Russian radio has undergone a complete transformation since 2022. What had been a diverse landscape including the influential independent station Echo of Moscow collapsed when the Russian government shut down or imposed state control over independent media following the invasion of Ukraine. Understanding Russian radio now means understanding both what existed before and what remains, inside Russia and in exile.
Echo of Moscow: what was lost
Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) was Russia’s most important independent radio station — a talk radio station known for hosting opposition politicians, critical journalists, and genuine debate. It launched in 1990 during the Soviet collapse and survived multiple crises, maintaining editorial independence remarkable in the Russian media landscape. It was shut down by Gazprom-Media in March 2022 and its licence revoked. Several of its journalists have continued broadcasting from exile.
State radio inside Russia
State radio in Russia includes Radio Rossii (Radio Russia), Mayak (music and entertainment), and Vesti FM (news). All are controlled by VGTRK, the state broadcasting company, and carry content consistent with the official government narrative. Commercial music radio — Europa Plus, Love Radio, Retro FM — continues operating and largely avoids politics, focusing on programming for an urban audience that uses it as background music. Pop music radio in Russia is a significant commercial sector serving listeners who engage with the entertainment offer without engaging with the political situation.
Russian radio in exile
Several Russian journalists and broadcasters who left Russia after 2022 have established exile media outlets. Radio Svoboda (Radio Free Europe’s Russian service), Meduza, and The Insider continue independent Russian-language journalism from Riga, Amsterdam, and other European cities. These outlets serve both Russian emigres and listeners inside Russia who access them via VPN — the same technology used internationally to access geo-blocked content, described in our listening guide.