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Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1d

Reporting from Bukhara, journalist @sashaslobodov.bsky.social explores how tourism and the diaspora sustain the last vestiges of Uzbekistan’s Jewish heritage. The Beet’s latest.
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Back to Bukhara How memory, tourism, and the diaspora sustain the last vestiges of Uzbekistan’s Jewish heritage — Meduza

Best known as a stop on the Silk Road trade route, Uzbekistan’s ancient city of Bukhara was home to a thriving Jewish community for more than 2,000 years. But since the Soviet Union’s collapse in the…

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Meduza in English @meduza.io · 5d

New podcast alert! For The Naked Pravda, researcher @msnegovaya.bsky.social breaks down the rising costs straining the Kremlin’s war machine — and explores four possible scenarios for the Russia–Ukraine war’s next chapter. meduza.io/en/episodes/...

Four scenarios for the next chapter in Russia’s war against Ukraine — Meduza

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now passed the three-and-a-half-year mark, and there is still no end in sight. The Trump administration’s recent push to negotiate a ceasefire ground…

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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 21d

More than 1800 detainees are missing after the closure of Alligator Alcatraz. Their families and lawyers can’t find them and they’ve vanished from the ICE database. Feels like this should be a much bigger story www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

Hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees drop off the grid after leaving site

As of the end of August, the whereabouts of two-thirds of more than 1,800 men detained at Alligator Alcatraz during the month of July could not be determined by the Miami Herald.

www.miamiherald.com

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Meduza in English @meduza.io · 26d

Russians say the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show feels familiar. Here’s what became of the country’s TV comedy shows that dared to criticize the Putin administration.
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‘Americans, don’t take this sitting down’ Russians say the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show feels familiar. Here’s what became of the country’s TV comedy shows that dared to criticize the Kremlin. — Meduza

On Wednesday evening, the American TV network ABC announced that it was indefinitely suspending comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show. The news came just hours after the head of the FCC, the…

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Reposted by Sam Breazeale

Meduza in English @meduza.io · Sep 5

You may have noticed that many of our stories simply say “Meduza” in the byline. That's a safety precaution, as any cooperation with our newsroom is against the law in Russia. But we'd still like you to know the people who work here. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

‘I ended up here because of what I wrote’ In their own words, Meduza’s anonymous staff members introduce themselves to readers — Meduza

Regular readers have likely noticed that many of our stories simply say “Meduza” in the byline. For safety reasons — since any cooperation with our newsroom is against the law in Russia — only a few…

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Sep 2

Any English speakers in Bishkek who’d be interested in informal language exchange/English practice with some local journalists?

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Reposted by Sam Breazeale

Meduza in English @meduza.io · Sep 3

Ukraine has verified Russia’s deportation of nearly 20,000 children from occupied territories. Can the Trump administration help get them back? meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Eyewitnesses to a war crime Ukraine’s 20,000 stolen children are on the Trump administration’s radar. But will it help get them back? — Meduza

More than two weeks have passed since U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and by all appearances, this controversial show of diplomacy yielded no tangible results. Despite…

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Anton Barbashin @abarbashin.bsky.social · Sep 2

Just in case you like in-depth analytical angle on Russia, think about donating to ridl.io
ridl.io/donate/

Donate – Riddle Russia

ridl.io

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Sep 2

Any English speakers in Bishkek who’d be interested in informal language exchange/English practice with some local journalists?

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Reposted by Sam Breazeale

Anton Barbashin @abarbashin.bsky.social · Sep 2

[email protected] calls for immediate support, otherwise they are going to crash.
I got to say - they are the best independent Russian media that does extensive coverage of everything that you need to know about Russia.
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We need your help An urgent appeal from the Meduza team — Meduza

Dear Meduza in English readers,

meduza.io

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Yan Matusevich @ymatusik.bsky.social · Aug 15

In 2004, my family moved back to Russia from Alaska, where we lived back then.

Putin was supposed to visit the school I attended in St.Petersburg, but never showed. I spent hours locked in a classroom because I had long hair and according to the principal would be an “embarrassment” in public

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Global Voices @globalvoices.org · Aug 14

The draft media law has been in the works since 2022 and has been criticized by journalists, civil society, and human rights organizations from the outset.

Kyrgyzstan adopts new, draconian media law

The draft media law has been in the works since 2022 and has been criticized by journalists, civil society, and human rights organizations from the outset.

globalvoices.org

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Meduza in English @meduza.io · Aug 12

It’s long been too dangerous for our readers in Russia to support us financially. Luckily, we have more than 3 million readers abroad — but only 2 of every 1,000 donate monthly. Unless that changes, we won’t last much longer.
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Only 2 out of every 1,000 readers support Meduza monthly. With numbers like that, we won’t last much longer. We need your help. — Meduza

Underreported stories. Fresh perspectives. From Budapest to Bishkek. Protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Aug 7

Excerpts in Russian:

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«Труднее всего было долго молчать. Но я не могу делать вид, будто мы не слышим и не видим» Бывший глава буддийской общины Калмыкии, открыто выступивший против войны, дал интервью англоязычной «Медузе»...

Тэло Тулку Ринпоче почти 30 лет возглавлял буддийскую общину Калмыкии — региона России, где буддисты составляют большинство. Он родился в США и получил образование в Индии, а в Калмыкию впервые приеха...

meduza.io

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Meduza in English @meduza.io · Aug 6

Born in Philadelphia, Telo Tulku Rinpoche was sent to a monastery in India at age seven. At 19, he was chosen to revive Buddhism in Russia’s Kalmykia. He spent 30 years doing just that — then denounced the war in Ukraine. Now he can’t return to Russia.
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‘What was difficult was to remain silent’ Meduza’s interview with Telo Tulku Rinpoche, Russia’s first religious head to condemn the war in Ukraine — Meduza

In September 2022 — seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — Telo Tulku Rinpoche, then the spiritual leader of Kalmykia’s Buddhists, became the first active religious…

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Aug 6

You’ve heard of the Chicago Pope — now meet the Philly Lama.

I spoke to someone I’d been wanting to interview for years: Telo Tulku Rinpoche, who served as the head of Buddhists in Russia’s Kalmykia for decades until he denounced the war in 2022.
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‘What was difficult was to remain silent’ Meduza’s interview with Telo Tulku Rinpoche, Russia’s first religious head to condemn the war in Ukraine — Meduza

In September 2022 — seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — Telo Tulku Rinpoche, then the spiritual leader of Kalmykia’s Buddhists, became the first active religious le...

meduza.io

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Eilish Hart @eilishhart.bsky.social · Jul 30

My conversation with political analyst Balazs Jarabik about Zelensky’s anti-corruption reversal and the return of politics in wartime Ukraine. Check it out before the new bill goes to the Rada floor tomorrow! meduza.io/en/feature/2... @meduza.io

A political crisis that could weaken the war effort itself What Zelensky’s anti-corruption U-turn means at a ‘precarious moment’ for Ukraine — Meduza

On July 31, the Ukrainian parliament will consider a new anti-corruption bill designed to undo the damage from a piece of legislation it passed just last week. The controversial law, which deprived Uk...

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Jul 28

My summary of the story of a very, very American family

Meduza in English @meduza.io · Jul 28

The Huffman family thought Russia’s “shared values” visa would be their escape from U.S. “indoctrination.” But their plan hasn’t gone the way they hoped.
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‘Thrown to the wolves’ How a Texas man moved his family to Russia to escape ‘DEI’ — and ended up on the front lines in Ukraine — Meduza

In the last three years, the Kremlin has doubled down on portraying Russia as a bastion of “traditional values” — a narrative used to justify both the invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir…

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Jul 7

Former Kursk Governor Roman Starovoit, who was dismissed by Putin *earlier today* as Russia’s transport minister, has reportedly been found dead in his home in an apparent suicide.
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Russian politician Roman Starovoit reportedly found dead just hours after dismissal as transport minister — Meduza

Russian politician Roman Starovoit, whom Vladimir Putin dismissed from his post as the country’s transport minister on Monday morning, has been found dead in his home in the Moscow region in an appare...

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Eilish Hart @eilishhart.bsky.social · Jun 23

“When Alexei Navalny died, I thought, that’ll probably be me soon…And then something changed. It was clear that someone at the top said, ’Make sure he doesn’t die here. We don’t need that problem.’” Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s first interview after 5 years in prison in Belarus. apnews.com/article/bela...

Freed from prison, Belarusian dissident Tsikhanouski tells AP about 5 years in solitary confinement

Belarusian dissident Siarhei Tsihanouski says he was held in solitary confinement, in conditions similar to torture, during five years in prison.

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Philip Gourevitch @pgourevitch.bsky.social · Jun 21

very rare that an update from Gaza is good to hear — but WCK’s tenacious commitment to its kitchens there is that rarity

I just donated again to support their work and hope you can & will too

World Central Kitchen @wck.org · Jun 21

WCK resumed cooking in Gaza after our first aid delivery in 12 weeks. With new ingredients on hand, we’re preparing warm, carb-rich meals like pasta and hearty potato stews. The WCK team cooked nearly 10,000 meals on day one of resumed operations. #ChefsForGaza (1/2)

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Reid Nelson @rdgreid.bsky.social · Jun 21

Okay, that’s why.

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Jun 6

My report from NATO def ministers’ last meeting in Brussels before the alliance’s annual summit later this month

Meduza in English @meduza.io · Jun 5

NATO defense ministers met to discuss new, bolder defense plans and spending targets ahead of the bloc’s upcoming summit. Here’s what officials had to say about the new plans, the threat of future Russian aggression, and Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb.
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‘This has to happen in the next 5–10 years’ With a growing Russian threat and Trump raising the stakes, NATO scrambles to lock in new defense plans — Meduza

NATO defense ministers convened in Brussels this week for their final meeting ahead of the alliance’s annual summit, set to take place in The Hague on June 21–22, where leaders are expected to…

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · May 29

“And then I’d sit in on yet another [online] safety training for journalists, listening to exiles telling me how important it is to ‘follow safety protocols’ — and it would drive me up the wall.”
More invaluable reporting from my colleague Lilia Yapparova:
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‘There’s no such thing as safety’ In Russia, journalists must either adapt to censorship or risk their freedom. So why do they keep reporting? — Meduza

In April 2025, Kommersant journalist Alexander Chernykh declined the most prestigious independent prize recognizing Russian journalism, Redkollegia. He’d won the award for a report from Russia’s Kursk...

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Sam Breazeale @sambreazeale.bsky.social · Apr 22

“The head of the detention center said a doctor could be allowed into the facility [prison], but under these conditions, that’s extremely risky. What if the bleeding starts again? How equipped is the place to handle that kind of operation?”

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