There are voices that, even from afar, manage to be heard more clearly than many others. Voices that tell the truth in exile, that resist the darkness of an authoritarian regime, that do not accept the silence imposed by fear. On Monday 26 May, at 6.45 p.m., in the Press Room of the Chamber of Deputies (Via della Missione 4, Rome), the public meeting “From Russia with Censorship” will be held, an event that brings to the heart of Italian institutions the courage and lucidity of those who oppose Putin’s power.

The main protagonist is Ekaterina Schulmann, an internationally renowned political scientist and one of the most listened-to voices of the Russian opposition. Followed by more than 1.2 million people on YouTube, Schulmann is known for her ability to explain with rigour and clarity the mechanisms of authoritarian power, the transformations of Russian society, and the often silent but determined ways in which the population reacts to war and repression. After the invasion of Ukraine, she was forced to leave the country: the university where she taught was searched, her name ended up on the list of ‘foreign agents’ and wanted persons. Today she lives and works in Berlin, at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and the Freie Universität.

At his side will be Maksim Kurnikov, editor-in-chief of ‘Echo’, the journalistic project born in exile after the forced closure of the historic Echo Moskvy in 2022. The independent radio station, founded in 1990, was one of the last free voices in Russia until its suppression, which followed the broadcasting of war reports. Its revival abroad today represents a powerful symbol of resistance and civic engagement. Kurnikov, considered one of the most brilliant journalists of his generation, co-hosts with Schulmann the programme ‘Status’, watched by hundreds of thousands of Russians at home and abroad.

The meeting will also be attended by Daria Kryukova, a political refugee and representative of the Community of Free Russians in Italy (as well as a friend and author of articles for L’Europeista), Anna Alexandrova, an activist of the movement Russians against War, and Marta Allevato, a journalist from the AGI news agency and direct witness of the repression of freedom of information in Russia.

Promoted on the initiative of Senator Filippo Sensi, who has always been attentive to battles for rights and freedom of expression, the event will offer consecutive translation in Italian and Russian to ensure a direct and accessible dialogue.

‘From Russia with Censorship’ is not just a provocative title, but a warning: freedom is never guaranteed forever. It must be defended, told, cultivated. Also – and above all – through the voice of those who, although far from home, do not stop fighting for a fairer future. L’Europeista will be there to listen, to document, to relaunch this message of hope and truth.