Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's most prominent independent newspapers and a longstanding critic of the Kremlin, announced on Friday that it would cease operations after more than three decades, accusing Russian authorities and security agencies of systematically destroying its ability to function.
The newspaper said it would publish its final issue before closing its office on November 9, bringing an end to a publication that had become a symbol of independent journalism in Russia.
"They have killed us," the newspaper said in an editorial statement, accusing Russian authorities and security services of forcing its editorial team to cease operations. There was no immediate response from Russian officials to the announcement.
The closure follows years of mounting restrictions on independent media, which intensified after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐บ
Founded in 1993, Novaya Gazeta emerged during Russia's post-Soviet transition and established itself as an influential investigative newspaper reporting on corruption, human rights abuses and government misconduct. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev helped finance its launch using part of the money from his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize.
Over the following decades, the publication became known for investigations into abuses of state power, the conflicts in Chechnya and the activities of Russian security agencies. Its reporting frequently brought it into confrontation with the Kremlin and other powerful institutions. Despite repeated threats and attacks on its journalists, the newspaper continued publishing investigations that challenged official accounts.
After Russia launched its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, Novaya Gazeta remained among the few major independent Russian media organisations still attempting to operate inside the country.
๐ฆ๐ถ๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐
The newspaper's history has been marked by violence against its staff, with six journalists killed during its existence. Among them was Anna Politkovskaya, whose reporting documented atrocities and human rights violations during the second Chechen War.
Politkovskaya was shot dead in her Moscow apartment building in 2006, during Putin's presidency. Her killing drew international condemnation and became one of the most prominent cases involving violence against journalists in Russia. Five men were convicted in 2014 for their involvement in her murder, but the identity of the person who ordered the killing has never been established through a court ruling. The attacks on Novaya Gazeta journalists highlighted the risks faced by reporters investigating politically sensitive issues in Russia.
๐ก๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
The newspaper's longtime editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 alongside Philippine journalist Maria Ressa for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.
In 2022, Muratov was attacked aboard a train when an assailant poured red paint over him, causing severe discomfort to his eyes. He stepped down as editor-in-chief in 2023 after Russian authorities designated him a "foreign agent", a classification that carries additional reporting obligations and restrictions.
The designation formed part of a broader campaign in which Russian authorities labelled numerous journalists, activists and organisations as foreign agents or declared them undesirable. Under Russian law, involvement with organisations designated as undesirable can attract criminal penalties.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐ฏ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Novaya Gazeta said the pressure on its operations had steadily intensified, leaving the publication without the infrastructure and financial support required to continue. The newspaper had been fined over allegations of discrediting Russia's armed forces and subjected to restrictions associated with its foreign-agent designation. Authorities also blocked its online platforms, seized its printing house and revoked its media registration.
According to the newspaper, the final blow came when it was ordered to vacate its premises and the donation system through which readers supported its operations was shut down. The newspaper described the closure as part of a wider deterioration of civil liberties and independent institutions in Russia.
It said more than three decades of work alongside Russian society would end with its staff facing uncertainty and the continuing threat of repression.
๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐
In its final statement, Novaya Gazeta accused the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Justice Ministry and the Prosecutor General's Office of consolidating power and undermining constitutional protections. The FSB is Russia's principal domestic security agency and the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB.
The newspaper alleged that the agencies had effectively taken control of state institutions and used their authority to suppress dissent. It also accused the authorities of violating constitutional guarantees, including the prohibition on censorship, and said the legal protections for freedom of expression had become meaningless in practice.
The publication argued that the suppression of independent journalism reflected a broader dismantling of civil society, democratic institutions and fundamental freedoms.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ
The newspaper's announcement also comes amid continuing legal pressure on its journalists. One of its leading reporters, Oleg Roldugin, has been awaiting trial, while authorities have conducted searches at the publication's offices.
Several journalists who left Russia after the crackdown began established Novaya Gazeta Europe, an independent project operating outside the country. The overseas publication has continued reporting critically on the Kremlin, Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and the treatment of political opponents.
The closure of the original Novaya Gazeta marks the end of one of Russia's longest-running independent newsrooms, whose investigative reporting and resistance to censorship made it an internationally recognised voice of Russian journalism.