The Kyiv Independent is marking its 2-year anniversary on Nov. 11, 2023.
Exactly two years ago, the company’s co-founders officially announced the decision to launch a new English-language media publication covering all things Ukraine for foreign audiences. It was soon named the Kyiv Independent.
The core group of the co-founders was a team of journalists who, just days before, on Nov. 8, 2021, were fired from their previous employer, Kyiv Post, for defending the newsroom’s editorial independence. The entire staff of the Kyiv Post, then Ukraine’s biggest and oldest publication in English, was fired in one day.
The journalists teamed up with Jnomics, an international media consultancy with Ukrainian roots, and started the Kyiv Independent, envisioning it as a reader-funded, truly independent media outlet that would become Ukraine’s global voice.
Just three months later, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, bombarding peaceful cities and occupying large areas in the south, east, and north of the country.
From that day, the Kyiv Independent embarked on a new mission of telling the truth about Russia’s brutal war. The team’s uncompromising reporting quickly made the Kyiv Independent the main source of news from Ukraine for millions of people around the world.
“It’s safe to say these two years haven’t been what we expected when we started the Kyiv Independent,” says Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent. “We never expected to become a war-time publication – but now we are. We achieved so much in these two years – all thanks to the relentless work of the team and the support of our readers.”
The Kyiv Independent’s journalists have reported from the front lines, from recently liberated and heavily attacked cities. They have told the stories of human suffering and resilience. They have investigated war crimes and corruption.
“In these two years, we faced many challenges,” says Daryna Shevchenko, the CEO of the Kyiv Independent. “We managed to assemble a strong and talented team, establish an open dialogue with our audience, and find our place in a rather difficult segment of the media market, where we have to compete with the biggest international publications.”
“But it’s all just the beginning,” adds Shevchenko. “Many new challenges lie ahead of us. I firmly believe that we will overcome them – and it’s the support of our readers that gives me this faith.”
In two years, the Kyiv Independent has won over a dozen of prominent journalism awards, as well as international recognition and support.
The Kyiv Independent is a reader-funded publication, currently supported by approximately 10,000 members, as well as one-time donations. To mark its second anniversary, the Kyiv Independent launched a campaign to gain 500 new members.
