Russia Underground takes you on a journey to meet the Russians who continue to battle for free speech, artistic freedoms and basic human rights despite Putin’s brutal wartime crackdown.
Some independent journalists still operate in Russia, finding ways to get around wartime censorship and avoid jail. We look at the immense challenges facing independent journalism, which continues to cling on despite repression.
We spoke with journalists who have gone underground, use pseudonyms to evade government scrutiny and exercise self-censorship so as to be able to keep working.
In particular, we explore the emergence of what some have called a “new generation” of journalists — like Vera, a 21-year-old reporter from Belgorod, who covers the consequences of the war in Ukraine in her hometown.
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These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
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