KRONIKA: Against
Oblivion Journalism Award
For journalism that revives lost stories, preserves fragile evidence, reflects
on traumatic pasts, and documents
the present.
QUARTERLY
once every
three months
FIRST AWARD
Nov 23, 2025
— Düsseldorf
What This Award Is
In a time when erasing memory has become a tool of authoritarian politics, archival journalism is an act of resistance.
This award honors work that not only speaks the truth — but ensures it is remembered.
WE AIM TO
Support authors who preserve
testimony under censorship,
war, and repression.
Highlight memory work as activism
and commemoration.
Russian-language journalism focused on the post-Soviet period
(1991–present)
OPEN TO
Text, multimedia, podcasts, documentaries, data investigations, archival storytelling, digital repositories, interactive and experimental formats.
ACCEPTED FORMATS
Selection Criteria
Projects should focus on the post-Soviet period and do at least one of the following:
Revive forgotten or erased stories
and return suppressed topics to the
public sphere.
Document what may soon disappear — fragile materials, testimonies, online content at risk of erasure.
Analyze mechanisms of forgetting: how facts, archives, names, and evidence vanish.
Create tools of memory: databases, repositories, films, podcasts, digital archives.
Open access to closed archives, testimonies, or vulnerable sources
How the Award Works
The inaugural award is selected by the internal Kronika team jury:
Anna Nemzer
Journalist and writer; founder of the Russian Independent Media Archive and Kronika. For many years has worked on documenting contemporary Russia and strengthening independent media.
Ilya Veniavkin
Historian; co-founder of the Russian Independent Media Archive and Kronika. Specialist in memory studies, trauma, and post-Soviet history; lecturer at Bard College.
Vera Shengelia
Journalist and human rights advocate; Director of Institutional Partnerships at Kronika. Has spent over 20 years working with issues of social exclusion, vulnerable communities, and their representation. Researcher and lecturer at Bard College.
The award becomes regular
and quarterly (four times a year).
Winners are selected by an independent jury of journalists, archivists, historians, and human rights defenders.
2025
23 NOV —
FIRST AWARD
2026 -
ONWARD
Award Structure
Each quarter, the jury may recognize
one or several laureates.
Awards will be presented publicly, and funds will be transferred legally to the winners’ bank accounts.
The minimum prize amount
is USD 1,000.
How Selection Works
Starting in 2026, the winner is chosen
by an independent jury of historians, archivists, journalists, and editors.
The Kronika team continuously monitors the field, reviews submissions, and adds strong works to the longlist.
A longlist of up to 10 pieces is compiled every three months.
How to Submit
a Nomination
Authors, editors, newsroom teams, and individual journalists can submit their work.
You may nominate your own project
or the work of colleagues or any other newsroom — as long as it meets the award criteria.
WHO CAN APPLY
Send an email or Telegram message with the subject “Nomination — Kronika Award”
HOW TO SUBMIT
A link to the material or project
A brief explanation of why it fits the award criteria (2–4 sentences)
The publication date and format
YOUR SUBMISSION
SHOULD INCLUDE