«TV2»
«And what if it’s not me who gets a criminal charge?»
TV2, Tomsk’s main media outlet, survived the 1991 August Coup and the Crimea annexation, but closed when the war started
TV2 is a legendary Tomsk-based Russian TV channel, one of the first private television companies in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia. When working, the editors used the principle of not supporting anyone and not making friends with anyone, constantly annoying the authorities.
The channel covered the entire recent history of the country: from the 1991 coup d'état attempt to the "Crimean spring". TV2 journalists thoroughly covered the events in Ukraine in 2014: they were on the Maidan, they released a story about "volunteers" from Tomsk sent to Donbass. In April 2014, the TV channel was taken off the air allegedly due to transmission line failure. And then, in December of the same year, the communications operator refused to renew the contract with TV2, and Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, withdrew its broadcasting license.
This is how ended the history of the TV2 channel and began the history of the TV2 news agency that published both texts and videos on its website, YouTube channel and Instagram account.
After the war in Ukraine began, TV2's website was blocked by Roskomnadzor. At this point in time, the editors decided to close the media — at least for some time. Viktor Muchnik, TV2's editor-in-chief, left Russia, as did several of his colleagues. While being in exile, the team launched Ochevidcy (Eyewitnesses), a new channel about life after February 24, as well as the project Bound by Words.
The channel covered the entire recent history of the country: from the 1991 coup d'état attempt to the "Crimean spring". TV2 journalists thoroughly covered the events in Ukraine in 2014: they were on the Maidan, they released a story about "volunteers" from Tomsk sent to Donbass. In April 2014, the TV channel was taken off the air allegedly due to transmission line failure. And then, in December of the same year, the communications operator refused to renew the contract with TV2, and Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, withdrew its broadcasting license.
This is how ended the history of the TV2 channel and began the history of the TV2 news agency that published both texts and videos on its website, YouTube channel and Instagram account.
After the war in Ukraine began, TV2's website was blocked by Roskomnadzor. At this point in time, the editors decided to close the media — at least for some time. Viktor Muchnik, TV2's editor-in-chief, left Russia, as did several of his colleagues. While being in exile, the team launched Ochevidcy (Eyewitnesses), a new channel about life after February 24, as well as the project Bound by Words.
«And what if it’s not me who gets a criminal charge?»
TV2, Tomsk’s main media outlet, survived the 1991 August Coup and the Crimea annexation, but closed when the war started
«TV2»
TV2 is a legendary Tomsk-based Russian TV channel, one of the first private television companies in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia. When working, the editors used the principle of not supporting anyone and not making friends with anyone, constantly annoying the authorities.
The channel covered the entire recent history of the country: from the 1991 coup d'état attempt to the "Crimean spring". TV2 journalists thoroughly covered the events in Ukraine in 2014: they were on the Maidan, they released a story about "volunteers" from Tomsk sent to Donbass. In April 2014, the TV channel was taken off the air allegedly due to transmission line failure. And then, in December of the same year, the communications operator refused to renew the contract with TV2, and Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, withdrew its broadcasting license.
This is how ended the history of the TV2 channel and began the history of the TV2 news agency that published both texts and videos on its website, YouTube channel and Instagram account.
After the war in Ukraine began, TV2's website was blocked by Roskomnadzor. At this point in time, the editors decided to close the media — at least for some time. Viktor Muchnik, TV2's editor-in-chief, left Russia, as did several of his colleagues. While being in exile, the team launched Ochevidcy (Eyewitnesses), a new channel about life after February 24, as well as the project Bound by Words.
The channel covered the entire recent history of the country: from the 1991 coup d'état attempt to the "Crimean spring". TV2 journalists thoroughly covered the events in Ukraine in 2014: they were on the Maidan, they released a story about "volunteers" from Tomsk sent to Donbass. In April 2014, the TV channel was taken off the air allegedly due to transmission line failure. And then, in December of the same year, the communications operator refused to renew the contract with TV2, and Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, withdrew its broadcasting license.
This is how ended the history of the TV2 channel and began the history of the TV2 news agency that published both texts and videos on its website, YouTube channel and Instagram account.
After the war in Ukraine began, TV2's website was blocked by Roskomnadzor. At this point in time, the editors decided to close the media — at least for some time. Viktor Muchnik, TV2's editor-in-chief, left Russia, as did several of his colleagues. While being in exile, the team launched Ochevidcy (Eyewitnesses), a new channel about life after February 24, as well as the project Bound by Words.
Viktor Muchnik
Before the war
— On the eve of the war, together with TV2 employees, we published an anti-war statement. We felt that the darkness was thickening. Back then, I thought that Russia would try to seize territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions only. So a full-scale war was a shock even to me, even though I don’t have any illusions about the intellectual abilities of the Russian elite, government officials and Putin personally.
Covid taught us to take decisions remotely and very quickly. We decided to make a live news feed covering the war. Of course, we didn’t have the resources to travel to the scene and work as we would like to in such a situation. In 2014, we could get to do it, this time we couldn’t.
It was clear that the media crackdown would be massive, I personally had no illusions about this. We immediately agreed with colleagues that we would work according to our rules, while understanding quite well what would be the cost.
For the last 7 years we worked with an understanding that law enforcement officers could come at any moment. After the TV company and the holding were destroyed, all of our fifteen employees had monthly renewable contracts.
Covid taught us to take decisions remotely and very quickly. We decided to make a live news feed covering the war. Of course, we didn’t have the resources to travel to the scene and work as we would like to in such a situation. In 2014, we could get to do it, this time we couldn’t.
It was clear that the media crackdown would be massive, I personally had no illusions about this. We immediately agreed with colleagues that we would work according to our rules, while understanding quite well what would be the cost.
For the last 7 years we worked with an understanding that law enforcement officers could come at any moment. After the TV company and the holding were destroyed, all of our fifteen employees had monthly renewable contracts.
Turning point
— We received the first warning on the third or fourth day of the war. They didn’t like our live news feed, namely its title, which featured the word "war". We removed this news feed and started another one, with almost no changes of the content. A couple of days later, we received a second warning, and very soon we were blocked.
As even before TV2 was blocked, the fake news law (involving criminal prosecution) was already looming, here is what I thought about: I am editor-in-chief in my seventies, and I may be criminally charged, ok. But what if someone else from my team is charged instead? Am I ready to that? For example, the young journalists who work on our live news feed? Those who rely on me. Those who might not be fully aware of the risks, even though we discussed them. I couldn’t answer this question. But, "thankfully", the government decided everything for me.
I brought the team together on March 4 (the website was blocked on the night of March 4 — note by the project team) [and announced the closure]. I wrote a farewell address to the audience. This was how the history of TV2 in Tomsk ended. We worked for almost 31 years.
I understood that my resources and TV2's resources would not last long. It was clear that we would lose part of the audience — partly because of politics, partly because of the need to use a VPN. And of course, I realized that we would lose the advertisers, and thus, our livelihood. We had quite good experience in crowdfunding, and our recent fundraising campaigns were quite successful. But I understood that it wouldn’t be enough to continue working.
TV2's strong side was that we understood some things in a similar way, and trust was the foundation of our work. Of course, everyone was upset [by the shutdown], everyone was traumatized. Some experienced TV2's death for the second time. But they understood our decision.
As even before TV2 was blocked, the fake news law (involving criminal prosecution) was already looming, here is what I thought about: I am editor-in-chief in my seventies, and I may be criminally charged, ok. But what if someone else from my team is charged instead? Am I ready to that? For example, the young journalists who work on our live news feed? Those who rely on me. Those who might not be fully aware of the risks, even though we discussed them. I couldn’t answer this question. But, "thankfully", the government decided everything for me.
I brought the team together on March 4 (the website was blocked on the night of March 4 — note by the project team) [and announced the closure]. I wrote a farewell address to the audience. This was how the history of TV2 in Tomsk ended. We worked for almost 31 years.
I understood that my resources and TV2's resources would not last long. It was clear that we would lose part of the audience — partly because of politics, partly because of the need to use a VPN. And of course, I realized that we would lose the advertisers, and thus, our livelihood. We had quite good experience in crowdfunding, and our recent fundraising campaigns were quite successful. But I understood that it wouldn’t be enough to continue working.
TV2's strong side was that we understood some things in a similar way, and trust was the foundation of our work. Of course, everyone was upset [by the shutdown], everyone was traumatized. Some experienced TV2's death for the second time. But they understood our decision.
Pressure
— After the blocking, I and several other colleagues decided to emigrate. The rest of the team stayed. We said goodbye to each other. We used to have a work chat, now it’s a chat where we continue to communicate and exchange news.
Choosing to leave was, of course, a very difficult decision for me. I lived all my life in Tomsk. People used to ask me quite often: "Why don’t you leave?" And I answered: "It's not hard for me to leave Russia, it’s hard for me to leave Tomsk". Tomsk is streets, friends, graves of the loved ones. I love this city a lot, I love Siberia. When people abroad ask me: "Where do you come from?", I answer: "From Siberia".
It was a tough decision — and we took it quickly. It wasn’t about the risks I felt at that moment — it’s just that staying in Russia right now is unbearable for me. [As poem by Osip Mandelstam says,] "The bread is poisoned and the air’s drunk dry", that’s how I feel, and I don’t want to breathe this air.
Choosing to leave was, of course, a very difficult decision for me. I lived all my life in Tomsk. People used to ask me quite often: "Why don’t you leave?" And I answered: "It's not hard for me to leave Russia, it’s hard for me to leave Tomsk". Tomsk is streets, friends, graves of the loved ones. I love this city a lot, I love Siberia. When people abroad ask me: "Where do you come from?", I answer: "From Siberia".
It was a tough decision — and we took it quickly. It wasn’t about the risks I felt at that moment — it’s just that staying in Russia right now is unbearable for me. [As poem by Osip Mandelstam says,] "The bread is poisoned and the air’s drunk dry", that’s how I feel, and I don’t want to breathe this air.
Future
— We told our audience that we had to interrupt our work, because it was impossible to work the way we wanted in those political circumstances, and working the way the state wanted was not an option for us.
After the website was closed, and after I and several colleagues left, we talked — and created a new project called Eyewitnesses of February 24 (a series of interviews with Russians about the war published on the TV2 YouTube channel — note by the project team). We have Telegram and Instagram accounts. And we — those who left — have quite a free hand. We explained to the audience that we were looking for various ways of professional self-realization.
As for the colleagues who stayed in Tomsk, each of them will find a way to work without shame. Yulia Korneva has already released a documentary as part of TV2 Expedition series (a series of documentaries about life in the Russian outback — note by the project team). This series might continue — over the last 7 years it has been crowdfunded.
Personally, I intend to continue working. We have joint projects with colleagues from other media. It is possible to find ways to work and fulfill oneself. So "TV2 in exile" will continue to work. We rely on a remarkable Russian historical tradition. Of course, I’m not trying to compare myself to Herzen, but I remember Kolokol [first Russian censorship-free weekly newspaper published by Alexander Herzen]. Personally, I grew up in the Soviet years and was formed as a person thanks to samizdat and foreign radio, in particular. Apparently, similar times are coming.
This is not easy, of course. Not easy at my age (Viktor is 64 — note by the project team). We are also used to working with an audience that we understand quite well. Tomsk, Siberia — we understand these people and how to create media for them. Now the situation is different. We will invent something new, look for new interesting agendas, create projects, as well as possible images of the future of the country we left.
After the website was closed, and after I and several colleagues left, we talked — and created a new project called Eyewitnesses of February 24 (a series of interviews with Russians about the war published on the TV2 YouTube channel — note by the project team). We have Telegram and Instagram accounts. And we — those who left — have quite a free hand. We explained to the audience that we were looking for various ways of professional self-realization.
As for the colleagues who stayed in Tomsk, each of them will find a way to work without shame. Yulia Korneva has already released a documentary as part of TV2 Expedition series (a series of documentaries about life in the Russian outback — note by the project team). This series might continue — over the last 7 years it has been crowdfunded.
Personally, I intend to continue working. We have joint projects with colleagues from other media. It is possible to find ways to work and fulfill oneself. So "TV2 in exile" will continue to work. We rely on a remarkable Russian historical tradition. Of course, I’m not trying to compare myself to Herzen, but I remember Kolokol [first Russian censorship-free weekly newspaper published by Alexander Herzen]. Personally, I grew up in the Soviet years and was formed as a person thanks to samizdat and foreign radio, in particular. Apparently, similar times are coming.
This is not easy, of course. Not easy at my age (Viktor is 64 — note by the project team). We are also used to working with an audience that we understand quite well. Tomsk, Siberia — we understand these people and how to create media for them. Now the situation is different. We will invent something new, look for new interesting agendas, create projects, as well as possible images of the future of the country we left.
