In brief
As BBC Russian marks its 80th anniversary, it reflects on a legacy of resistance against censorship and state control, from the early days of jamming broadcasts to the current efforts to navigate digital restrictions. Amid heightened media suppression in Russia, the service continues to adapt, reaching millions seeking independent news.
The Kremlin is tightening its grip over what Russians can do and see online, making it harder for outlets like the BBC to reach their audiences.
For the past 80 years BBC Russian has sought to bypass those restrictions, which for decades featured jamming of its short-wave radio broadcasts and now involve blocking its website.
The latest restrictions in Russia have included widespread mobile internet outages and a reported plan to block the Telegram news and messaging app.
On 24 March 1946, the BBC started its first regular radio broadcast in the Russian language aiming at giving listeners behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union an alternative to state propaganda and a tightly controlled cultural scene. By 1949, jamming of the signal was already the norm.
For almost half the 20th Century, Soviet people had to jump through hoops to listen to foreign broadcasts, and for some it was truly a sport, remembers Natalia Rubinstein, an ex-BBC presenter and former resident of Leningrad, or modern-day St Petersburg. We really wanted to know what was being hidden from us, she says.
Jamming of foreign broadcasts was pioneered by Nazi Germany during World War Two, using noise or signals from more powerful transmitters located closer to the listeners. During the Cold War, the BBC would repeat its 90-minute Russian-language bulletin three times a week to ensure people could listen. It was not all news: Soviets could tune in to Western rock music, hear extracts from banned literature, and even, at times, participate in quizzes.
By 1987, amid the liberal reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev, BBC Russian began receiving feedback from its listeners. On 4 March 2022, the BBC's website, as well as those of other independent and foreign media, were blocked in Russia, with new laws making it illegal to refer to the invasion of Ukraine as a 'war'. To continue objective reporting, many journalists in the BBC Russian service were forced to relocate, setting up a new office in Riga, Latvia.
Eight BBC Russian journalists have been labeled 'foreign agents' by the Russian government, reflecting a modern incarnation of Soviet-era persecution. Despite this, the service has seen a surge in interest, with its audience climbing to over 12 million weekly listeners. The resilience of BBC Russian exemplifies the enduring demand for independent news and the necessary fight to maintain open channels of communication.
