Novaya Gazeta Closes Moscow Offices After Years of Kremlin Pressure
Russia's last major independent newspaper has shut down its headquarters, marking the end of an era for critical domestic media.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
Novaya Gazeta, widely regarded as Russia's most prominent independent newspaper, closed its Moscow offices on Monday. The publication cited persistent and intense pressure from government officials and security services as the primary reason for the shutdown. This move marks the end of the last major independent media outlet in Russia that remained critical of the Kremlin while operating within the country's borders.
The closure follows a statement published on October 30, in which the newspaper declared that Russian authorities had forced its editorial team to stop operations. The statement described a landscape where human rights and freedoms had been abolished, and defending them was treated as a crime. It further noted that elected governing bodies had been effectively dismantled and civil society institutions had been wiped out, leaving freedom of conscience and human dignity trampled underfoot.
Founded in 1993, Novaya Gazeta built its reputation through fierce reporting on corruption and human rights abuses. The outlet has a tragic history, with six of its journalists killed in the line of duty. Among them was Anna Politkovskaya, who was fatally shot in her apartment building in 2006 after reporting on atrocities during the second Chechen War.
On the final day of operations, journalists gathered in the newsroom to remove portraits of their slain colleagues. Tatiana Britskaya, the editor of the investigations desk, noted that she had anticipated the closure almost daily since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. She described the decision as incredibly difficult, emphasizing that the office was more than a workplace to the staff; it was their home.
The pressure on the newspaper intensified significantly after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine. Longtime editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was attacked on a train in 2022 by an assailant who poured red paint over him. Muratov stepped down in 2023 after being designated a foreign agent, a status that carries strong pejorative connotations in Russia and invites additional government scrutiny.
The government employed various tactics to weaken the outlet, including fines for discrediting the armed forces and blocking its online platforms. Authorities also seized its printing house, revoked its media registration, and shut down the donation system that allowed it to receive support from readers. The final step was an order to clear out its Moscow offices.
As reporters left the building, a new sign was placed atop the nameplate. It read, "Here lived Novaya Gazeta." Sergei Sokolov, the current editor-in-chief, expressed hope that the newspaper would return one day with renewed strength. He stated that he was sure the country would eventually stir from what he called a terrible era, and that the paper would return to its readers and colleagues when the first signs of change appeared.
Some staff members left Russia in 2022 to establish a separate project called Novaya Gazeta Europe. This new outlet has continued to operate from abroad, maintaining a sharply critical stance toward the Kremlin and its military actions in Ukraine. The closure of the domestic office signals a significant shift in the Russian media landscape, leaving fewer voices within the country to challenge the government's narrative.
