Novaya Gazeta closes Moscow office after 33 years of independent reporting

For readers in Joliet and across Illinois who follow Russian affairs, the closure of Novaya Gazeta marks the end of an era for independent journalism in Moscow. The paper, founded in 1993, stopped operations in its capital city office on Monday, November 9, 2026. It was the final major independent outlet in Russia that remained active and critical of the government.

The newspaper attributes its shutdown to sustained pressure from state authorities. In a statement released on October 30, the editorial team said officials and security services forced them to cease operations. The statement claimed that human rights and freedoms had been abolished and that defending them was now treated as a crime.

The closure follows a pattern of repression that accelerated after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Many other critical media outlets closed or moved their bases abroad during that period. Novaya Gazeta remained in Moscow, continuing to report on corruption and human rights abuses until now.

The physical office served as a symbol of the paper’s history and losses. Six journalists from the newsroom have been killed while working for the paper. The most prominent victim was Anna Politkovskaya, who was fatally shot in her apartment building in 2006. She had reported on atrocities during the second Chechen War. On the final day, staff removed the portraits of these colleagues from the walls of the newsroom.

Government actions against the paper intensified in recent years. Dmitry Muratov, the longtime editor-in-chief who shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, stepped down in 2023 after being named a foreign agent. The designation carries negative connotations in Russia and allows for increased scrutiny. Muratov was also attacked on a train in 2022 when an assailant poured red paint over him, causing severe eye irritation.

Financial and legal penalties further strained the operation. Authorities fined the newspaper for allegedly discrediting the armed forces. They also blocked its online platforms, seized its printing house, and revoked its media registration. The government shut down the donation system that allowed readers to support the paper directly. Finally, officials ordered the staff to vacate the Moscow office.

Tatiana Britskaya, editor of the investigations desk, described the decision as incredibly difficult. She noted that the office was more than a workplace to the team. It was considered their home. Britskaya said she had expected the closure almost every day for the past four and a half years.

Sergei Sokolov, the current editor-in-chief, expressed confidence that the paper would return with renewed strength. He stated that he is sure the country will eventually stir from its current difficult era. He added that Novaya Gazeta would return to its readers and colleagues as soon as the first signs of change appear.

A portion of the staff left Russia in 2022 to launch a separate project called Novaya Gazeta Europe. This new outlet continues to criticize the Kremlin and its military actions in Ukraine. As reporters left the Moscow building on Monday, they gathered in the street to watch a new sign being placed above the old nameplate. The sign read, Here lived Novaya Gazeta.