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‘We think you may have been poisoned’, part 1

After a childhood fighting to survive in 90s Russia, Elena Kostyuchenko thought journalism would be easy. But it put her on the run from her government, and in fear of her life

Elena Kostyuchenko was the top war reporter at Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's most controversial independent newspapers, when the war in Ukraine began. Within weeks her reporting was made illegal, her newspaper was shut down, and Elena was on the run for her life.

After a childhood fighting to survive in 90s Russia, Elena says that journalism gave her a way to see reality; it was her profession as she fought for LGBTQ rights in Russia and is the reason she’s now in hiding. Across two programmes we hear the story of her extraordinary life, and strength against the might of a hostile state. Elena has written a memoir called I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Tue 29 Oct 2024 03:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 28 Oct 2024 12:06GMT
  • Mon 28 Oct 2024 18:06GMT
  • Mon 28 Oct 2024 23:06GMT
  • Tue 29 Oct 2024 03:06GMT

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