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Anna Nemzer

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Anna Nemzer
Анна Немзер
Nemzer in 2019
Born (1980-05-19) 19 May 1980
Moscow, Russian SSR, Soviet Union
CitizenshipRussia
Alma materRussian State University for the Humanities
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
OccupationsJournalist
Filmmaker
EmployerTV Rain

Anna Andreyevna Nemzer (Russian: Анна Андреевна Немзер; born 19 May 1980) is a Russian journalist who was editor-in-chief of TV Rain, an independent Russian-language television programme. Living in exile in the United States since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nemzer co-directed and was featured in the 2024 documentary My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow.

Early life and education

Nemzer was born in Moscow in what was then the Soviet Union. Her father, Andrey Nemzer, was a noted literary critic and scholar.[1] Nemzer graduated with a degree in history and philology at the Russian State University for the Humanities before studying documentary filmmaking at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography.[2]

Career

After graduating, Nemzer worked for Russian television channels including ORT and Kultura, in addition to writing for outlets such as Snob, Russkiy reportyor and Vokrug sveta.[2][3] In 2014, Nemzer began working for TV Rain, then based in Russia, as its editor-in-chief, focusing on socio-economic issues. She hosted the show Who's Got the Power?, in which she interviewed noted opposition figures, including writers and activists.[1][2][4] Nemzer was a vocal critic of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, comparing his actions to the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.[5]

In February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Nemzer, who was on holiday in Tel Aviv, Israel, at the time, went into exile; TV Rain was blocked shortly afterwards by the Russian government. Nemzer began posting videos onto YouTube, and her work with TV Rain resumed after the channel began operating from countries outside of Russia.[6][7][8] As of 2024, Nemzer is based in New York City, United States.[9]

Nemzer subsequently co-founded, with support from Bard College and PEN America, the Russian Independent Media Outlet, which aims to preserve all facets of Russian independent media for the historical record, which Nemzer has described as a "record of the truth" in response to oppression from Russian authorities.[6][7][10][11] She works alongside her former TV Rain colleague Ksenia Mironova.[12]

On 20 March 2026, Nemzer was declared a foreign agent by the Russian government. The Ministry of Justice accused her of disseminating "false information" about the actions of Russian authorities and the "special military operation in Ukraine", in addition to collaborating with other "foreign agents".[3][5][13]

Recognition

Nemzer's friend Julia Loktev filmed the experiences of Nemzer and her journalist colleagues in the period leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine; many of the journalists featured were introduced to Loktev by Nemzer. The footage was subsequently released as the documentary film My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow, with Nemzer credited as co-director.[8][14]

References

  1. Sergeyeva, Valentina (2022-05-21). "Анна Немзер: биография журналистки". Zhizn Zvezd (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  2. "Анна Андреевна Немзер". ETVNET (in Russian). 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2026-04-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Maksimova, Kseniya (2026-03-20). "Минюст пополнил список «иноагентов»". Gazeta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2026-03-21. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  4. Cox, Peter (2026-04-05). "Review: My Undesirable Friends Part I – Last Air in Moscow". The Lost Highway Hotel. Archived from the original on 2026-04-10. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  5. Chang, Justin (2025-08-14). ""My Undesirable Friends: Part I" Is a Staggering Portrait of Russian Journalists in Dissent". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  6. "Anna Nemzer". PEN America. Archived from the original on 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  7. Tolin, Lisa (2023-04-18). "Russian Independent Media Archive Preserves More Than Two Decades of History". PEN America. Archived from the original on 2025-04-13. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  8. "My Undesirable Friends: The Sad, Inspiring Story of The Suffocation of Russia's Independent Press". Original Cin. 2026-04-02. Archived from the original on 2026-04-10. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  9. Goldsmith, Jill (2024-09-26). "Journalists From Outlawed Russian TV Rain Gather As Documentary 'My Undesirable Friends' Screens Ahead Of NYFF World Premiere". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2026-02-27. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  10. "State of Russian Society and Independent Journalism". C-SPAN. 2025-02-03. Archived from the original on 2026-04-10. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  11. Horton, Adrian (2025-08-15). "'Kept fighting despite the odds': the Russian journalists who risked everything to report the truth". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2025-12-10. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  12. Schofield, Blanca (2026-03-31). "'None of us did enough' — the Russian journalists who dared to speak out". The Times. Archived from the original on 2026-04-09. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  13. Khudayeva, Elena; Asatryan, Arpine (2026-03-20). "Минюст объявил иноагентами социолога Константина Гаазе и журналистку Анну Немзер". Forbes (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2026-03-21. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  14. Carey, Matthew (2025-11-12). "'My Undesirable Friends' Wins Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award, Besting Other Top Oscar Contenders". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2026-02-26. Retrieved 2026-04-11.