Can Russia’s independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta rise from the ashes a third time? Editor Sergey Sokolov discusses what comes next.
On the morning of October 30, Novaya Gazeta said it was closing. The day before, its journalists said the newspaper was being evicted from its office on Potapovsky Lane in central Moscow, where it had been based for 29 years. In recent years, Novaya Gazeta had somehow managed to keep working inside Russia despite searches, website blocks, the revocation of its newspaper registration, a show trial…
In October 2026, the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced it would be closing down after two previous closures. Editor-in-chief Sergey Sokolov spoke with the outlet Bereg about the challenges the publication faced in recent years and the reasons behind the final decision to cease operations. Despite being evicted from its office and facing financial difficulties, the staff continued to produce content and support their readership through digital platforms.
The newspaper had previously managed to survive despite searches, online blocks, the revocation of its registration, a show trial, and the label of a "foreign agent." However, this time, Sokolov believed the circumstances were too dire, and the decision to shut down was made openly, with no attempt to keep the closure a secret.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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