Help independent journalism –
save the freedom of speech

Paperpaper.ru — is independent media from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. We’ve been reporting on the Russian-Ukrainian war since the day it started. As a result, our website was blocked by the Russian government.



For ten years we’ve been writing about the local community, business and initiatives. Yet, our main goal was always to improve life in the city we love.

Political repression in numbers
  • 15 years

    Journalists can face up to 15 years in prison for writing and spreading truthful information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

  • 1500 websites

    Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked access to more than 1500 domestic and international media websites over the coverage of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine

  • 4978 protocols

    People of Saint-Petersburg faced almost 5 000 administrative penalties for discrediting the Russian army and participating in illegal protests

We lost all sponsored content — our main source of income. Russian companies are afraid to do business with us. Our journalists can be arrested and prosecuted because they disobey the new military censorship and choose to tell the truth.

Despite this, we keep writing about the people of Saint-Petersburg: how they resist, protest, get arrested and give their all to support independent journalism. We launched a crowdfunding campaign and survived the past two months thanks to our users. Yet, with the Russian economic shutdown all local donations might get cut off any minute.

Want to learn more about us? Check some of our stories below.
Russian authorities want to put Sasha Skochilenko in prison for 10 years because of anti-war messages. Here is her story
  • "I gave too much to this job". Members of Russian media talk about military censorship and internet blocking
  • How hate crimes are committed against LGBT people in Saint- Petersburg and how investigations into these crimes conclude
  • How have we changed in the year since the protests? Paperpaper.ru research on self-censorship, hope and kitchen talk
  • Four hundred years ago Ingrian Finns settled on the territory of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region. Who are they and how their descendants live today
  • How do Saint-Petersburgers prove that drugs were planted on them? Three stories about detentions, trials and problems inside the legal system
  • “They’ll eat me alive”: the story of man who made an anti-war wall newspaper — only to be squealed on by his neighbors
  • “Graffiti provides hope that not everyone is a scumbag.” How street art emerged as the main way to protest
  • "He said goodbye to everyone in advance, saying that he would soon be gone": How Kirishi buried Alexander Yegorov, killed in Ukraine
  • “See you soon in our new, desirable and open Russia.” The story of Andrey Pivovarov’s twenty-years-long ascent as a Saint Petersburg political opposition leader that led him behind bars
  • "Someone will always say it’s the wrong time" St. Petersburg politician Sergey Troshin on coming out amidst a rise in state-sponsored homophobia
  • Prison or war? Why readers of Paperpaper.ru remain in Russia and what are they planning to do: survey results
  • Plastic bottle for a shower and a two by five meters yard for a walking space. Sasha Skochilenko writes about her first month at a detention center

We need money to save our journalists from repressions, remain independent and keep on writing inspiring and powerful stories, so the citizens of Saint-Petersburg have hope for the future and the energy to fight back.

Support us with a recurrent donation

You can cancel it anytime at letters@paperpaper.ru

Support us with any donation in cryptocurrency

Our Readers About Us

  • Ekaterina
    I’m reading your newsletter before I go to sleep because it helps me cope with everything that’s going on.

    Thanks to you, I’m falling asleep, thinking that I’m not alone.

    There’s many of us.

    Hugs
  • Arina
    Hi, Paperpaper!
    I just donated to you! Hang in there! We, people of Saint-Petersburg, love you so much and don’t want to lose you!

    It’s going to be okay
  • Olya
    Thank you so much for fast and honest news. It’s the only media I’m reading right now. And I’m so grateful that you help me stay tuned.

    If you need any help, maybe bringing coffee or meals to your office, let me know
  • Elena
    Paperpaper, thank you so much! It’s a wonderful idea! A lot of people now feel overwhelmed by the news. After two days of non-stop reading
    I decided to unsubscribe from “РБК” because
    I can’t stay stable anymore. But thanks to your initiative I’ll stay in touch with the agenda until
    I feel strong again. Thank you!