Novaya Gazeta Closes After Three Decades

Russia's last major independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, will cease operations on November 9. The announcement marks the end of a publication that has functioned as a financial and editorial entity for more than thirty years. The closure follows a series of regulatory actions by the state that removed the paper's ability to generate revenue and publish content.

The newspaper stated that Russian authorities and security services forced the editorial team to stop. In an editorial statement, the paper declared that it had been forced to end its operations. The final issue will be published before the office closes on the specified date. No immediate comment was provided by Russian government officials regarding the shutdown.

Novaya Gazeta was established in 1993 with funding from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He used a portion of his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize money to launch the outlet. The paper remained the primary independent media voice critical of the Kremlin after other outlets shut down or had their websites blocked following the Russian military entry into Ukraine in February 2022.

State pressure on the newspaper included financial penalties and the loss of infrastructure. Authorities fined the paper for allegedly discrediting the armed forces. The state also blocked the paper's online platforms, seized its printing house, and revoked its media registration. A final order required the newspaper to vacate its premises. The state also shut down the donation system that provided support from readers.

Dmitry Muratov, the former editor-in-chief and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, stepped down in 2023 after being named a foreign agent. The designation carries regulatory burdens and implies increased government scrutiny. The newspaper blamed the Federal Security Service, the Justice Ministry, and the Prosecutor General's office for the outcome. It charged that these agencies effectively privatized the state and usurped power.

The paper's statement noted that the constitution's ban on censorship now appears like a cruel mockery. It described the legal framework as having been violated. Oleg Roldugin, a leading journalist for the outlet, is awaiting trial, and the newspaper's offices have been searched. The statement claimed that human rights and freedoms have been abolished and that defending them is treated as a crime.

Some staff members who relocated abroad launched a new project called Novaya Gazeta Europe. This new entity has continued to criticize the Kremlin and its military action in Ukraine. The original Novaya Gazeta will end its physical operations on November 9, concluding a history that includes the deaths of six of its journalists, including Anna Politkovskaya in 2006.