Without You, There Is No Us
A letter from the founder of IStories Roman Anin to mark our anniversary
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The name “Important Stories” first came to me when, contemplating the creation of a new media outlet, I asked myself: “What will it be about?” Today, Important Stories turns five, and I doubt anyone would dispute that this name answers that old question perfectly.
Yesterday, my colleagues from the investigations department published a harrowing yet crucial report on the fate of the young Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who was abducted and tortured to death in occupied Ukrainian territory. Russia returned her body to her parents without her eyes, brain, and part of her larynx.
Less than a week ago, journalists from the IStories data team released a story of the son of the CIA deputy director, who had joined the Russian army, was killed in the war in Ukraine. This story became an international sensation, covered by all the world’s leading media outlets.
Ten days ago, my colleagues in the video department published a poignant confession from the father of a 20-year-old conscript from Chelyabinsk who died in Ukraine. More than one and a half million people have already watched this film.
We are one of the few Russian media in exile that continue to travel across the country’s regions to show what ordinary people really think about the war, the authorities, poverty, and injustice — about everything that will never appear on Russian television.
And these are just the stories of the past ten days. There have been countless others, no less important, before them. And you can hardly imagine what stories my colleagues and I are working on now to share with you in the near future.
The quality of our work is recognized even in the Kremlin: we have not only collected every possible “award” in the form of “foreign agent” and “undesirable” labels, but this year added a couple of criminal cases and trials in absentia. I write this with a smile, though I know how hard it is for my colleagues, who face constant pressure and unending threats.
Today is our first milestone anniversary, and to be honest, I still find it hard to believe we have made it this far.
I want to thank all of you — the remarkable people who have been with us all these years and supported our team. Believe me, your kind words are perhaps the main motivation for my colleagues and me to continue our work. I sincerely hope we will live to see the next anniversary and celebrate it together.
Without you, there is no us!