Conde Nast shuts down Vogue Russia over ‘senseless war’ and censorship laws

Increasingly strict censorship laws in Russia have made it ‘impossible’ for Conde Nast to continue operating, the company says

Vogue Russia has been closed by Conde Nast (Vogue)

Vogue Russia has been closed down as the war in Ukraine and increasingly strict censorship laws have made publishing in Russia “untenable”.

Conde Nast announced that it has terminated its franchise agreement with Conde Nast Russia and will cease publishing in the market.

In a memo to staff, CEO Roger Lynch said that the decision was spurred by the “senseless war” launched by Russia on 24 February, which has so far forced more than 11 million Ukrainians to flee their homes.

He wrote: “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.”

Vogue Russia first launched in 1998, but Lynch said the “continued atrocities brough on by this unprovoked war and the related censorship laws have made it impossible for us to continue operating there”.

Around 10 per cent of Vogue Russia staff will remain to “fulfil certain outstanding obligations”.

Conde Nast pledged to support employees who have been affected by the decision to close the magazine, including providing “enhanced severance and benefits, employee assistance and outplacement programmes”, as well as guidance in applying for other positions.

“Words simply cannot express how difficult this time is for so many,” Lynch continued in his memo.

“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.

“I’m extremely grateful to our teams in Russia for their many years of dedication in building great publications there that have lived up to the highest standards of Conde Nast.”

Since launching its full scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has tightened censorship laws to stop the spread of any information that refers to its actions as “war”.

In March, president Vladimir Putin passed a law criminalising the use of the words “war” or “invasion” when referring to what the Russian government prefers to call a “special military operation”.

Anyone who is found breaking the law faces a penalty of up to 15 years in jail.

Conde Nast’s exit from the Russian market follows a hundreds of other companies who have ceased trading or operations in the country because of the conflict.