Glembert
Dear readers and friends,
When we were outlawed by the Russian government earlier this year, we all faced the question of how we could continue to do our jobs when the Kremlin made it illegal for Russians to even talk to us.
This question was particularly relevant to the opinion section, where we are reliant on people putting their names to their stories and ideas. I see my job as not only to source the most insightful analysis of what’s happening in a country so many people fail to understand, but to provide a space for the human stories behind the headlines.
Thankfully, there are many brave people who are still willing to speak to us. Most have left Russia, but many still have family and friends inside the country. The Kremlin’s efforts to silence the media are not only meant to stop Russians from learning what is happening beyond their borders and in their own government — but also to stop the truth about Russia from getting out.
I feel a great sense of responsibility with the stories I get trusted with, like Lena Patayeva’s plea for the safe return of her friend Seida Suleimanova, who was kidnapped by Chechen authorities and possibly murdered by her own family after she ran away to escape a forced marriage. Or when Lana Estemirova let me publish her memories of Oleg Orlov, the co-chair of Memorial who was freed as part of this year’s historic prisoner swap, at the time of his imprisonment.
Our stats show that there is a clear demand for these kinds of articles. Op-eds are not only some of our most read and most shared articles each day, but also the ones people spend the most time reading. This is especially gratifying as we know how much content there is out there fighting for your attention.
As a specialized outlet, we have the luxury of not having to choose between covering a story about Russia or American politics, Gaza, or the forgotten wars in Sudan and Myanmar. If you see a story about Russia elsewhere, chances are we covered it first.
As important as these issues are, we still believe it is crucial for the world to know both what the Kremlin is doing beyond its borders and within Russia, especially as the eyes of the media renew their fixation on Donald Trump once he returns to office. Every year that the Kremlin extends its grip over the country is another year that it will continue to threaten its neighbors militarily or with less conventional means such as sabotage.
Because we are an independent media outlet in exile, The Moscow Times relies on the support of readers like you to make this work possible.
Please consider making a recurring donation or a one-time donation to our news outlet to help us keep covering these critical stories with editorial independence and integrity for many more years to come.
Thank you and see you next year,
Charlie Hancock
Opinion and Newsletter Editor
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