The end of the independent press in Russia

With the forced closure of the weekly "Sobesednik", a large number of Russians lost an objective and well-informed interlocutor.

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"Sobesednik" had a circulation of around 154.000, Photo: Reuters
"Sobesednik" had a circulation of around 154.000, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Years ago, employees of the Moscow weekly "Sobesednik" organized a celebration on the occasion of the paper's anniversary every February. On his 40th birthday this year, journalists instead nervously gathered in the newsroom in the Russian capital.

In another room sat a lieutenant colonel from the mysterious branch of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs - the Center for Combating Extremism - who called journalists one by one for questioning, recalled editor-in-chief Oleg Roldugin.

The day before, Sobesednik, whose name means "interlocutor" or "conversation partner," published a two-page story on the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, including a lengthy biography and a report on spontaneous candlelight vigils in his honor across the Russian capital.

A photo of a smiling Navalny graced the front page with the caption: "... but there is hope!"

The independent media always has one role - to confirm or refute the reader's secret thoughts, to give him the feeling that he is not alone, said poet and literary critic Dmitry Bykov

Navalny, arguably Russia's most prominent opposition figure, died under unclear circumstances in an Arctic prison colony, where he had been imprisoned on a series of charges he claimed were trumped up. In Russia, even printing Alexei Navalny's name means risking prosecution.

However, no major consequences followed. The excerpts about Navalny were quickly confiscated, but subsequent editions continued to be printed and hit newsstands every Sunday.

In mid-September, the news that Roldugin had feared for a long time finally arrived. Authorities have assigned the paper's publisher a “foreign agent” designation, a Soviet-era designation shared by 865 other individuals and organizations that subjects them to onerous financial requirements.

The label "foreign agent" disables work

Russia argues that its law on foreign agents, first introduced in 2012, is key to protecting its institutions from foreign influence. He also points out that the United States has similar legislation, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Roldugin was afraid that his advertisers would run away. Each article would have to be accompanied by a statement declaring its publisher a foreign agent.

A few days after being assigned the "foreign agent" label, "Sobesednik" announced that it was suspending publication.

"It would not be possible to read," said Roldugin, who has been running the paper since 2021. "The paper would have to be sold sealed and marked '18+', as pornography. Because we were engaged in journalism instead of propaganda. It was impossible to continue".

Editor of the newspaper Oleg Roldugin
Editor of the newspaper Oleg Rolduginphoto: Reuters

The collapse of "Sobesednik", the last independent printed newspaper in Russia, is a well-known story throughout Russia.

Since President Vladimir Putin came to power almost 25 years ago, most independent media outlets have been closed or forced into exile. State media strictly follow government policy.

In interviews, former correspondents spoke warmly of the paper, which had a circulation of about 154.000 earlier this year. Several attributed his relatively long life to independence; unlike many contemporaries, "Sobesednik" never belonged to one owner.

"The independent media always has one role - to confirm or refute the reader's secret thoughts, to give him the feeling that he is not alone," said the poet and literary critic Dmitry Bykov, who started writing for the paper the same year it was launched, while still was a journalism student.

He later became an editor and estimates that he wrote 3.000 articles, covering politics and culture.

"Interlocutor" - a partner to many readers

In a country where state media dominates and independent online media can only be accessed via a virtual private network (VPN) that bypasses internet censorship, the print newspaper provided a kind of comforting stability.

Many Russians read Sobesednik throughout their adult lives, Bijkov said. With his closure, their "constant, honest, unobtrusive and well-informed interlocutor" has disappeared, he added.

The outbreak of war in Ukraine has brought new restrictions on the independent press in Russia, criminalizing criticism of the military and jailing those who spread anything deemed "fake news" about the conflict.

In a country dominated by state-run media and independent online media accessible only through a VPN that bypasses internet censorship, the print newspaper provided a kind of comforting stability

However, running an independent newspaper in Russia has never been easy. The "interlocutor", known for his quick reaction to controversial stories, although with a subtle approach, was well aware of this.

"We were regularly sued," said Bijkov. The paper often upset Yuri Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010, and lawsuits became more frequent under Putin, Bijkov added.

Ilja Davljačtin, an investigative journalist at "Sobesednik" from 2020 to last year, said that the government's disdain for independent media began to put financial pressure on the paper during his stay.

Russian Post started charging more for distribution. Some kiosks refused to sell it. Given that funds were scarce, the staff had to settle in smaller offices. By September, only five full-time journalists remained.

"The interlocutor has returned to what he once was - practically underground," Davljačtin said. He left the paper - and Russia - after being branded a foreign agent himself.

Roldugin, on the other hand, hopes that the newspaper will one day be able to return.

In the last issue, under the crossword, the usual closing phrase of the paper remained: "Thank you for reading us, see you in a week!"

Translation: NB

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