‘We think you may have been poisoned’, part 1

Available for over a year

Elena Kostyuchenko was the top war reporter at Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's most controversial independent newspapers, when the war in Ukraine began. Within weeks her reporting was made illegal, her newspaper was shut down, and Elena was on the run for her life. After a childhood fighting to survive in 90s Russia, Elena says that journalism gave her a way to see reality; it was her profession as she fought for LGBTQ rights in Russia and is the reason she’s now in hiding. Across two programmes we hear the story of her extraordinary life, and strength against the might of a hostile state. Elena has written a memoir called I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Helen Fitzhenry Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707