Andrei Soldatov
Encyclopedia
Andrei Soldatov is a Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert. He is a co-founders of the Agentura.Ru
web site.
newspaper. 1998-1999 - staff writer of Kompania journal. In September 2000, then in Izvestia, he has opened with his colleagues the project Agentura.Ru
. 2002-2004 - chief of section of Versiya (weekly newspaper). Covered Moscow theater hostage crisis
.
In April 2004, Andrei Soldatov started to make comments for radio Echo Moskvy as security expert. In July 2004, he joined weekly Moscow News
as the secret services observer. He covered Beslan siege
for Echo Moskvy and Moscow News.
Since January 2006 he works for Novaya Gazeta
.
He covered for Novaya Gazeta 2006 Lebanon War from Lebanon and tensions in West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine).
Soldatov regularly makes comments on terrorism and intelligence issues for Vedomosti
, Radio Free Europe and BBC
. Since July 2008 he is columnist of The Moscow Times. Since 2010 Soldatov writes for Foreign Policy
and Foreign Affairs
.
In June 2008 The Moscow Times
has written in article "Journalist Enjoying A Security Monopoly"
On November 25, 2008 Andrei Soldatov was the subject of a profile prepared by the DNI Open Source Center.
“Soldatov has regularly highlighted the increasing influence of the special services in Russian government, reported on the security services’ efforts to limit journalistic freedoms, followed spy cases, interviewed defectors, and chronicled personnel appointments and reorganizations of the special services,” the OSC profile stated.
's awareness of the details of the Russian apartment bombings
. According to Soldatov, the Russian government's suppression of the discussion of the FSB involvement theory reflects "paranoia" rather than guilt on its part. But, he argues, this paranoia has produced the very conspiracy theories the government seemed keen to stamp out.
officers searched the premises of Versiya, reportedly regarding information published in an Soldatov's article on 27 May 2002. However, Andrei Soldatov has claimed that this operation against his newspaper was related to a forthcoming article on the storming of the Moscow theatre
and freeing of the hostages there on 26 October. Soldatov has been interrogated four times by the Investigative Department of the FSB based in Lefortovo.
In June 2008 Soldatov was questioned by the FSB in Lefortovo over the interview of the former SVR officer Sergei Tretyakov
, who defected to the US in 2000.
fired him and Agentura.Ru
colleague Irina Borogan
. In press release, Soldatov and Borogan said that Novaya Gazeta had ceased its collaboration with Agentura.Ru
without explanation. ‘They even removed our banner from their website,’ said Soldatov, noted by Maria Eismont in Index on Censorship on November 27). The paper’s editors had not met with them; all information came from the personnel department.
As a result of this action, the statement continued, “’Novaya gazeta,’ one of the few independent publications in the country in fact is ceasing to cover the special services and publish investigations [on them and] ‘both the suddenness and the form in which the separation happened gives reason to suppose that it was taken not for purely economic reasons”. reads the statement on Agentura.ru, encouraging readers to guess which of the recently published stories could be the real reason. One of Agentura’s last articles for Novaya Gazeta focused on the former FSB officer Pavel Ryaguzov, who is currently facing prosecution in the Anna Politkovskaya
murder trial.
Novaya Gazeta’s deputy editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov denies to Index on Censorship any politics behinds the firing. ‘Job cuts, including some of the star writers, are a result of the investors’ decision to cut the funding of the paper. This has nothing to do with professional performance.’ Sokolov added that the job cuts ‘will certainly affect the paper, but not catastrophically’. He said that the newspaper will continue to monitor the secret services, ‘like we always did, even before collaborating with Agentura’. Sokolov added that the coverage of Politkovsakya’s murder case, which he is overseeing himself, will not be affected.
Roman Shleinov, head of the investigations unit at Novaya Gazeta, said to Index on Censorship the paper will continue to do investigations although now there will be less specialisation and journalists will be forced to write on a much wider range of issues. ‘Maybe the job cuts will push the remaining staff to work harder,’ he said. But Shleinov was in general quite pessimistic: ‘It seems that things will get worse.’
the book New patriot games. How secret services have been changing their skin 1991-2004.
In April 2008 Praeger has published PSI Handbook of Global Security and Intelligence: National Approaches: Volume 1 - The Americas and Asia; Volume 2 - Europe and the Middle East where Soldatov is author of chapter on Russia’s secret services.
In September 2010 Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan
's book The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB
is published by PublicAffairs
, a member of the Perseus Books Group
.
Agentura.Ru
Agentura. Ru is a Russian web-site founded in 2000 as internet-community of journalists who cover terrorism, and Intelligence agencies. Since 2000 by 2006 web-site was supported by ISP Relcom, since 2006 Agentura.Ru is the voluntary project.Agentura. Ru is considered a respected sources on...
web site.
Journalism
Andrei Soldatov graduated from Moscow State Social University, journalist department. In 1996 he started to work as correspondent of SegodnyaSegodnya
Sevodnya founded in 1997, is a Russian language Kiev-based tabloid newspaper, second only to Fakty i Kommentarii in circulation, with over 700,000 subscribers. While run from Kiev, it is linked to Donbas political and business groups, supporting former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych for the...
newspaper. 1998-1999 - staff writer of Kompania journal. In September 2000, then in Izvestia, he has opened with his colleagues the project Agentura.Ru
Agentura.Ru
Agentura. Ru is a Russian web-site founded in 2000 as internet-community of journalists who cover terrorism, and Intelligence agencies. Since 2000 by 2006 web-site was supported by ISP Relcom, since 2006 Agentura.Ru is the voluntary project.Agentura. Ru is considered a respected sources on...
. 2002-2004 - chief of section of Versiya (weekly newspaper). Covered Moscow theater hostage crisis
Moscow theater hostage crisis
The Moscow theater hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater on 23 October 2002 by some 40 to 50 armed Chechens who claimed allegiance to the Islamist militant separatist movement in Chechnya. They took 850 hostages and demanded the...
.
In April 2004, Andrei Soldatov started to make comments for radio Echo Moskvy as security expert. In July 2004, he joined weekly Moscow News
Moscow News
The Moscow News, which began publication in 1930, is Russia’s oldest English-language publication newspaper. Many of its feature articles used to be translated from the now defunct Russian Moskovskiye Novosti.-History:...
as the secret services observer. He covered Beslan siege
Beslan school hostage crisis
The Beslan school hostage crisis of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380...
for Echo Moskvy and Moscow News.
Since January 2006 he works for Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs....
.
He covered for Novaya Gazeta 2006 Lebanon War from Lebanon and tensions in West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine).
Soldatov regularly makes comments on terrorism and intelligence issues for Vedomosti
Vedomosti
Vedomosti is a Russian language business daily. It is a joint venture between Dow Jones, the Financial Times and Sanoma, publishers of The Moscow Times....
, Radio Free Europe and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. Since July 2008 he is columnist of The Moscow Times. Since 2010 Soldatov writes for Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
and Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
.
In June 2008 The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
has written in article "Journalist Enjoying A Security Monopoly"
"
Agentura.ru has developed into an information and analytical hub, updated on a daily basis and covering developments related to security services in Russia and the former Soviet Union and terrorist groups worldwide. It also publishes articles on the history and practices of foreign security agencies and issues like media and legislative oversight of security services...
Soldatov himself has emerged as a security expert whose insights and opinion are in high demand from the media and Western think tanks".
On November 25, 2008 Andrei Soldatov was the subject of a profile prepared by the DNI Open Source Center.
“Soldatov has regularly highlighted the increasing influence of the special services in Russian government, reported on the security services’ efforts to limit journalistic freedoms, followed spy cases, interviewed defectors, and chronicled personnel appointments and reorganizations of the special services,” the OSC profile stated.
Criticism of conspiracy theory
Soldatov is skeptical about Mikhail TrepashkinMikhail Trepashkin
Mikhail Ivanovich Trepashkin, is a Moscow attorney and former FSB colonel who was invited by MP Sergei Kovalev to assist in an independent inquiry of the Russian apartment bombings in September 1999 – the atrocities that followed Dagestan war and were one of the triggers for the Second Chechen...
's awareness of the details of the Russian apartment bombings
Russian apartment bombings
The Russian apartment bombings were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing 293 people and injuring 651. The explosions occurred in Buynaksk on 4 September, Moscow on 9 and 13 September, and...
. According to Soldatov, the Russian government's suppression of the discussion of the FSB involvement theory reflects "paranoia" rather than guilt on its part. But, he argues, this paranoia has produced the very conspiracy theories the government seemed keen to stamp out.
Pressure of the FSB
On 1 November 2002, FSBFSB (Russia)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the main domestic security agency of the Russian Federation and the main successor agency of the Soviet Committee of State Security . Its main responsibilities are counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and...
officers searched the premises of Versiya, reportedly regarding information published in an Soldatov's article on 27 May 2002. However, Andrei Soldatov has claimed that this operation against his newspaper was related to a forthcoming article on the storming of the Moscow theatre
Moscow theater hostage crisis
The Moscow theater hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater on 23 October 2002 by some 40 to 50 armed Chechens who claimed allegiance to the Islamist militant separatist movement in Chechnya. They took 850 hostages and demanded the...
and freeing of the hostages there on 26 October. Soldatov has been interrogated four times by the Investigative Department of the FSB based in Lefortovo.
In June 2008 Soldatov was questioned by the FSB in Lefortovo over the interview of the former SVR officer Sergei Tretyakov
Sergei Tretyakov (intelligence officer)
Colonel Sergei Tretyakov was a Russian SVR officer who defected to the United States in October 2000.-Biography:...
, who defected to the US in 2000.
Firing by Novaya Gazeta
On November 12, 2008, Soldatov’s employer Novaya GazetaNovaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs....
fired him and Agentura.Ru
Agentura.Ru
Agentura. Ru is a Russian web-site founded in 2000 as internet-community of journalists who cover terrorism, and Intelligence agencies. Since 2000 by 2006 web-site was supported by ISP Relcom, since 2006 Agentura.Ru is the voluntary project.Agentura. Ru is considered a respected sources on...
colleague Irina Borogan
Irina Borogan
-Journalism:Irina Borogan started her journalistic career in 1996 as correspondent of Segodnya newspaper. For Segodnya she covered 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Taiwan earthquake, situation in refugees camps in Ingushetia before the Second Chechen War.In September 2000,...
. In press release, Soldatov and Borogan said that Novaya Gazeta had ceased its collaboration with Agentura.Ru
Agentura.Ru
Agentura. Ru is a Russian web-site founded in 2000 as internet-community of journalists who cover terrorism, and Intelligence agencies. Since 2000 by 2006 web-site was supported by ISP Relcom, since 2006 Agentura.Ru is the voluntary project.Agentura. Ru is considered a respected sources on...
without explanation. ‘They even removed our banner from their website,’ said Soldatov, noted by Maria Eismont in Index on Censorship on November 27). The paper’s editors had not met with them; all information came from the personnel department.
As a result of this action, the statement continued, “’Novaya gazeta,’ one of the few independent publications in the country in fact is ceasing to cover the special services and publish investigations [on them and] ‘both the suddenness and the form in which the separation happened gives reason to suppose that it was taken not for purely economic reasons”. reads the statement on Agentura.ru, encouraging readers to guess which of the recently published stories could be the real reason. One of Agentura’s last articles for Novaya Gazeta focused on the former FSB officer Pavel Ryaguzov, who is currently facing prosecution in the Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
murder trial.
Novaya Gazeta’s deputy editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov denies to Index on Censorship any politics behinds the firing. ‘Job cuts, including some of the star writers, are a result of the investors’ decision to cut the funding of the paper. This has nothing to do with professional performance.’ Sokolov added that the job cuts ‘will certainly affect the paper, but not catastrophically’. He said that the newspaper will continue to monitor the secret services, ‘like we always did, even before collaborating with Agentura’. Sokolov added that the coverage of Politkovsakya’s murder case, which he is overseeing himself, will not be affected.
Roman Shleinov, head of the investigations unit at Novaya Gazeta, said to Index on Censorship the paper will continue to do investigations although now there will be less specialisation and journalists will be forced to write on a much wider range of issues. ‘Maybe the job cuts will push the remaining staff to work harder,’ he said. But Shleinov was in general quite pessimistic: ‘It seems that things will get worse.’
Books
In December 2005, Andrei Soldatov published with Irina BoroganIrina Borogan
-Journalism:Irina Borogan started her journalistic career in 1996 as correspondent of Segodnya newspaper. For Segodnya she covered 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Taiwan earthquake, situation in refugees camps in Ingushetia before the Second Chechen War.In September 2000,...
the book New patriot games. How secret services have been changing their skin 1991-2004.
In April 2008 Praeger has published PSI Handbook of Global Security and Intelligence: National Approaches: Volume 1 - The Americas and Asia; Volume 2 - Europe and the Middle East where Soldatov is author of chapter on Russia’s secret services.
In September 2010 Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan
Irina Borogan
-Journalism:Irina Borogan started her journalistic career in 1996 as correspondent of Segodnya newspaper. For Segodnya she covered 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Taiwan earthquake, situation in refugees camps in Ingushetia before the Second Chechen War.In September 2000,...
's book The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB
The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB
The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB is a non-fiction English-language book by Russian journalists and independent security service experts Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan. The introduction is written by Nick Fielding...
is published by PublicAffairs
PublicAffairs
PublicAffairs is an imprint of the Perseus Books Group, an American book publishing company located in New York City. From PublicAffairs' web site:...
, a member of the Perseus Books Group
Perseus Books Group
Perseus Books Group is an American publishing company founded in 1996 by investor Frank Pearl. It was named Publisher of the Year in 2007 by Publishers Weekly magazine for its role in taking on publishers formerly distributed by Publishers Group West and acquiring Avalon Publishing Group.In January...
.