About us

"NotMoscow Speaks" is an independent publication covering life in Russia's regions. We cover Siberia and the Urals, the Volga region and the Far East, the North Caucasus and the North—a country that begins where national news ends.

The publication was founded on October 31, 2022, by a team of journalists led by Viktor Muchnik, the former editor-in-chief of the Tomsk television company TV2, one of the oldest independent regional television companies in Russia.

Why us

It's common to talk about Russia from Moscow. From this perspective, the country appears simple: everything important happens within the Garden Ring, and beyond that, the "regions," a homogeneous blob on the map.

We believe differently. The country's future will emerge not from a centralized Moscow model, but from the interests and identities of the regions themselves. Therefore, we are building a publication where the local agenda is the primary focus, not an add-on to the federal one.

Our authors live and work where they write. They know how this life works, because it's their life too.

What we write about

About what's happening to people. How a village is left without a doctor—and what he does next. Why there's been no heating for a second winter. How neighbors are chipping in to sue the plant. Who was the woman whose name the street bears?

News and big stories, reports and conversations, document analysis and memories of the past. We work on our website, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Why no names?

Since March 2024, the NeMoskva website has been blocked in Russia—Roskomnadzor has not explained which specific publications were the cause. In November 2024, the publication was added to the "foreign agent" registry; the editorial staff refused to label its materials in accordance with this requirement. The editor-in-chief was fined twice for this, and in 2026, he was placed on a wanted list and arrested in absentia.

Therefore, most materials are published without bylines. This is not a pose, but a working condition: anonymity protects those who continue to gather information within the country. The editorial staff is responsible for every published fact.

You can read us freely: without a subscription, registration, or paid access.