this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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YSK that Elena Kostyuchenko is one of the bravest person in the world. (arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com)
submitted 8 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) by kwero@sh.itjust.works to c/youshouldknow@lemmy.world
 

Elena worked for Novaya Gazetta, the last independent newspaper in Russia.

Her newsroom was systematically harassed. She has been arrested and beaten on many occasions. In fact, 4 of her colleagues were murdered under her watch.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper was forced to shut down.

She left Russia and moved to Ukraine where she started covering Russian war crimes committed against civilians. She was forced to leave after Ukrainians told her that Russian soldiers had a bounty on her head. (you can use subtitles)

Then, a few weeks later, she was hospitalized. Her food was poisoned in an attempt to kill her:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/12/you-may-have-been-poisoned-how-an-independent-russian-journalist-became-a-target

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke-university-elena-kostyuchenko-russian-journalist-in-exile-visiting-professor-poisoned-kremlin-20251124

Elena miraculously survived and kept reporting.

She now teaches at Duke University in the US. When asked if she is afraid, she said the following:

https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-22/elena-kostyuchenko-im-not-afraid-if-i-wasnt-afraid-of-putin-i-wont-be-afraid-of-trump.html

Elena is one the bravest person I know.

When you think about it, people living in Western Democracies have no excuse. You can create a labor union in your company. You can run for office in your town. You can fight big corporations to reduce pollution.

When I lack inner strength to do the right thing, I always think about her.

top 42 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Bubs12@lemmy.cafe 8 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

She told her story last year (March 2024) on This American Life. Worth a listen!

This American Life 826

[–] pwalker@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 minutes ago

Rather they just read out her essay: https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/how-they-tried-to-kill-me/ Bit it is indeed a good read/listen

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 37 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

I worry that

  • ICE now knows where she is
  • they have a quota
  • their boss is a Russian asset and wants a pat on the head

Can we get her to safety before they grab her and ship her back to Vlad?

[–] Susaga@sh.itjust.works 15 points 4 hours ago

The last time she fled to safety, Putin poisoned her anyway. Then she reported on her own assassination, went to Trump's America and wrote a book on how Putin is fascist. She clearly made a decision, and I respect the hell out of it.

[–] moncharleskey@lemmy.zip 12 points 4 hours ago

Seems like she is looking to do what is right, not what is safe.

[–] JamBandFan1996@lemmy.ml 33 points 5 hours ago

The Tankies are gonna hate this one

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 28 points 6 hours ago

Tough lady. Hats off to her.

[–] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 9 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

InB4 someone talks about how big her balls are

Cool lady tho, thanks for the post

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 hours ago
[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.today 101 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I will memorize her appearance and her name. She will not be dismissed. She will not be forgotten or erased.

This is a brave person and I hope she lives a long life and dies only when time comes for her.

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.today 19 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (4 children)

can someone help me make her name sound out in verbal English?

Elena I get but

Kostyuchenko

cost you chen co ?

[–] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 hours ago

Khos tu(ne) chen ko.

[–] OwlPaste@lemmy.world 24 points 8 hours ago

kost you chen ko

the you sound is shorter than English you and that should be it

is hiw i would say it i thinking its Ukrainian origin (and nearby countries)#

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago

If they were an athlete, American announcers would say "KOTS-A-CHANKO".

[–] thenextguy@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Toby from The West Wing would find this strange.

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 7 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

I don't wish to make too many tangential top-level comments, so I am declaring this the tangential thread, but all I can think of is that America is on a path where someday we'll also have journalists who will literally have to choose between the truth and their own safety. We already have so many who choose lies over the truth when their safety is not questioned.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 4 points 4 hours ago

We have most of them picking job security vs. asking the hard questions, and when a few do ask something beyond what's expected from the officials we call them "brave". All of them should be doing this.

Some of them from some networks are playing the game because they profit from it, which is a problem as well.

[–] enbee@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Lots of journalists have come and gone that feared for their safety in the US. The only new thing about trump is how transparent all the corruption overreach and abuse of power has become.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Not just transparent. How aggressive and prevalent.

It has always been there, but it is much, much worse right now than any time in the last 50+ years.

[–] SantasMagicalComfort@piefed.world 0 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I upvoted this post for visibility so I’m pretty brave too.