Novaya Gazeta shuts down in Moscow after 33 years

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 10 November 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring

Novaya Gazeta staff left their Moscow office after a final editorial meeting on November 9. The newspaper blamed state pressure for its closure; the Kremlin described media outlets closing and opening as ordinary turnover.

Summary

MOSCOW — Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's most prominent independent newspapers, closed its Moscow newsroom on November 9 after 33 years, citing mounting pressure from Russian authorities that had made continued operations impossible.

Journalists held a final editorial meeting at the newspaper's longtime office on Potapovsky Lane before leaving the premises. The closure followed years of restrictions on publishing, the loss of its printing facilities and the shutdown of a system used to receive reader donations.

Final farewell to a historic newsroom

Editor-in-chief Sergey Sokolov led the final meeting, attended by staff, visiting journalists and former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, who shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Philippine journalist Maria Ressa.

Staff removed portraits commemorating six journalists and contributors associated with the newspaper who died in violent or suspicious circumstances. Among them was investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, murdered in Moscow in 2006 after reporting extensively on abuses in Chechnya. As employees departed, people gathered outside applauded and thanked them. Flowers were left near the newspaper's nameplate, which was covered by a sign announcing that Novaya Gazeta had once been there.

Years of mounting restrictions

In an October 30 statement, Novaya Gazeta accused Russian authorities and security services of forcing it to cease operations. The newspaper said it had lost access to its Moscow premises and the financial infrastructure needed to receive reader contributions.

The closure followed restrictions imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Authorities blocked the newspaper's online platforms, revoked its media registration and seized its printing facilities. The newspaper was also designated a "foreign agent" in September 2026, further complicating its operations and funding.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that investigative journalist Oleg Roldugin was detained in April over allegations involving the handling of personal data and subsequently placed under house arrest. Sokolov's home was searched in October in connection with the investigation, and he was questioned before being released.

Kremlin disputes media freedom concerns

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected suggestions that the closure signaled the end of independent journalism in Russia. He described the media environment as diverse and competitive, arguing that the closure of some outlets and emergence of others represented ordinary changes within the industry.

Novaya Gazeta's closure nevertheless marks another significant contraction of independent journalism operating inside Russia. Founded in 1993, the newspaper became internationally recognized for investigations into corruption, human rights abuses and the wars in Chechnya.

Several of its journalists were killed over the years, making the publication an enduring symbol of the risks associated with investigative reporting in Russia.

Journalists consider their future

Despite the closure, Sokolov indicated that the newspaper's journalists intended to continue their work in another form. He said the publication's identity extended beyond its offices, printed editions and website, and expressed hope that it could eventually return.

The shutdown concerns Novaya Gazeta's Moscow operation, not Novaya Gazeta Europe, a separate publication established in 2022 by former staff working outside Russia. The European outlet continues its independent reporting.

Efforts to preserve Novaya Gazeta's reporting have also progressed. An open archive containing 93,933 articles published between 2000 and 2026 was made available on GitHub before the closure, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe on November 2.

The archive contains article texts, headlines, publication dates and author information, although photographs and videos are not included.

For Russia's independent media community, the departure from Potapovsky Lane represents more than the loss of a newsroom. It marks the end of a Moscow-based publication that spent more than three decades investigating powerful institutions despite repeated threats, restrictions and attacks on its journalists.

ATTRIBUTION: Prepared by JournalismPakistan staff. Sources: Associated Press and Novaya Gazeta Europe (November 9, 2026); Meduza (November 10, 2026); Committee to Protect Journalists (November 6, 2026); Novaya Gazeta Europe (November 2, 2026); Novaya Gazeta (October 30, 2026).

PHOTO: AI-generated illustration; not a depiction of actual events.