Translated material
The circulation was withdrawn “as extremist”
Instead of the latest issue of Novaya Gazeta, St. Petersburg residents received mysterious notes in their mailboxes.
For the past two weeks, Novaya readers in the city on the Neva have been experiencing difficulties obtaining the newspaper. At first, the newsstands refused to sell our readers the issue of March 16 with the article “Zomboyashchik cracked.” There was no official ban on the distribution of the newspaper. It was, so to speak, a local initiative.
And last Wednesday, many readers in St. Petersburg, instead of publishing Novaya Gazeta, received letters from postmen who claimed that “the newspaper was banned by the leadership” and “the circulation was recognized as extremist.”
Russian Post, for its part, stated that it had not given such instructions.
Problems with newspaper delivery arose in many areas of the city. In particular, the postman of the 196th branch on Malookhtinsky Prospekt brought a note instead of a newspaper: “I didn’t bring Novaya Gazeta.” The entire circulation that arrived at the post office was seized as extremist.”
We also received an apology from the postman in the Central District: “Novaya Gazeta is prohibited for delivery by the management of Russian Post.” Sorry for the inconvenience caused. For questions, please contact the subscription department."
St. Petersburg philologist Elena Efros reported that she managed to pick up the latest issue of Novaya Gazeta at the department. And half an hour later I met my postman on the street, who told me about a certain order: “We are now also prohibited from delivering Novaya.” Well, in the general management chat. I don’t know anything more precisely.”
On the morning of March 23, deputy of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Boris Vishnevsky said that in the 198th branch of Russian Post on Vvedenskaya Street (Petrogradsky District), the Novaya edition was withdrawn from distribution. The newspaper was allegedly going to be returned to the editorial office. The head of the Yabloko faction, Alexander Shishlov, sent an appeal to the director of the Office of the Federal Postal Service for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, Dmitry Serebrennikov: “Considering this to be absolutely illegal and unlawful, I ask you to take urgent measures to ensure the rights of readers and subscribers of Novaya Gazeta and the resumption of its distribution.”
Representatives of Russian Post confirmed to the publisher of Novaya Gazeta in St. Petersburg that all contractual relations with him are in force, branches receive the newspaper, and delivery is carried out as standard. They asked to report violations.
By the evening of March 23, after publicity, the newspaper was finally “allowed” to be distributed. Unfortunately, the editors have no guarantee that history will not repeat itself.
Ekaterina Sergeicheva