WHAT IS RIMA?
RIMA stands for Russian Independent Media Archive.
We preserve the work of independent journalists in Russia – their reporting over the past twenty years and the stories they continue to tell today.
RIMA is part of the Kronika technology project, which develops tools to protect media from censorship and disappearance. Kronika builds AI-based solutions to safeguard vulnerable sources, restore access to blocked publications, and share digital infrastructure with other archival and media initiatives.
Why it is important
For many years, Russia has enforced laws restricting freedom of speech, using blocking and censorship as routine tools of control. Independent editorial offices face administrative pressure; journalists are dismissed, persecuted, and labeled foreign agents, undesirable organizations, or even extremists — designations that are both meaningless and unlawful.
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this pressure intensified. Many newsrooms were shut down, many journalists were forced into exile — some stopped working altogether, while others were imprisoned for their reporting.
The RIMA Archive preserves their work so that it does not disappear — ensuring these materials remain accessible for research, documentation, and the public record.
Our mission is to preserve independent journalism and resist dictatorship.
We develop tools and infrastructure to collect and preserve the work of journalists, along with evidence of censorship and pressure.
RIMA is used in investigations, educational projects, and civic initiatives. Its technologies help journalists and activists protect their data and safeguard independent media.
What We Do
1. We preserve independent journalism
We are building a sustainable, modern repository protected from censorship, blocking, and data loss.
We develop infrastructure and tools for archiving printed publications, real-time data parsing, and the secure storage of diverse materials — texts, videos, audio, podcasts, multimedia content, and social media posts.
2. We make knowledge accessible
We are creating a database with convenient search and filtering tools for journalists, researchers, and the general public. We develop instruments and special projects that turn the archive into an active resource — supporting publications, educational programs, and media initiatives.
3. We use the archive as a tool for discussing dictatorships and ways to resist them
The example of Russia shows how, step by step, a system of media control was built, propaganda intensified, and censorship took hold.
The materials in the archive help reveal how dictatorships operate in general and serve as a foundation for international exchange among journalists, human rights defenders, and activists.
A growing community has formed around the archive that uses it for investigations, public campaigns, and projects dedicated to freedom of speech.
How we work
We gather materials from independent Russian media outlets spanning the post-Soviet period to the present day. Formally, the collection covers materials published from 2000 onward, but if a media outlet was active in the 1990s and continued later, we preserve its entire archive.
At RIMA, we use a working definition of independent media as editorial offices that make decisions autonomously and do not reproduce the official pro-government narrative of contemporary Russia.
We digitize paper sources, newspapers, and magazines; restore access to lost and blocked web publications; and update the archive with materials from media outlets that continue to practice independent journalism today.
We also create stories and thematic collections that highlight the narratives of independent media and help users navigate the more than eight million articles already preserved in the archive.
We help preserve our partners' archives, including those in other countries, using our technical infrastructure.
We also carry out special projects that align with our mission, even when they go beyond journalism: preserving personal archives, documentary films, and cultural or educational initiatives.
The archive continues to grow, and new collections are regularly announced on our website and social media.
Contact us
Our Team
Conceived in 2022 by Masha Gessen, a journalist and writer, and Dru Menaker, a non-profit leader, Kronika launched as a joint project of Bard College and PEN America
Anna Nemzer, co-founder of the project, journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. Executive Director of Kronika. Responsible for strategic development, communications, and partnerships, as well as RIMA's public relations and ideology.
Ilia Venyavkin, co-founder of the project, historian of Soviet and post-Soviet culture, journalist, educational designer, and activist. Director of RIMA programs. Responsible for strategic planning and the implementation of all online and offline initiatives.
Serob Khachatryan, co-founder of the project, media manager, activist, and COO of RIMA.
Sascha Molokostova, Chief Product Officer (CPO). Responsible for shaping Kronika's product strategy and developing all of its products in line with our mission.
Tamara Velikodneva, researcher, RIMA's archivist. Responsible for the archive collection, access to it, and working with researchers.
We do not disclose the names of all team members for security reasons.
Our partners
Russian Independent Media Archive is a joint initiative of 
PEN America and 
The Gagarin Center at Bard College.
The project is created in collaboration with the 
Internet Archive's Wayback Machine and the 
Mass Media Defence Centre.
Legal information
Media coverage
How the Russian Independent Media Archive Is Defying Censorship — and Saving History — Nieman Reports
PEN America's Russian Independent Media Archive: Preserving Words of Those Who Can't Speak — PEN America
Russian journalism archive aims to protect independent voices from media suppression — VOA
Radical Ideas Have Become an Important Condition of Loyalty — Russia.Post
Preserving the Legacy of Russia's Independent Media — Raam Platform
Discussion on Russian Society & Independent Journalism — C-SPAN / Internet Archive
Осторожно, архивы открываются: Радио Свобода и другие на сайте RIMA. Интервью с Анной Немзер — Радио Свобода
A New Digital Archive to Preserve an Investigative Legacy in Central America — Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)