How Putin Decided to Go to War
Why was the war destined for failure from the very beginning, what sources of information did president Putin rely on before starting it, and why did nobody in the Federal Security Service [FSB] of the Russian Federation tell him the truth about the real situation in Ukraine
16.05.2022
How Putin Decided to Go to War
Opinion
Why Putin needs a landing force in Transnistria
Transnistria has gained a foothold at the top of the news. This small part of Moldova, situated on the left bank of the Dniester River, is now claimed by both Moscow and Kyiv
02.05.2022
Why Putin needs a landing force in Transnistria
Opinion
Not just Bucha. Here's what happened outside Chernihiv
The Russian military achieved notoriety for murders and rapes in Bucha, Kyiv region. But they behaved no better near Chernihiv.
30.04.2022
Not just Bucha. Here's what happened outside Chernihiv
Reportage
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"I don't want to sell my conscience"
Who Teaches What at Russia's Three Main Schools of Journalism
22.04.2022
"I don't want to sell my conscience"
Opinion
What weaknesses has the Russian army shown in Ukraine?
Conflict Intelligence Team analysts answer
18.04.2022
What weaknesses has the Russian army shown in Ukraine?
Opinion
Nikolay, a Man of God
A brief story of the life and death of Ukrainian Nikolay Moroz, who went missing during the occupation of the Kyiv region.
25.04.2022
Nikolay, a Man of God
Reportage
“Before, it never occurred to anyone to consider education as a threat to security”
How university freedoms are being eliminated in Russia, rectors are being purged, and higher education is being placed under the control of the security services. An "Important Stories" investigation.
08.04.2022
“Before, it never occurred to anyone to consider education as a threat to security”
Investigation
“They just came, killed a bunch of people, destroyed the city and left”
What Russian troops did in Bucha and other cities near Kyiv. Testimonies from local residents who survived the "special operation"
06.04.2022
“They just came, killed a bunch of people, destroyed the city and left”
Reportage
The voices of the war in Ukraine
The month of Putin's war in Ukraine is being told by the voices of people on both front lines in the film of Important Stories
29.03.2022
The voices of the war in Ukraine
Reportage
"My whole head is full of the fact that I am not needed"
A third of older people in Russia live in a state of chronic loneliness. We tell you who and how is trying to fight this problem — and how it can be prevented for new generations
17.12.2021
"My whole head is full of the fact that I am not needed"
Reportage
Love, Offshores, and Administrative Resources: How Marrying Putin’s Daughter Gave Kirill Shamalov a World of Opportunity
Thousands of emails sent and received by Kirill Shamalov — Vladimir Putin’s former son-in-law — showcase the fantastic wealth and personal power that come with access to Russia’s first family
07.12.2020
Love, Offshores, and Administrative Resources: How Marrying Putin’s Daughter Gave Kirill Shamalov a World of Opportunity
Investigation
How propagandists incite hatred towards migrants, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses “foreign agents” of doing so
Important Stories and Novaya Gazeta analyzed crime statistics, and also studied with the help of neural networks what pro-state media and media, recognized as foreign agents, write about migrants in order to debunk popular myths about non-residents
23.11.2021
How propagandists incite hatred towards migrants, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses “foreign agents” of doing so
Reportage
‘I’m never going back to that hell—I don’t want to give birth in this country anymore’
In Russia, one baby dies during labour or pregnancy every minute. An Important Stories investigation.
01.06.2021
‘I’m never going back to that hell—I don’t want to give birth in this country anymore’
Reportage
Warm Arctic, hot Siberia
We explain on simple charts how the Russian climate is drastically changing and what this can mean to us in the future
19.10.2021
Warm Arctic, hot Siberia
Reportage
Russian Elites’ Connections to Bulgaria’s Largest ‘Crime Group’
Leading Russian defense figures bought luxury apartments in a Black Sea resort controlled by an organization U.S. diplomats called one of the country’s largest crime syndicates
10.09.2020
Russian Elites’ Connections to Bulgaria’s Largest ‘Crime Group’
Investigation
“I’m a witness!” Who helps the police to fabricate drug related cases
Journalists from the Important Stories and Meduza newspapers found more than 140 “regular” witnesses who testified in Moscow courts in the so called “drug” trials. They are the acquaintances of the policemen or those who are dependent from them. Despite gross violations of the law, the judges sent hundreds of people to jail.
18.02.2021
“I’m a witness!” Who helps the police to fabricate drug related cases
Investigation
"Dad, help me, I'm suffocating." Why the Russian environmental monitoring system does not work
IStories studied data on air pollution in Russia and investigated how the state "enhances" official statistics on harmful emissions while millions of Russians die because of poor ecology
05.08.2021
"Dad, help me, I'm suffocating." Why the Russian environmental monitoring system does not work
Investigation
Expendables of the “quota” system
Former policemen and “regular” attesting witnesses who fabricated drug trafficking cases against 17 people are being tried in Samara. The study performed by Important Stories shows that this is only a small part of a large-scale scheme, designed to fabricate “drug” related cases in the region: 86 fake attesting witnesses who took part in 269 cases were identified.
31.03.2021
Expendables of the “quota” system
Investigation
"The tragic disparity between what people have and what they consider normal"
Why do many Russians limit themselves in food, clothing and medication despite an officially low level of poverty? An explainer by IStories
09.09.2021
"The tragic disparity between what people have and what they consider normal"
Reportage
They slowly deteriorate until they start falling on people's heads
Russian cities are losing their historical image: across the country, architectural monuments are being demolished for the sake of apartment block-buildings
29.11.2021
They slowly deteriorate until they start falling on people's heads
Reportage
"I sit and pray to God to get there alive"
Most of the public transport in Russia is worn out and accidents are becoming more frequent. The situation is the worst in Astrakhan
15.11.2021
"I sit and pray to God to get there alive"
Reportage
How Authorities Stripped Russians Of Choice
Over the past 14 years, the authorities have prevented 120,000 candidates from participating in elections of various levels, depriving millions of Russian citizens of the right to choose their representatives. An Important Stories investigation.
08.06.2021
How Authorities Stripped Russians Of Choice
Investigation
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