New Laundry on the Boulevard Chistiye Prudy in Moscow

At the end of March 2022, the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, with a maximum pathos, announced an inevitable closing of its activity “till the end of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine”. The decision was taken “not to produce printed circulations, and its website and social networks will stop being updated”. It meant only one thing – “the Nobel-Prize leadership and the team of keyboard fighters for “European values” don’t see themselves in any possible capacity in Russia.

As an alternative, some journalists were airdropped to the town Riga and founded, according to their assertions, “not an affiliate of “Novaya Gazeta”, but an independent project “Novaya Gazeta Europe”. This outlet instantly became a combat leaflet of Russophobes and collaborators. And the closed “Novaya Gazeta”, based in Moscow on the Boulevard Chistiye Prudy, has turned into an illegal financial “laundry”.

BIDDING OF “NOVAYA GAZETA” FOR CANCEL RUSSIA

We would like to remind out readers that “Novaya Gazeta”, as a formal pretext of stopping its work in Russia, announced complaints of the Russian monitoring agency Roskomnadzor (The Federal Service for Supervision, Information Technology and Mass Media — Roskomnadzor) – in two of its publications editors of the newspaper had not mentioned the status of foreign agents of an NGO. In fact, an informal reason, in our view, was a Russophobe manifestopublished by the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” on March 25, 2022, under the title “Operation “Russian Chromosome”, where ideas of “a new racism” directed against the Russians were openly pushed forward.

They say, Russia in all its forms and in any time has been not compatible with “civilized democracies”, that is why the necessity of the trendy “cancel” Russia idea is allegedly well founded. Traces of stoking tension with the help of mass media was evident by naked eye. Matters got hairy and the law against extremism was palpable in the air.

Still, there was no need to give legal assessments of the text of the “manifesto”. There were enough of usual violations which had been found by the regulator in order to say goodbye to the newspaper. So, on September 15, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation fulfilled the demand of the regulator “Roskomnadzor” on the closing of the electronic version of the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”. And a bit earlier, on September 5, the District Court found invalid the license of the paper edition of “Novaya Gazeta”.

25 THOUSAND DOLLARS “FOR THE CONTEXT OF PUTIN’S WAR WITH UKRAINE” 

It was kind of coincidence that court’s decision from September 5, 2022, on closing of the print version of the newspaper somehow damaged the business of “Novaya Gazeta”.

The thing is that, on September 6, 2022, from the press-release of the American organization Human Rights Foundation (HRF), it became known that the subordinated to it foundation Bitcoin Development Fund had allotted to “Novaya Gazeta” a grunt. To be more precise, among grunt receivers and developers with “digital” emphasis, we suddenly find in the list of NGOs and persons dealing with “hardware researches” “the most important” flagship in the IT domain – the Russian socio-political publication “Novaya Gazeta”.

By providing $25,000, the American foundation instructed: to study intersection of questions regarding “crypto currency and human rights”. And an obligatory condition – “the context of Putin’s war with Ukraine and migration of millions of Ukrainian refugees and Russian exiles”.

Evidently, this abnormally delusional request, in which “Novaya Gazeta” looks, among other money receivers, like a foam hamster in specification of metal-cutting machines, was pushed by Garry Kasparov.*

In May 2022, Kasparov was acknowledged as foreign agent just for his connection with the Human Rights Foundation (HRF). In the Russian Registry of undesirable organizations this foundation and its satellites are not yet itemized, although they well deserve to be included in it.

In all appearances, about the destiny of the American grunt, provided to the closed Moscow newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, took care their clones from “Novaya Gazeta – Europe” settled in the town Riga. In any case, in their reports from anti-Russian Sabbaths, authors of the newspaper have been presenting very favorably the Russophobe Garry Kasparov, like, Kasparov is one of the most intelligible representatives of the opposition. Yet, the whole intelligibility of this former chess player is equal to “mate in two moves” — the necessity of “regime dismantle” and planting “a Ukrainian flag over Sevastopol”.

PRETENDED INDEPENDENCE

Now, it’s worth paying attention to several aspects of the existence of the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta – Europe” in Latvia. We make a reservation at once and admit that, because of the adolescent age of the legal person, there is no finance reports at the moment. Yet, it’s important to recall the circumstances of its coming into being. It was announced as early as April 7, several days after the voluntary decision of stopping the publication of “Novaya Gazeta”.

“It’s not an affiliate of “Novaya Gazeta”, but a self-consistent project, independent legally and practically” — in such a false way “the new fugitives” presented themselves. At the moment of the announcement, sources of financing of the project were not mentioned, neither was a town or a country where the editorial staff would be settled. Complete secrecy and confidentiality of deposits! It was only announced that Kirill Martynov* would head the project.

“Kirill Martynov crossed the border in order to renew the battle”, pointed out with great effort foreign mass media trying either to spin the little known personality of the defector, or to deceive sponsors into parting with “contributions” by creating an illusion that the project starts from zero, almost in the middle of nowhere. But this is not exactly the case.

Kirill Martynov, the chief editor of the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta – Europe”, physical person, carrying out functions of a foreign agent: “You are either for Putin, or against him. In these circumstances, as far as I can get, there is no possibility to work as a journalist”.

The network of “Novaya Gazeta” in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe has been constructed since October 2015, and there authors from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have published their pieces. So, those people who in the spring of 2022, in compassion ecstasy, transferred their money to the newspaper, for “installation”, were, to put it mildly, mislead. By the way, also slightly cheated were those who believed that this project was “independent legally and practically”.

The entry in the registry of companies registered in Latvia doesn’t provide full information about “connectivity”. On the other hand, the service B2BHint demonstrates a deeper insight into the setup. In the entry “Novaja Gazeta – Europe”, in the option “beneficiary owner”, two persons are indicated. They are from the staff of the old newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, namely, Kirill Martynov and Maria Yepifanova. They both entered upon the office on April 19, 2022. They are also heads of the “new” Latvian anti-Russian media outlet.

At the same time, printed issues of the newspaper are being prepared by staff members of the network “Novaya Gazeta – Baltics” about which rhapsodized a couple of years ago Madame Yepifanova. To say nothing of the fact that the network version of the outlet is being filled with stories by ancient staff members of “Novaya Gazeta”, such as the foreign agent Yulia Latynina*, who had dug for herself a commercial trench in Estonia as early as in 2018.

In simpler terms, all that loudly proclaimed “independence” of the publication is false. It is limited by a “clean” legal person, not more. A formality. But, obviously, it’s enough for the laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize and chief editor of the Moscow based “Novaya Gazeta” to formally distance himself from this kind of former subordinates who, in a steady mode, publish on the pages of “Novaya Gazeta” calls to kill Russians.

Have a look, for instance, at the interview with Ilya Ponomaryov who was recently put on the federal wanted list, the piece entitled “In this war, Bandera could have been my ally”. There he told about his close ties with terrorists and called for “a violent struggle” against Russia.

HOW TO BECOME AN ACCOMPLICE

The Riga conspirators were betrayed by stupidity, arrogance and by dirty financial traces. On the main website of the Riga site of the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta – Europe”, in the right hand corner, stands out vividly a badge “To Become a Friend”. We follow the link and we are at an astonishing in its stupidity session of self-exposure: “Unfortunately, we cannot at present except donations from Russian cards. If you want to support independent journalism and you have only a bank card, channel your donation to our colleagues from the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” in Moscow.

Consequently, having followed the mentioned link “Donations to our colleagues”, we read a call: “Become a participant. Support “Novaya Gazeta” so that we can further write about things that others fear even to think of! If you have questions, write to [email protected] or call +7 (929) 612-03-68. Deputy chief editor Alexey Polukhin”.

Taking into account that on September 5, 2022, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow held invalid the license of the print version of “Novaya Gazeta”, and, on September 15, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation sustained the claim by Roskomnadzor on closing of the electronic version of “Novaya Gazeta”, we see here a usual fraud. They call out people to donate money “for a failure”, for the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” that has ceased to exist.

By the way, for attention of participants: you can really become legally formalized accomplices of a crime if you transfer money in such a way and it, eventually, make it through to… a foreign agent, to the chief editor of “Novaya Gazeta – Europe” Kirill Martynov. Financing of activities of a foreign agent is no laughing matter

At present, it’s not important whose account has been fastened to the form “new Europeans”, who among Moscow colleagues has been set up for illegal financing of a foreign agent. Important is that the finance navel cord between the “independent” European and the main Russian editorial offices is available. Also available is the hidden channel for pumping up money. One should bear in mind that the publication under the guidance of the foreign agent Martynov is not a simple editorial office, it’s a cell of the radical sect of Russophobes and collaborators working in the interests of those who dream of dismember Russia.

FREE MASONS HAVE COME INTO THE PICTURE

Apart from that, it’s worth looking at the firms where Madame Yepifanova, the founder of “Novaya Gazeta – Europe” is still being mentioned. It’s the trading company “Kaiku 20” where Maria Yepifanova is the head of the executive committee, and as a member of the council is itemized a well-known person that fled from Russia – Konstantin Rubakhin, who was once an aid of the former deputy of the Russian State Duma and clinical Russophobe Ilya Ponomaryov.

The photo from archives of the world network – Maria Epifanova and Konstantin Rubakhin

Apart from that, in 2019, Rubakhin and Yepifanova founded the company Erasm registered at the same address as “Novaya Gazeta – Europe”: Riga, Baznicas iela 7 – 1B, LV-1010. The firm deals with “museum activity” and has founded a museum of the world masonry in Riga.

We will not go deep into conspiracy theories and connections of the newspaper with the global backstage. We will limit ourselves to mentioning that the masonry museum, being an “uncompleted construction”, has been collecting money“for development”. The collection proceeds passively: from the announced sum of 150 000 euros, they have received only 12 683 euros. Perhaps, free masons are hard-fisted, or money, as everything connected with masons, is spent in a mysterious way. In any case, the wish is visible of the beneficiaries of “Novaya Gazeta in Europe” to create for themselves an alternative airfield in the event of failure of the anti-Russia concession.

A SWISS PURSE OF RUSSOPHOBES

Another “purse” of the combat leaflet of Russophobes was opened in July 2022 in Switzerland. This company is called Association “Friends of Novaya Gazeta Europe” (FoNGE).

On its website, the leaders of the Association present themselves as “initiative citizens of neutral Switzerland” who simply “advocate free speech, are against dictatorship” and strive “to promote freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Russia and beyond its borders”. Basically, usual candy.

Yet, on the page of the Swiss registry they have to be more open. So, for instance, in the section “Purpose”, they perform their own show of self-disclosure.

“Initiative citizens” openly write that the Association “can generate means in Switzerland” and abroad for the publication “Novaya Gazeta Europe”. It also helps “Novaya Gazeta Europe” to carry out its activity by paying its staff and third persons at their demand, as well as support other projects”.

It means, to put it otherwise, that salaries of Martynov, Yepifanova and other “independent journalists-collaborators” are paid by their “Swiss friends”.
Author: Buba Filin
More details. Russian version at: «Новая» прачечная на Чистых Прудах»

* Kirill Martynov — 02.09.2022 was acknowledged by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation as a physical person fulfilling functions of a foreign agent.
* Kasparov Garry – 20.05.2022 was acknowledged by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation as a physical person fulfilling functions of a foreign agent.
* Latynina Yulia – 09.09.2022 was acknowledged by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation as a physical person fulfilling functions of a foreign agent.