TL;DR
Get everyday essentials delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Russia’s independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it will close after losing its Moscow office and access to a donation platform it relied on. Editor-in-chief Sergey Sokolov says the staff will meet its remaining obligations through November 9, while a future relaunch could take months or years—or may not be possible.
Novaya Gazeta said on October 30 it would close after losing its Moscow office and access to a donation platform that had supported its work, leaving Russia’s prominent independent newspaper without a clear way to continue operating. Editor-in-chief Sergey Sokolov said staff would fulfill their remaining obligations through November 9, while the prospect and timing of a relaunch remain uncertain.
The announcement came a day after the newspaper’s journalists said they had been told to leave their office on Potapovsky Lane, where the publication had been based for 29 years. Sokolov told the outlet Bereg, in an interview republished by Meduza, that the staff had been given a month to move out and were trying to save the newspaper’s books, archives, keepsakes, and two museums associated with its history.
Sokolov said the loss of access to the publication’s donation platform left it without a way to support itself. He described the combination of the office and funding problems as the immediate reason the staff decided it could no longer continue. The newspaper’s statement, he said, was that staff would work until November 9 to meet their final commitment to readers before shutting down its servers.
He said the decision was made collectively, but did not give a precise date for when it was reached. Sokolov said the staff are still publishing stories and posting on YouTube and Telegram while also packing to move materials out of the office. The newspaper’s announcement describes a closure; it does not establish that a future return is planned or guaranteed.
The Cost of Losing Its Moscow Base
The closure would end the current operation of a newspaper that has continued publishing inside Russia amid mounting legal and financial pressure. Losing both a long-standing office and a key means of collecting donations is significant because the staff say they no longer have a workable way to sustain the publication. The immediate effect is not only on new reporting: journalists are also racing to preserve archives and collections built up over decades.
For readers, the announcement marks a break in the publication’s ability to operate as it has. Sokolov says the newsroom remains together as a team, though its members are spread across different countries, and that the staff retain their convictions and shared history. Those factors may help support a future effort, but his comments do not resolve whether the newspaper can return or under what conditions.
Popular right now
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz. Container, Black
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones with Spatial Audio, Black
Ninja Foodi 10-Qt DualZone Smart XL Air Fryer, 6-in-1, DZ550
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Long Record of Pressure
Novaya Gazeta was founded in 1993, and Sokolov has worked there since its early days. The newspaper remained active in Russia through searches, website blocks, the revocation of its newspaper registration, and the labeling of the online publication as a “foreign agent,” according to the account accompanying the interview. The report also cites a show trial involving investigative reporter Oleg Roldugin.
Sokolov characterized the latest difficulties as a point at which the newspaper could no longer survive: the office lease was terminated, and banks told the publication they would no longer work with it. He said the newsroom had previously shut down and returned, but stressed that the timing of any new attempt could range from a month to years. His recollection is an interview account; it is not a guarantee that another relaunch will occur.
“We have absolutely no idea how we’re going to get by, or what we’re going to live on.”
— Sergey Sokolov, Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief, in an interview with Bereg republished by Meduza
Why the Closure Was Not Fully Explained
The exact sequence behind the decision remains unclear. Sokolov said he could not recall precisely when the staff decided to close and declined to comment on other outlets’ reporting about an overnight entry into the office or a discussion of whether the newspaper could be designated an extremist organization. He said the reliable information was what appeared in Novaya Gazeta’s own statement.
Sokolov said the newspaper received a formal notice ending its lease and notices from banks that they would no longer work with it. He did not provide further details about the landlord’s decision or the banks’ reasons. The available account also does not specify where the staff will work after leaving, how much funding they need, or whether they can regain access to a donation system.
His assertion that the authorities and security services had destroyed the newspaper is Sokolov’s characterization of events, not a separately established finding in the interview. The report supplies no official explanation from the landlord, banks, or government for the actions he described.
Staff Prepare to Leave by November 9
In the near term, the newsroom says it will continue publishing while carrying out its remaining work through November 9. Staff are also moving books, archives, keepsakes, and museum materials from the Potapovsky Lane office before the stated deadline for vacating it. Sokolov said the newspaper had been given a month to move, but the interview does not set out a confirmed new location.
After that, the publication’s servers are expected to be shut down, according to Sokolov. He said the team may try to bring Novaya Gazeta back when conditions allow, but offered no launch plan, date, funding arrangement, or legal framework for a return. Whether the staff can preserve the publication’s reporting operation beyond the announced closure remains unresolved.
Key Questions
Why is Novaya Gazeta closing?
Editor Sergey Sokolov said the newspaper lost its Moscow office after its lease was terminated and lost access to a donation platform it relied on. He said the staff no longer knew how they could support the publication.
When will the newspaper stop working?
Sokolov said staff would continue working through November 9, 2026, to fulfill their remaining obligation to readers. He said they would then shut down the servers.
Will Novaya Gazeta return?
Sokolov said the staff may try to relaunch when circumstances permit, but he gave no timetable or guarantee. He said a return could take months or years.
What happened to the newspaper’s Moscow office?
The newspaper’s journalists said they were being evicted from its office on Potapovsky Lane, where it had been based for 29 years. Sokolov said they were trying to move the publication’s archives and other materials.
Did Sokolov confirm reports about an overnight office entry or an extremist designation risk?
No. In the interview, Sokolov declined to comment on other outlets’ reporting about an overnight entry and said he did not recall whether an extremist designation was raised in a staff discussion. Those details remain unconfirmed in his account.
Source: meduza.io
