BBC Russian: 80 Years of Resilience Against Censorship

Sat Mar 28 2026 13:20:06 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

BBC Russian has tirelessly fought against censorship in Russia for 80 years, adapting to changing restrictions and defying attempts to silence independent journalism.

From its inception in 1946, BBC Russian has faced challenges including jamming radio broadcasts and web censorship by the Kremlin. Despite growing restrictions, the service has found ways to reach millions, providing vital information to Russian audiences amid increasing government control over media.

The Kremlin is tightening its grip over what Russians can do and see online, making it harder for outlets like the BBC to reach their audiences.

For the past 80 years, BBC Russian has sought to bypass those restrictions, which for decades featured jamming of its short-wave radio broadcasts and now involve blocking its website.

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The latest restrictions in Russia have included widespread mobile internet outages and a reported plan to block the Telegram news and messaging app.

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On 24 March 1946, the BBC started its first regular radio broadcast in the Russian language aiming at giving listeners behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union an alternative to state propaganda.

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By 1949, jamming of the signal was already the norm.

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For almost half the 20th Century, Soviet people had to jump through hoops to listen to foreign broadcasts, and for some it was truly a sport, remembers Natalia Rubinstein, an ex-BBC presenter and former resident of Leningrad, or modern-day St Petersburg.

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Rubinstein recalls the enthusiasm of people wanting to know what was being hidden from them. She remembers how people used to take radios to the countryside to escape jamming.

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We really wanted to know what was being hidden from us, she says. I still have this picture before my eyes: a person leaning on a tree, with ski poles next to him, listening to the radio.\

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The BBC’s foreign broadcasts, often jammed, became a crucial source of information despite the challenges. Historical events, such as the reporting of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's death in 1982, showed the station's resilience.

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After the Iron Curtain fell, BBC Russian expanded its reach, but recent years have seen a resurgence in restrictions, especially following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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As of March 2022, the BBC's websites were blocked, maintaining the challenge of reaching an audience eager for information.

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Despite the digital Iron Curtain, BBC Russian reports that its audience has trebled since the invasion, highlighting the demand for credible journalism in Russia.

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With new generations of Russians seeking connections to the outside world, BBC Russian's mission remains as critical as ever. The service continues to adapt strategies to reach its audience, demonstrating a resolve that has lasted through eight decades of adversity.