Born to Be Independent: Kyiv Independent launches a new collection for its fifth anniversary
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The Kyiv Independent is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. To mark the occasion, we’re launching a Born to Be Independent collection — for everyone who believes in the freedom to speak their mind. Every purchase supports the Kyiv Independent's journalism in Ukraine.
The collection is made up of a T-shirt and a zip hoodie and is now available on the Kyiv Independent Store.
The name is a nod to the Kyiv Independent’s founding story — a newsroom born out of a fight for editorial independence. In November 2021, a group of journalists was fired after the owner of a legacy English-language newspaper attempted to interfere with its critical coverage of Ukrainian authorities. Rather than compromise their principles, they walked away and started over in a Kyiv coworking space, with few resources but a firm belief that Ukraine needed its own independent English-language voice.
Three months later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The team stayed in the country and kept reporting, covering the war while living through it.
Today, the Kyiv Independent has a team of around 100 people and reaches millions of readers around the world. More than 38,000 members in over 100 countries help fund our work, keeping our journalism independent, free to access, and available to everyone.
But the collection is about more than the Kyiv Independent. “Born to Be Independent” is for anyone who thinks for themselves, speaks in their own voice, and refuses to let others define who they are.
"We came out of a fight for free speech, so we were born to be independent," said Daryna Shevchenko, CEO of the Kyiv Independent. "But 'born to be independent' isn’t only about us. Independence starts within each of us: in making up our own minds, using our own voices and standing by our own choices."
The Kyiv Independent Store launched in 2024, and its profits help fund the outlet's on-the-ground reporting in Ukraine. Some collections have also funded charity projects, from drone detectors for front-line journalists to the evacuation of animals from areas near the front line.
Shop our Born to Be Independent collection here.
Readers can also support the Kyiv Independent's journalism by becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent. Members save 15% on every store order, including the new collection.
