing an "i am one badge" on its cover, the 20p daily carries leaders from Lebedev and editor Stefano Hatfield, as well as a Q&A with readers.
In his message to the paper's readers, Lebedev said: "A year ago, media commentators said that we were mad to launch a new newspaper. Print is dying, the future is digital, and the demand for daily papers falling to nil – or so they claimed.
"Well, these cynics underestimated you...We're conclusive proof that, with a bit of imagination, there is a future for printed news."
Lebedev goes on to thank the advertisers who have supported the newspaper.
Despite Lebedev's spikiness about the cynics, media buyers gave i a generally positive reception on launch.
Among them were : "It's modern, it's accessible, and it's that bit more upmarket than Metro, giving it a clear identity both away from the competition and, crucially, from the Independent itself."
We mark the paper's birthday with a profile of the man who conceived i, Andrew Mullins, in which he discusses what he expects from the paper in its second year.
The first ABC-audited circulation figure for i was 133,472 copies and came in January, its third full month after launch.
The charts below show how it has performed over the year, overtaking The Independent in July.
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The Independent and i monthly circulation figures comparison
The Independent and i combined monthly circulation figures compared with The Guardian circulation figures
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