Supplier Margarita Aljohina got fired after the war started in Ukraine. Now he tries to live by writing for small publications with a small salary, but is not ready to leave Russia yet.
What kind of situation are you answering this call from?
I have been unemployed for a year. I work as a freelance journalist.
Tell me about yourself. What have you been doing as a journalist for the last few years?
I was a legal reporter at RBC. It is a big Russian media. I reported on court cases related to corruption and security organizations for more than five years.
A year ago I had to quit my job, even though I loved it. The situation in the media changed in 2021. Now we understand that they were preparing for war.
The authorities cleaned up the media industry and pushed us under strict control. The more liberal media were declared foreign agents. It was very difficult to work. I couldn’t talk to experts or human rights organizations because they were also designated as “foreign agents”.
I was fired on the third day of the war, February 26, because I took a comment from an expert who was considered a “foreign agent”. The editorial management changed the expert’s title, and he got mad, I got mad, and everyone got mad. I lost my job.
Can you write under your own name anymore?
Sometimes yes. In some cases, I will write under my own name if it is an article that is not on such a sensitive topic. If the topic is sensitive, I use other names.
How can you continue your work under these conditions?
I think I will continue as a freelance journalist, working for different media, even if it means working hard for little money.
I can’t rule out that I will leave the country and find some way to work from afar.
Do journalists have ways to circumvent media laws?
They can leave Russia, like many of my friends and colleagues. Many left also because they were forced. They were threatened, they were charged, or it was just dangerous to continue as a journalist in Russia. Many didn’t want to leave either. We journalists want to make our country better.
Another option is to go to some independent media in Russia. There are publications delivered from abroad and professional journals aimed at small audiences, such as the law-focused journal I work for. Then you don’t have to act against your conscience. You can also quit your job and do something else.
In your opinion, have any journalists fled the country?
There are many journalists in Georgia. They are not very happy, unfortunately.
My recently departed friend is just crying and I don’t know how to help her. Emigration is different when you do it of your own free will. Leaving quickly is painful.
Are there people in Russia who are trying to change the situation?
Yes, there are. There are no Putin or war supporters around me. Some are trying to help Ukrainians who have arrived in Russia. There are also protests, but they are small because of the current laws.
I myself participated in demonstrations before the war. Now I can’t because I have to take care of my mother. People fear not only for themselves but for their loved ones. Many people are more passive than they would otherwise be because of their loved ones.
How can war be opposed inside Russia?
We can help those who have suffered from war and who have, for example, lost their homes. We can also post on social media to let people know they are not alone. Gatherings are almost forbidden. It is dangerous to transfer money to Ukrainians, the administration is watching it. There was a case in Moscow where a woman transferred money to Ukrainian troops. He is now accused of treason, which can result in 20 years in prison.
What kind of topics can you write about as a journalist?
Regarding the war, I can write about the mistreatment of Ukrainians in Russia and I can write about lawsuits against brave protesters. I can study statistics related to lawsuits or the financing of warfare. For example, Mediazona’s editorial staff, with whom I collaborate, tries to find irregularities in the statistics and analyze them.
Do you know a single journalist who works for the anti-war movement?
In Russia, we are used to separating journalism and activism. Journalists working as activists find it difficult to get work from large newsrooms. They work with small media and are a very small group.
What else would you like to say?
My sources have gone quiet. They refuse to say anything. They are scared. Some have moved and become estranged from the current situation.
I can’t meet anyone face to face, which is important to me in journalistic work. Life has become more difficult, but my situation is pretty good compared to those who have left and compared to those who are persecuted. Every Russian lost something last year, even if they don’t think so.
In this series of stories, we call Russians and look for answers to what is happening to representatives of various professions, civil society, journalists and activists in Russia.