(NEW YORK) Today, for the first time ever, the complete digitized archive of the seminal Russian political magazine Itogi (The Upshot, 1996-2001) has been made accessible thanks to a collaboration between PEN America’s Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) and the Internet Archive. Until now, only a small selection of articles had been available online. The digitization of the entire Itogi archive into searchable PDFs now provides easy and comprehensive access.
“The Itogi archive is an invaluable collection of critical, independent reporting on a defining period in Russia’s post-Soviet history, providing in-depth coverage and analysis of pivotal events such as the wars in Chechnya and Vladimir Putin’s rise to power,” said Anna Nemzer, journalist and RIMA co-founder. “The addition of Itogi to RIMA provides an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to understand the tragic, terminal stages of Russia’s failed experiment with democracy.”
Launched in partnership with Newsweek in 1996, three years before Vladimir Putin’s arrival in the Kremlin, Itogi was promoted as “the first real weekly news magazine to be published in Russian.” Staffed by prominent journalists, Itogi quickly gained influence. After Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as president in May 2000, he immediately targeted Media MOST, a holding that included Itogi, the national television broadcaster NTV, and the daily newspaper Segodnya. in April 2001, in what was staged to appear as a business dispute, the media subsidiary of the state gas monopoly, Gazprom, took over the holding, replacing NTV and Itogi editorial teams with Kremlin loyalists, while completely shutting down Segodnya.
“The dismantling and eventual closure of Itogi was the first major instance of Putin’s campaign against independent journalism, marking the beginning of the end of media freedom in Russia”, said M.Gessen, who worked as chief correspondent of Itogi and covered the attacks on Media MOST for the magazine. “It is immensely gratifying that a new generation of readers will finally have access to the Itogi archive, despite the Putin regime’s ongoing efforts to control and distort the historical record.”
About the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA)
PEN America’s Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA), launched in 2023 in partnership with Bard College and supported by the Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, is a searchable digital database preserving nearly three decades of work by independent Russian journalists and editors. These outlets, many of which have been shut down or forced into exile, include Novaya Gazeta, Taiga.info, Meduza, Mediazona, OVD-Info, Pskovskaya Gubernia, The Bell, Holod, Agency, Ochevidcy, Verstka, and Proekt. With plans to feature over 70 publications, RIMA offers an invaluable resource for uncovering a more complete version of history while fighting censorship and the manipulation of historical memory. Sign up for RIMA’s monthly newsletter.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.