Nine years and counting On Meduza in English’s birthday, readers from around the world share what our reporting means to them

On February 2, Meduza in English turned nine years old. One year ago, just a few days before our eighth birthday, the Russian authorities designated Meduza as an “undesirable organization.” This label, which bans us from operating on Russian territory under threat of felony prosecution, was intended to put an end to our work. But as you can see, we’re still here — and millions of people in Russia and around the world are still reading us. Several days ago, we asked our readers to send messages for our newsroom, and we received dozens of kind notes in response. We’re sharing just a few of them below.

Marco

Tokyo, Japan

My boyfriend is Russian, he introduced me to Meduza around the time the full-scale invasion started. We feel really lucky, having a somewhat stable life abroad, but it’s still hard to read about the anti-LGBT crackdown going on, fearing one day your loved one could be imprisoned (if not worse) just for being himself.

I follow the English edition via RSS and regularly listen to the Naked Pravda, thank you for all your hard work.

Anna

St. Petersburg, Russia

Thank you for continuing to work even in such terrible conditions. Until 2022, I never intentionally read or watched the news, but now I read Meduza every day — not just to keep my finger on the pulse, but also learn about things that are new and unusual to me, to expand my perspective. And I find it so valuable that you inform people of small but real actions they can take, whether that’s signing a petition or donating money. I hope we’ll stay together, and that in the near future, they’ll be referring to you not as an “undesirable organization” but as one of the best media outlets in our country.

Carter

Baltimore, USA

Hi Meduza, I’m an American student studying Russian language at UMBC. Your journalism has been an invaluable source of information and language practice for me. Inspired by your work, I started translating for Русь Сидящая (“Russian Behind Bars”) this winter. Thank you guys, wear that иноагент (“foreign agent”) status with pride.

Nina C.

Eugene, Oregon, USA

I appreciate the wide variety of stories published by Meduza — interviews, as well as reporting on events in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere. I especially like the analyses of current events in Russia and related places found in The Beet and Сигнал (“Signal”). Meduza’s thoughtful reporting and analysis helps me stay informed about the ongoing situation in Russia and Ukraine. My father was from Latvia, so I also appreciate your reporting about the Baltic countries.

AJ

California, USA

I started reading Meduza at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine because I wanted to know what was going on in Russia beyond state propaganda. I'm still reading today, and I intend to keep reading forever, because Meduza's journalism is a powerful reminder that everyday Russians are more diverse and less monolithic than the Putin regime wants the world to believe.

Morotomi M.

Chiba, Japan

It's been a great pleasure and honor to be supporting your great work of journalism.

Amanda E.

Davidson, North Carolina, USA

Thank you so much for continued excellent reporting on Russia. I am a monthly subscriber/donor. I am a professor of Russian literature who used to travel to Russia for research  or bringing students and colleagues over the last few decades before the full-scale invasion and now I worry I may never go to Russia again, I hope I’m wrong. Your excellent reporting, especially the Что случилось (”What Happened”) podcast helps me stay connected to Russian current events and the Russian language. When people ask me where to go for excellent Russia coverage, I point them to Meduza and encourage them to donate. Thank you!

We do our work for you and for the millions of people in Russia who want to know the truth. Support Meduza

Renée K.

Zurich, Switzerland

Thanks for your great journalistic job. It helps me a lot understanding Russian issues and conflicts. I have many Russian friends in Switzerland who are afraid of voting against Putin. Please write an article about the whereabouts of voting abroad. Maybe some useful statistics about the benefits of voting, which realistic dangers there are in voting against Putin. A lot of people have shown their face as they were queuing for Nadezhdin, so we must encourage Russian expatriates to vote by showing them that the risk involved is minimal. Thanks