How we got here: 5 years of the Kyiv Independent

Résumé détaillé

The Kyiv Independent history began in November 2021. Founded by a small group of journalists in a coworking space in Kyiv and a single newsletter, "Ukraine Daily." This November, the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine's leading English-language media outlet, turns five.

The Kyiv Independent team, wearing vyshyvankas (Ukrainian traditional embroidered shirts), poses for a group photo in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 21, 2026. (Bogdana Ferguson / The Kyiv Independent)

Five years ago today, a group of journalists in Kyiv was fired for standing up to their newspaper's owner. He wanted to take control of editorial decisions and end their critical coverage of Ukrainian authorities.

“This was a perfect moment to sigh, tuck our tails and walk away, lesson learned,” says Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief and one of the founding members of the Kyiv Independent.

“Thankfully, we were stubborn, and thought: Why not, instead, we teach them a lesson?”

Three months later, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the team's uncompromising reporting quickly made the Kyiv Independent a news source for millions around the world.

This November, the Kyiv Independent, now Ukraine's leading English-language media outlet, turns five.

More than 38,000 members across over 100 countries now support the publication, providing about 70% of its revenue and helping keep its journalism accessible without a paywall.

The Kyiv Independent was founded by journalists who were fired from the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper.

Determined to continue reporting with total editorial independence, the team established a new publication, with Daryna Shevchenko as CEO and Rudenko as editor-in-chief.

Début de l'article, extrait de The Kyiv Independent. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.