“Honoring Derk Sauer: The Catalyst of Independent Journalism in Russia”

Derk Sauer, the Dutch media entrepreneur and creator of The Moscow Times, passed away in the Netherlands on Thursday.

Sauer relocated to Moscow during the final days of the Soviet Union and played a pivotal role in establishing Vedomosti, Russia’s first Western-style business newspaper. He also founded The Moscow Times and introduced Russian editions of well-known magazines like Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and Playboy.

After the announcement of his passing, tributes from independent Russian media outlets and journalists began to flood in, reflecting on the significant influence Sauer had on their professional lives and on the landscape of Russian journalism.

Leonid Bershidsky, the inaugural editor-in-chief of Vedomosti, expressed in Meduza, “The triumph of these magazines paved the way for a shift in quality journalism, culminating in the launch of Vedomosti in September 1999. Derk accomplished this by bringing together two fierce competitors—The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times—who were hesitant to navigate the market alone, which was then controlled by Kommersant, a publication that struggled to deliver more than two pages of business news.”

He added, “Neither Sauer nor his associates wished for Soviet journalists to lead the newsroom… On the day Derk and I were heading to Zurich for Vedomosti’s inaugural board meeting, my deputy Alexander Gordeyev was arrested following a street altercation. Sauer insisted that I dismiss Gordeyev, but took no further action when I refused. He offered second and third chances to anyone who remained loyal and worked for him as if it were their own company,” Bershidsky recounted.

On the day of Sauer’s death, Pavel Miledin, a former Vedomosti journalist, remembered how someone had marked height measurements on the doorframe of their former newsroom on Vyborgskaya Street in Moscow. “There was my mark, above which was a mark for the towering Sasha Gordeyev. And a meter above that, another inscription carried Derk’s name. He wasn’t a tall man, but that mark wasn’t mere flattery. We still had a long way to grow to match him. We never reached that height. Sauer outlived the independent Russian media, which, in my biased opinion, he played a major role in creating. Yet this is not the conclusion. Derk, because of you, I believe in second chances. And third ones.”

Xenia Lutchenko, a Russian journalist, referred to Sauer as “the architect of genuine Russian journalism.” She commented, “And then, when everything he believed in came crashing down, he rescued numerous journalists and crucial institutions: TV Rain, The Moscow Times, and partially Meduza. These represent real fates and living stories; these are projects; this embodies the truth about Russia, the war, and our ongoing struggles; this signifies the importance of freedom of speech and hope for renewal and normalization.”

Yelizaveta Osetinskaya, founder of the independent business outlet The Bell and former editor-in-chief at RBC while Sauer was at the helm, penned a heartfelt tribute, recognizing Sauer as the “godfather of journalism and the media industry.”

“Osetinskaya remarked, “Derk accomplished something vital: he established a value system and relationships that allowed for honest journalism to thrive, bringing pride and a viable business model. In Russia, the wheels began to turn in the early 2000s when a considerable number of businesspeople came to believe that, as Vedomosti’s first advertisement stated, ‘An oligarch can buy a newspaper. At a newsstand.’”

She posed the question: “Is there anyone who contributed more significantly to the advancement of independent media in Russia than Derk? To me, the answer is clear.”

TV Rain, the Amsterdam-based outlet, also issued a statement expressing gratitude to Sauer for assisting them in relocating their newsroom to the Netherlands during a precarious time for the channel’s continuation. “It is doubtful we would still be on air without his support,” they stated. “He didn’t have to step in, but he became a friend to dozens of TV Rain staff and their families, aiding us in reestablishing our operations in Amsterdam. By doing so, he also became a friend to 25 million TV Rain viewers and readers worldwide, simply because he believed it was essential.”

“Derk, our appreciation for all you have done for us is limitless. We will always honor your memory and express our gratitude,” read TV Rain’s statement.

Even Vedomosti, the rigidly controlled publication he established in 1999, paid homage, describing him as “a man of progressive beliefs in that he was generous and shared his profits with his employees.”

“In the mid-2000s, without any obligations, he distributed $2.7 million to Independent Media employees. ‘I,’ recalled a Vedomosti staff member, ‘was able to purchase my first car with that money…’”

Employees who worked with Sauer at Vedomosti remarked on his distinctive management style: “He was genuine and straightforward, highly attentive to detail, and always open to discussing any concerns. He made a personal effort to get to know all new team members.”

The RBC business daily, where Sauer held the position of director from 2012 to 2015, spoke fondly of him. “Sauer was a true advocate for press freedom, embodying both the ideals of an optimist and the perspective of an independent thinker. As a columnist, he was a valued and experienced friend to our audience,” RBC noted, referencing an obituary from Dutch publication Het Parool.

RBC also cited a 2014 interview where Sauer stated, “I see myself as Dutch, but Russia is my home. I enjoy living and working here. The only thing that could drive me away is the inability to express myself freely and perform my role as a journalist and publisher.”

In Forbes Russia, Nikolai Uskov shared a memory of Sauer: “He and his wife Ellen always took the kids to school themselves, one at a time. It was a sacred ritual demonstrating familial love and responsibility. However, one day, one of his sons remarked, ‘Dad, could you stop taking us to school?! Everyone laughs, saying they all have real bodyguards, and we just have a short guy with glasses.’ Derk smiled at that moment, clearly pleased with the impression he made on both me and my son’s classmates. He aimed for us to discern the right way to think, as opposed to what was molded by our insecurities and shortcomings. In truth, all the media he introduced to Russia embodied this sentiment. While it’s hard to say how much he changed the nation, he undeniably transformed the lives and perspectives of hundreds, if not thousands, of his employees.”

On social media, many individuals began sharing their tributes and memories of Sauer.

“My father dedicated his life to the development and protection of independent Russian media. His legacy thrives in the myriad individuals he inspired and in the generations of journalists he guided and empowered,” wrote his son Pjotr Sauer, a journalist at The Guardian and a former reporter for The Moscow Times, on Instagram.

Journalist Margarita Liutova expressed that she “owed her entire journalistic career,” as well as her relocation to Amsterdam, to Sauer.

Liza Fokht, a journalist with BBC Russia, referred to his passing as “an irreplaceable loss,” noting that “a vast number of my colleagues involved in free journalism are a testament to his legacy.”

Independent journalist Farida Rustamova remarked that he accomplished “an extraordinary amount for Russian journalism, to the point that it’s challenging to quantify.”

Film critic Roman Volobuev wrote on X, “No one fought as fiercely and relentlessly for the cause of Russia’s free press as Derk Sauer.”