Writer Mikhail Zygar, who has been identified as a foreign agent in Russia, and film critic Anton Dolin, likewise labeled a foreign media agent, are winding down the Tenes publishing house, a company placed on Moscow’s foreign agents registry. The move appears to be a pivot toward Western markets, a shift highlighted by Life in a report cited by Shot.
The publication notes that Tenes previously secured funding through government contracts, but such support ceased after the start of the special military operation. On October 21, the Russian Justice Ministry added Mikhail Zygar to the list of media foreign agents, and on October 14 of that year, Anton Dolin was recognized as a foreign agent. Shot also mentions a halt to Zygar’s book sales within Russia.
At the Moscow Basmanny Court, by the end of August, Mikhail Zygar, a Russian writer and journalist, received an administrative fine of 30,000 rubles for violating foreign agent regulations.
Historically, the journalist served as the editor-in-chief of the Dozhd TV channel, which the Justice Ministry has designated as an undesirable organization in the Russian Federation. He later launched his own YouTube channel, featuring interviews with a predominance of international guests. He left Russia in 2022 and relocated to Germany, where he currently resides.
Anton Dolin, the film critic, departed from Russia in March 2022. A Telegram channel associated with Baza reported in 2023 that Dolin had applied for Israeli citizenship.
In related developments, Kishlak’s concert in Orenburg was canceled following protests from activists. These events illustrate a broader pattern of tightening controls and shifting career paths for cultural figures connected to Russian media and publishing in the wake of regulatory actions.