Condé Nast ceases publication of Vogue Russia and all of its local portfolio titles following new censorship laws. In a memo last week, CEO Roger Lynch also cited the “senseless war” in Ukraine as a reason for dropping the offer.
Vogue Russia has been suspended since March, as have many international companies that have ceased operations in Russia since the war began. Nationally, the invasion is referred to as a “special operation” and any mention of the full extent of the devastation or purpose is punishable by law.
Lynch explained that the company will shut down its entire Russian publishing house in light of the increasing “escalation of censorship laws that severely restrict free speech and punish reporters simply for doing their job.” “Today we informed our Russian colleagues about the difficult decision to terminate our franchise agreement and stop publishing on the market.”
The company’s other magazines include GQ, Glamour, Tatler and Architectural Digest. “Although we have successfully operated in Russia for over 20 years, the ongoing atrocities this unprovoked war entails and the associated censorship laws have made it impossible for us to continue operating there,” Lynch said.
Publishing giant Hearst Magazines, which owns Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, last month ended its ties with local partners Shkulev Media and Fashion Press, and also closed their licenses.