Vogue Russia and other publications are turning their last pages.
Media company Condé Nast has announced that it is closing the entirety of its Russian franchise because of the country’s new censorship laws and its ongoing war with Ukraine.
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“When Putin first began this senseless war, we knew we had to take immediate action to protect our employees and our journalism and decided to suspend our publishing operations in Russia,” Condé Nast chief executive officer Roger Lynch wrote in a memo sent to the company staff.
As a result, the magazine publisher’s seven Russian editions are expected to shutter immediately. These titles include Architectural Digest, Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, and Vogue.
“As the war has waged on, the escalation in the severity of the censorship laws, which have significantly curtailed free speech and punished reporters simply for doing their jobs, has made our work in Russia untenable,” Lynch explained.
Pause then stop
Previously, the initial suspension of Condé Nast’s Russian titles came in early March.
Vogue Russia, for instance, said at the time that it was taking “only a short pause,” but has since not posted anything on its social media accounts.
Condé Nast cited how over 650 companies have exited or substantially reduced their day-to-day business in Russia.
Meanwhile, Lynch said about 10 percent of Russian staff will remain to take the necessary steps to cease publishing.
“Words simply cannot express how difficult this time is for so many. What’s been weighing heavily on my mind is our staff who did not choose this war. And yet continue to bear some of its consequences,” the memo concluded.
Banner Photo via Vogue Russia’s website
