What “Foreign Agent” means

The Russian-language notice above is not editorial content. It is a state-mandated stigma label imposed by the Russian authorities on people whose public speech they wish to discredit. I am required to display it prominently, in Russian, because I have been officially branded a "Foreign Agent" — a bureaucratic scarlet letter for independent voices, proudly issued by the Russian Federation.

Why it appears on every article

Russian law requires that material produced or distributed by a designated “foreign agent” carry this exact disclaimer, in Russian. We display it not because we endorse it, but because it is the price of continuing to publish independent research — and because it appears at the top of anything shared from this site, to protect those who repost our work.

What it actually means

The designation is a tool used to marginalise independent journalists, researchers, and civil-society voices. It implies no wrongdoing. The research we publish stands on its methodology and evidence, not on the approval of any government.

The mandated text

НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И (ИЛИ) РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ КОНЕВОЙ ЕЛЕНОЙ ЛЬВОВНОЙ ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА КОНЕВОЙ ЕЛЕНЫ ЛЬВОВНЫ.