January 27, 2023

Meduza Declared Undesirable


Meduza Declared Undesirable
Julian Paolo

“This is not a strong government, but a weak one. A strong government does not fight journalists, does not shut down its critics, does not blame the mirror. Journalism cannot be a crime.

– Journalist Dmitry Kolezev

On January 26, Russia’s Prosecutor General declared the popular publication Meduza an “undesirable” organization.

“It has been established,” the office said, “that its activities pose a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the Russian Federation.”

Meduza, based in Latvia, was in 2021 declared a “foreign agent.” When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the internet publication was blocked, such that Russian readers had to use a VPN to access it. Today, the publication is one of the world’s leading Russian language media outlets, with over 9 million monthly readers of its website, and 1.3 million readers on its Telegram channel, according to Meduza data.

What the move means is that the publication is banned from operating on Russian soil. But the wider implication is that the declaration criminalizes the publication’s audience, turning anyone who promotes the publication, even by simply sharing a link to one of its articles, into a criminal. Specifically, as Meduza summarized in an article about the implications of the move:

  • If you live in Russia or are planning to travel there, you should remove all reposts or shares of Meduza from your social media feeds. There is a R15,000 fine for a first offense of sharing Meduza posts, and a repeat offense can lead to criminal charges. As reported by OVD-Info, many Russians are already being prosecuted for similar actions.
  • Russians sending donations to support Meduza can be criminally charged even for a first offense. If a Russian citizen (or someone planning to travel there) has posted on social media explaining how to support Meduza or encouraging others to do so, one should delete that. This makes it all the more important for non-Russians to support Meduza with their donations. You may do that here.
  • If you are a foreign citizen with Russian friends, for now you should not send your friends links to Meduza articles, nor send them screenshots of same. Communicating via Telegram is also advised, as that can be more secure from prying organs.

Since the start of 2022, the prosecutor’s office has declared 12 other organizations to be “undesirable.” This includes various human rights groups, a group fighting corruption, and several media publications. Meduza is now the thirteenth to bear this proud, yet difficult moniker.

In related news:

  • On January 25, the Moscow City Court approved a request by the Ministry of Justice to terminate the activities of the Moscow Helsinki Group in Russia. The Helsinki Group is the oldest human rights organization in Russia, founded in May 1976. The ministry alleged that the Helsinki Group was violating the law on public organizations by acting outside the bounds of Moscow region.
  • On January 24, The Moscow Department of City Property notified the Sakharov Center that its lease agreements on the center’s main building, an exhibition hall, and the apartment where Academician Andrei Sakharov lived have been terminated. The move was predicated on the rule that organizations declared “foreign agents,” which is the case with the Sakharov Center, cannot receive any state support. The human rights organization had been occupying its Moscow premises rent-free since the early 1990s.

“Today, the history of the center, as it was for a quarter of a century, is coming to an end,” the Sakharov Center said in a press release. “An island of freedom is impossible in modern Russia, which has not only turned away from the legacy of Sakharov, but also from the entire domestic tradition of humanism, the pursuit of truth and justice.”

The editorial board of Meduza, meanwhile, was defiant in the face of its ostracism by the Kremlin. “We believe in what we do,” the editors wrote. “We believe in free speech. And we believe in a democratic Russia. The greater the pressure against us and our values, the harder we will resist.”

DONATE TO MEDUZA

 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Best of Russian Life

The Best of Russian Life

We culled through 15 years of Russian Life to select readers’ and editors’ favorite stories and biographies for inclusion in a special two-volume collection. Totalling over 1100 pages, these two volumes encompass some of the best writing we have published over the last two decades, and include the most timeless stories and biographies – those that can be read again and again.
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955