
The Tocsins of History

The tocsins of history are calling, 
Summoning heroes, to enlist.
Those larger-than-life figures, who
Come from the great and powerful,
The quiet and ordinary —
From villages and towns—
From farms and factories—
From every walk of life—
From every tongue and color of skin.

They are summoned in a moment, an hour, a day —
Summoned to bring down mountains,
To alter the course of mighty rivers,
Cross vast oceans,
To plant their banner on stars in the sky.

We stop and look in awe,
As these heroes engage with destiny,
Lead columns marching in service—
Of truth, honor justice, 
The greater good, survival.

Sometimes the heroes are the masses of people,
As today in Ukraynia.
They have arisen against tyranny and evil,
And won’t back down.

Now it is the turn of their brothers and sisters everywhere,
To do the same —
To rise up and reject tyranny and evil,
To cry out, in unison:
We are not you, Putin, Medvedev.
We are not you, Lavrov, Peskov,
Fabulist, подонки (podonki), all,
Nor your corrupt kleptocracy, 
That dares call itself a government.

By simply standing for a peaceful and just society,
By naming Putin’s war for what it is: Putin’s War,
The Russian people can end the bloodshed,
Join the community of nations,
And live in peace and harmony with their neighbors, 

Without the support of downtrodden people,
With their quiet resolve,
Putin and his cabal of crooks, fawners and demagogues,
Will end up where they belong —
In the nether regions of history.

Justice perishes in the silence of the just.
Yet even silence can speak deafening words,
As thunder and lightning break
The silence of a darkening sky.

The Kyiv Independent is an award-winning English-language media outlet covering Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

The Kyiv Independent is **Ukraine’s fastest-growing English-language media outlet**, established in November 2021, just three months before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent was born out of a **fight for freedom of speech**. It was co-founded by a group of journalists who were fired from the Kyiv Post, then a prominent newspaper, as the owner attempted to take the newsroom under control and end its critical coverage of Ukrainian authorities.

Just three months after the Kyiv Independent was launched, Russia invaded Ukraine. **Our team stayed in Ukraine and kept on reporting on what was now a war against their country.**

The team’s resilience and **uncompromising reporting quickly made the Kyiv Independent a key source of news** from Ukraine for millions of people around the world.

**We vowed to serve the principles of honest journalism even during an ongoing war**. We have published investigations, including into misconduct within the Ukrainian military. It has solidified our readers’ trust in us as an independent news source. The Kyiv Independent has won multiple awards for its work.

We had to grow fast. Today, **the Kyiv Independent is a dynamic organization** producing stories, video reports, newsletters, documentaries, and more. In March 2023, we formed a separate unit within the team to investigate Russian war crimes. The team has **published nine documentaries so far, uncovered multiple war crimes, and seven international awards** for its work. 

**Unlike many news organizations, the Kyiv Independent has no single owner** or external source of financing. Instead, the majority of our funding comes directly from our readers — most of whom give just $5 a month. In 2024, 70% of our revenue was from membership and donations. 

Thanks to the support of our readers, the Kyiv Independent doesn’t need to depend on a wealthy owner — and doesn’t have a paywall. Our journalism is free and accessible to everyone, regardless of ability to pay, because we believe that everyone should have access to accurate and reliable information. 

**Our Mission**

**Serve as the bridge between Ukraine and the world**, delivering reliable news, context, and on-the-ground reporting.

**Our Values**

The Kyiv Independent **serves its readers and community**, and nobody else.

The Kyiv Independent **won’t be dependent on a rich owner or an oligarch.** Support from our readers, donors, and commercial activities fund the publication.

The newsroom **decides and executes the publication’s editorial policy in the community’s best interests.** Attempts to influence it from outside will not be tolerated.

The Kyiv Independent **will always be at least partly owned by its journalists**.

The Kyiv Independent **strives to maintain financial sustainability to preserve its independence.**

**Our Achievements**

1. **We reach almost 3 million monthly readers in 2025.**  Millions of people now read the Kyiv Independent every month. Our monthly website audience grew from 13,000 readers in January 2022 to close to 3 million monthly readers in 2025.
2. **Over 30,000 stories have been published** since launching the Kyiv Independent, including daily news updates, war coverage, business, culture, and opinions.
3. **We have published more than 150 field reports**, including dozens of stories from the front lines, bringing you on-the-ground coverage from places like Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, and Vovchansk.
4. **We have conducted 30 investigations**, including an award-winning investigation into alleged misconduct in Ukraine’s International Legion and leaked documents showing Russia’s plan to take over Belarus by 2030.
5. **The Kyiv Independent currently has seven active newsletters with over 230,000 subscribers**. They cover the latest events in Ukraine, front-line dispatches, business news, and much more.
6. **We built a vibrant, global community of more than 20,000 members**.  Since its launch, more than 50,000 people have financially supported the Kyiv Independent.
7. **We have won 20 awards** for our journalism and one award for our audience growth.
8. **We grew our team from 18 to 70+ people**.  A bigger team allows us to increase the impact and reach of our journalism.
9. **Our War Crimes Investigations Unit has produced nine investigative documentaries** about Russia’s systemic atrocities in Ukraine, including the deportation of children and torture of POWs.
10. **KI’s YouTube channel** features our video content, including reports from the front lines, a show about the latest news “Ukraine This Week,” exclusive interviews, and much more. **So far in 2025, we have reached over 14 million views and 270,000 subscribers**.

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