Novaya Gazeta, Russia's leading independent investigative newspaper, closed its Moscow office on Monday after 30 years, forced out by state pressure that included being labelled a 'foreign agent' and ordered to vacate its premises. The closure, announced last month, was marked by a last editorial meeting and the packing up of belongings.
The newspaper, co-founded by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev with money from his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize, had long been a thorn in the Kremlin's side with its investigations into corruption and human rights abuses and its critical coverage of the war in Ukraine. In recent years, it faced increasing restrictions amid that coverage; in September, it was designated a 'foreign agent'.
At the closure, Nobel Peace Prize-winning founding editor Dmitry Muratov addressed journalists gathered at the office. "Those in our country who advocate for peace have been denied the right to read what they choose, as we see happening today," he said. "We are currently at a point where the section of the Russian constitution that guarantees political and civil rights has ceased to function." Muratov called for the release of about 4,000 people he termed political prisoners and urged observers to distinguish between the authorities and the Russian people.
Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov said last month that "the Russian authorities — the Russian special services — have forced the editorial team to end its work." He was questioned by authorities in October and his home searched. Another editor, Oleg Roldugin, was arrested in April.
After the 'foreign agent' designation, Novaya Gazeta said, Russian banks stopped processing reader donations on which the paper had relied after moving entirely online shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin played down the significance. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the closure part of "a standard rotational process" in what he described as a highly diverse media landscape.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, described the shutdown as "yet another devastating blow for remaining independent media" in Russia.
Novaya Gazeta built a reputation for fearless reporting. Six of its journalists have been murdered since the paper launched in 1993; several of its reporters were killed in killings widely seen as retribution for their work. Anna Politkovskaya spent years investigating allegations of abuses by Russia's military in Chechnya and was found dead in her apartment block in 2006. On Monday, images published in Russian media showed Sokolov taking down photographs of Politkovskaya and other reporters murdered in what is thought to be retribution for their work.
It is not yet clear whether the outlet might regroup and resume reporting in some form from outside Russia, as several other publications have done. One reporter, Irina Vorobyova, said the paper's spirit would survive like a "good virus" and would "continue in everyone that was part of it."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The closure eliminates one of the few remaining independent media voices in Russia, further limiting citizens' access to critical reporting on the government and the war in Ukraine.
- It marks the culmination of a years-long Kremlin campaign to suppress dissent, using Soviet-era labels like 'foreign agent' alongside financial restrictions and intimidation.
- The fate of Novaya Gazeta may serve as a warning for other independent outlets still operating in Russia, and could accelerate the exile of remaining independent journalists.
Background
Novaya Gazeta was founded in 1993 with funding from Mikhail Gorbachev's Nobel Peace Prize and became known for fearless investigative journalism, particularly on corruption and human rights abuses. It was one of the few outlets to openly criticise the Kremlin's policies, including the wars in Chechnya and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The paper moved online after the invasion, when new censorship laws effectively ended independent print media. Over the years, six of its journalists were murdered, including Anna Politkovskaya. In 2021, editor Dmitry Muratov shared the Nobel Peace Prize. In September 2026, the outlet was designated a 'foreign agent' under a law widely used to silence dissent, and authorities ordered it to vacate its Moscow office. Banks were also forbidden from processing donations, its primary revenue stream.
Key Perspectives
Dmitry Muratov (co-founder, Nobel Peace Prize laureate): said the constitutional guarantees for political and civil rights have 'ceased to function' and urged the world to distinguish between the Russian authorities and the Russian people.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: said the closure was part of 'a standard rotational process' in Russia's competitive media landscape.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk: called the closure 'yet another devastating blow for remaining independent media' in Russia.
Irina Vorobyova (Novaya Gazeta journalist): said the paper's spirit would survive like a 'good virus' and continue in everyone who was part of it.
What to Watch
- Whether Novaya Gazeta's leadership will try to resume operations in exile, as other Russian independent outlets have done after being forced out of the country.
- Whether other still-operating independent media outlets in Russia receive similar 'foreign agent' designations or face eviction from their offices.
- How the international community, including media freedom organisations and governments, responds to the closure, and whether it prompts new sanctions or diplomatic measures.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNovaya Gazeta closed its Moscow office on Monday after 30 years.BBC News: “For 30 years, Novaya Gazeta published investigations into corruption, human rights violations and abuse of power in the country. On Monday, the team behind the newspaper had a final editorial meeting”
- Partly supportedMuratov said the Russian constitution’s guarantees for political and civil rights had “ceased to function.”DW English: ““We are currently at a point where the section of the Russian constitution that guarantees political and civil rights has ceased to function.””
- SupportedState pressure forced the paper out, including its foreign-agent designation and an order to vacate its premises.DW English: “It was branded a "foreign agent," a Soviet-era term resuscitated by President Vladimir Putin 's administration, with officials ordering it to vacate its Moscow offices.”
- SupportedAt the closure, Muratov told journalists gathered at the office that peace advocates had been denied the right to read what they choose.DW English: “"Those in our country who advocate for peace have been denied the right to read what they choose, as we see happening today," he said.”
- SupportedAt the closure, Muratov said the section of Russia’s constitution guaranteeing political and civil rights had ceased to function.DW English: ““We are currently at a point where the section of the Russian constitution that guarantees political and civil rights has ceased to function.””
- SupportedMuratov called for the release of about 4,000 people he called political prisoners.DW English: “Muratov also called for the release of around 4,000 people he termed political prisoners in Russia.”
- SupportedSokolov said the Russian authorities and special services had forced the editorial team to end its work.DW English: “The paper was shutting down after "the Russian authorities — the Russian special services — have forced the editorial team to end its work," he said.”
- SupportedAfter the foreign-agent designation, Novaya Gazeta said Russian banks stopped processing reader donations on which it relied.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Novaya Gazeta said that since then banks had stopped processing the reader donations on which it relied for financial survival.”
- SupportedPeskov called the closure part of “a standard rotational process” and described Russia’s media landscape as highly diverse.BBC News: “The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's media was highly diverse and that the newspaper's closure was part of "a standard rotational process".”
- SupportedVolker Turk described the shutdown as “yet another devastating blow for remaining independent media” in Russia.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said in October that Novaya Gazeta’s closure was “yet another devastating blow for remaining independent media” in Russia.”
- SupportedSix of the paper’s journalists were murdered since it launched in 1993.DW English: “Six of its journalists were murdered since the paper was launched in 1993.”
- SupportedVorobyova said the paper’s spirit would survive like a “good virus” and continue in everyone who was part of it.DW English: “One of its journalists, Irina Vorobyova, said that the paper's spirit would survive like a "good virus" and would "continue in everyone that was part of it."”