Novaya Gazeta, historically recognized as Russia’s most prominent independent newspaper, officially closed its Moscow offices on Monday. The closure marks the end of an era for the publication, which cited relentless pressure from government officials as the primary reason for ceasing its operations in the capital.
The newspaper had stood as the final major independent media outlet critical of the Kremlin still operating within Russia. Since President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022, numerous other outlets were forced to shutter or relocate their operations abroad. In a formal statement released on October 30, the editorial team announced that Russian authorities and security services had effectively compelled them to stop their work.
The publication’s final message was stark: “Human rights and freedoms have been abolished in this country, and defending them is now treated as a crime.” The statement further lamented that elections and governing bodies had been dismantled, civil society institutions erased, and freedom of conscience and human dignity trampled.
Founded in 1993, Novaya Gazeta built a reputation for its fierce investigative reporting on corruption and human rights abuses. This dedication came at a high cost, with six of its journalists losing their lives, most notably Anna Politkovskaya. Politkovskaya, known for her reporting on atrocities during the second Chechen War, was fatally shot in her apartment building in 2006.
On Monday, as the office closed its doors for the last time, staff members were seen removing portraits of their slain colleagues from the newsroom. Tatiana Britskaya, who served as the editor of the investigations desk, noted that the team had been anticipating this closure for the past 4 1/2 years. Describing the office as more than just a workplace, she called it a home that the staff was now losing.
The newspaper endured years of escalating government crackdowns, which intensified significantly following the conflict in Ukraine. Longtime editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient, faced personal attacks, including an incident in 2022 where he was assaulted on a train and doused with red paint. By 2023, Muratov had stepped down as editor after being labeled a “foreign agent” by the state. The newspaper itself faced similar designations, significant fines for allegedly discrediting the Russian armed forces, the seizure of its printing facilities, and the revocation of its media registration.
As reporters vacated the premises, a sign was placed on the building’s nameplate reading, “Here lived Novaya Gazeta.” Current editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov expressed a belief that the newspaper would eventually return with renewed strength once the current era passes. Meanwhile, some former staff members have continued their work through a separate project, Novaya Gazeta Europe, which remains critical of the Kremlin.
