Mikhail Zygar

Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist, writer, and filmmaker, began his journalism career as a war correspondent, covering significant global events such as wars in Iraq and Lebanon, genocide in Darfur, and revolution in Kyrgyzstan. In 2010, Zygar took a pivotal role as the founding editor-in-chief of TV Rain, Russia's first independent TV channel in a decade. Under his leadership, TV Rain provided an alternative to Kremlin-controlled federal TV channels by focusing on news content and giving a platform to opposition voices, earning prominence with its coverage of the mass protests against Vladimir Putin in 2011.

Zygar's prowess as a journalist is further exemplified in his literary accomplishments. He is the author of the book "All the Kremlin's Men," which is based on interviews with Russian politicians from Putin's inner circle. The book was a #1 bestseller in Russia for four months and received praise from Nobel prize winner Svetlana Alexievich. His other notable books include "The Empire Must Die," listed among the Best Non-Fiction Works of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews, and "War and Punishment: Putin, Zelensky, and the Path to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine," published in 2023.

In addition to his journalistic and literary endeavors, Zygar founded the creative studio Future History, specializing in educational digital ventures. His projects include the digital project "1917. Free history" and the web documentary series "1968.digital". He has also been a speaker at the 2018 TED conference, sharing his insights into historical digital ventures and storytelling techniques. Currently, Zygar writes a weekly column for Der Spiegel and The New York Times and conducts a series of interviews on YouTube with notable figures. He is the Press Freedom Fellow at Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and a visiting professor at Princeton University. His dedication to journalism and press freedom led to him receiving the International Press Freedom Award in 2014.