EXPLAINER: Ukraine’s Free Media at 35 – What You Need to Know

On the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s modern independence, Kyiv Post is launching a mini-series on one of statehood’s defining achievements: the emergence of a free, resilient Ukrainian media. It will examine how Ukraine’s free press emerged from censorship, survived political and oligarchic pressure, and became a pillar of national resilience – especially as the country defends both its territory and its democratic voice against Russia’s war.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Let’s recall that Ukraine’s declaration of independence on Aug. 24, 1991, did more than redraw Europe’s map. It opened public space for a society long denied the right to tell its own story. After generations of imperial censorship and Soviet control, Ukrainians began building not only democratic institutions, but also the habits of open debate, scrutiny and civic trust. The development of a free press is therefore central to Ukraine’s independence story. From late-Soviet glasnost and the first uncensored publications, through the chaotic 1990s, oligarchic pressure, investigative journalism, the Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity and Russia’s full-scale war, Ukrainian media have both reflected and shaped the country’s struggle to become itself. Ukraine’s independence has had to be defended in parliament, on the streets, in newsrooms, on the battlefield, and abroad. A free press has exposed corruption, challenged authoritarian habits, documented Russian aggression, countered disinformation, and preserved public memory. Other Topics of Interest From Diia to Deep Strikes: 4 Ways Ukraine Reinvented Itself Since Independence From Diia to 10M drones a year and homegrown ballistic missiles, Ukraine has transformed its digital state and defense industry under wartime pressure. The subject is particularly urgent in wartime. Ukraine’s media remains diverse and resilient, but faces invasion, economic hardship, frontline restrictions, state pressure and the immense challenge of Russian information warfare. In these conditions, journalism is not simply a profession. It is part of national resilience. The series, being launched on Aug. 27, will trace the rise of Ukraine’s free press from the late Soviet opening to today’s wartime media landscape: the first independent outlets, the post-1991 media market, oligarchic influence, censorship, online and investigative journalism, public broadcasting reform, Maidan-era media activism, and the dilemmas of reporting under martial law. Its larger question is simple but vital: what does a free press mean for a country whose independence is still under attack? For Ukraine, media freedom is not a democratic ornament. It is a measure of sovereignty – the freedom to know, to investigate, to remember, and to speak in one’s own voice. The series will begin with a reminder of how independent Ukrainian journalism appeared from secret networks and underground publications as the Soviet Union collapsed and who its first pioneers were (Bohdan Nahaylo). In the later parts, prepared by Sergii Kostezh, four well-known journalists will recall how the burgeoning independent media coped with challenges in television (Oksana Sokolova), regional and online media (Serhii Nikitenko), business journalism (Dmitri Koshovyi), and investigative journalism (Anna Babinets). We invite you to enjoy this special series that we have prepared for you. Bohdan Nahaylo, Chief Editor of Kyiv Post since December 2021, is a British-Ukrainian journalist, author and veteran Ukraine watcher based between Kyiv and Barcelona. He was formerly head of Amnesty International's Soviet Union unit, a senior United Nations official and policy adviser, and Director of Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian Service.