Peter Ruzavin
Peter Ruzavin | |
|---|---|
Пётр Петрович Рузавин | |
| Born | June 5, 1991 Moscow, Russia |
| Citizenship | Russian |
| Education | Moscow State University (2013) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Known for | Reporting on Russo-Ukrainian war; serving as drone operator with 2nd Khartia Corps (Ukraine) |
| Spouse | Nataliya Gumenyuk (m. 2017)[1] |
| Awards | Redkollegia prize (2022) |
Peter Ruzavin (Russian: Пётр Петрович Рузавин; born June 5, 1991) is a Russian journalist and soldier serving in the 2nd Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard.
Early life and education
[edit]Ruzavin was born in Russia and grew up in Moscow.[2]
Career
[edit]Television and investigative journalism
[edit]Ruzavin began his journalism career at the age of 18 as a reporter and TV Host at TV Rain.[2]
He contributed to Meduza, Projekt, Mediazona, and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, with his focus on Russian prisoners, protests, and critique of the Russian government.[3]
On 19 May 2014, he was detained by "Crimean self-defence" forces while reporting on the Russian occupation of Crimea for TV Rain and subjected to violence before being released.[4]
He held two fellowships at Institute for Human Sciences in 2022 and 2023.[5]
Reporting from Russo-Ukrainian War
[edit]In February 2022, after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he was one of few Russian journalists permanently based in Ukraine.[3]
He conducted interviews with Russian prisoners of war in Ukrainian captivity.[5]
In 2022, he wrote a number of field reports for Mediazona.[6] His reporting on Kupiansk won the Redkollegia Prize and was shortlisted for the Journalism as a Profession awards.[7][8]
He produced a podcast with Nataliya Gumenyuk covering the first months after the full-scale invasion,[2] and launched a telegram channel collecting images of antiwar actions across Russia.[9]
Military service
[edit]According to Ruzavin, he questioned the effectiveness of his journalism, and decided to enlist in 2023. He wanted to choose a Ukrainian Brigade rather than a separate unit for foreigners.[2]
In May 2024, he joined the 13th Khartiia Brigade, 2nd Corps, National Guard of Ukraine as a drone operator.[3][10][11]
In Summer 2024, Ruzavin was injured, sustaining a leg wound from an explosion, while a fellow soldier was seriously wounded (neck and head) in the same incident. According to M. Gessen, he returned to service within weeks and received a medal for the incident.[2]
On June 19, 2026, Ruzavin was added to the list of Foreign Agents in Russia.[12][13]
Personal life
[edit]In August 2017, Ruzavin was married to Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk.[1] [14]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Gessen, Masha (15 February 2022). "How the Kosovo Air War Foreshadowed the Crisis in Ukraine". The New Yorker. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gessen, M. (2025-08-25). "He Was a Star in Russia's Media World. Now He's a Corporal in Ukraine's Army". The New York Times.
- 1 2 3 "Russian Journalist Petro Ruzavin Joins Ukrainian National Guard UAV Unit". Mezha.net. 2025-12-18.
- ↑ "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Ukraine" (PDF). United Nations Digital Library. United Nations. 19 September 2014. A/HRC/27/75. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Peter Ruzavin". Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM).
- ↑ ""They liberated us from our entire civilization." How towns in the Kharkiv region survived Russian occupation". Mediazona. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Shortlist for the Journalism as a Profession Award for 2022 announced". Khodorkovsky.com. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Петр Рузавин". Redkollegia (in Russian).
- ↑ Dixon, Robyn; Ilyushina, Mary; Abbakumova, Natalia (2022-07-07). "Art of dissent: How Russians protest the war on Ukraine". The Washington Post.
- ↑ "Российский журналист Петр Рузавин рассказал, что уже год воюет в рядах ВСУ". Meduza (in Russian). 25 August 2025. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ ""Trying to change Russia from within gets you nowhere": Former TV Rain journalist Pyotr Ruzavin on serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine". The Insider. 15 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Chagalidze, Ilya (19 June 2026). "The Russian Ministry of Justice has expanded the list of foreign agents". Izvestia. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "О реестре иностранных агентов". Министерство юстиции Российской Федерации (in Russian). 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "discours.io". Discours (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-03-27.