MOSCOW, Russia – Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta closed its Moscow office on Monday, November 9, ending more than three decades of operations in Russia. The newspaper attributed the closure to sustained pressure from government authorities and security services.
Journalists and former employees gathered at the newspaper’s central Moscow premises as staff removed photographs and other belongings from the newsroom. The closure marked the end of an institution founded in 1993 that built its reputation through investigations into corruption, human rights abuses and political accountability.
In a statement published on October 30, the newspaper said government restrictions had made it impossible to continue working. It cited financial restrictions, blocked publishing platforms and an order to leave its office.
The publication had announced that it would shut down its servers and vacate the premises on November 9. It described the move as the end of its existence in Russia.
Financial Restrictions and Eviction Force Closure
Novaya Gazeta said it could no longer afford to operate after losing access to its reader-donation system. Donations had become an important source of funding after the newspaper suspended its print edition in Russia in 2022.
The publication also said authorities had ordered it to leave its Moscow office. Its website had been blocked, its media registration revoked and its printing equipment seized, according to the October 30 statement.
Russian authorities had also designated the newspaper a foreign agent. The classification imposes additional reporting requirements and restrictions on organizations and individuals.
The newspaper said these measures, together with wartime censorship rules introduced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, had prevented it from reporting freely on major political and military developments.
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Newspaper Built Reputation Through Investigative Journalism
Founded in 1993, Novaya Gazeta received financial support linked to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s 1990 Nobel Peace Prize. It went on to become one of Russia’s most prominent independent newspapers.
Its journalists investigated government corruption, abuses of power, human rights violations and the conflicts in Chechnya. The publication also reported on powerful political and business figures.
Six of its journalists were murdered over the years, according to the newspaper’s historical accounts. They included investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, who covered the war in Chechnya extensively before she was shot dead in her Moscow apartment building in October 2006.
Former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to defend freedom of expression. He attended the gathering marking the office’s closure and called for the protection of civil liberties and independent journalism in Russia.
Kremlin Downplays Significance of Closure
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the newspaper’s closure as part of a competitive media environment, referring to it as a rotational process.
His comments differed sharply from the newspaper’s explanation that government restrictions and pressure had made continued operations impossible.
Russian authorities had previously imposed several restrictions on the publication, including revoking its media registration and designating it a foreign agent. Novaya Gazeta has described these measures as part of a coordinated campaign involving government institutions and security services.
That account represents the newspaper’s explanation for its closure. The authorities’ stated position should be considered separately.
Independent Journalism Continues Outside Russia
The closure of the Moscow office does not mean that all journalism associated with the Novaya Gazeta name has ended.
Some former employees established Novaya Gazeta Europe in 2022 after leaving Russia. The separate publication continues to operate outside the country, reporting critically on the Kremlin and the war in Ukraine.
Russian authorities have designated Novaya Gazeta Europe an undesirable organization, a classification that prohibits its activities in Russia and exposes those involved in its operations to potential legal consequences.
Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov expressed hope that the newspaper would eventually return to its readers and colleagues.
The closure marks a significant loss for independent journalism within Russia, where restrictions on critical media have intensified since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Primary Sources: Novaya Gazeta — Editorial statement, October 30, 2026: We Have Been Killed: A Statement on the End of Our Existence. The newspaper’s own account of the closure, financial restrictions, eviction, censorship and pressure on its journalists. Nobel Prize — The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. Official record of the award shared by Dmitry Muratov and Maria Ressa.
