Novaya Gazeta Announces Shutdown Amid Rising Pressure

Novaya Gazeta, a leading investigative newspaper in Russia, will close on November 9 after more than three decades in operation. The newspaper stated that Russian authorities and security services have forced them to cease operations. The publication’s farewell letter expressed, “They’ve killed us.”

Founded in 1993 by journalists inspired by the post-Soviet freedoms, Novaya Gazeta became renowned for its investigative reporting and criticism of the Russian state. Despite intense pressure, it continued to operate throughout the conflict in Ukraine.

Recently, Russian authorities labeled the paper as a “foreign agent,” and its office was marked for eviction. Financial accounts were threatened with blockage. The editor in chief, Sergei Sokolov, faced detention and questioning. Dmitry Muratov, the paper’s co-founder, won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and dedicated it to six journalists who were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya.

The newspaper’s journeys come to an end, but its legacy of bold journalism remains.