Kremlin kills expat rag

Posted By Joshua Keating Thursday, June 12, 2008 - 3:40 PM Share

The eXile, Moscow's button-pushing alternative biweekly and self-described "Jesus Christ of English-language publications," is no more. The 11-year-old tabloid shut down after its investors were scared away by a Russian government investigation of its ties to opposition leader Eduard Limonov as well as its general obnoxiousness toward those in power. Editor Mark Ames has been blogging the eXile's downfall for Radar Online and "war nerd" Gary Brecher has launched a fundraising drive to keep his employer alive as an online-only publication.

Brecher brings up the possibility of relocating to a city with a more welcoming media climate, but it's hard to imagine the eXile's unique brand of obscenity and excess existing anywhere but Moscow.

EXPLORE:FREEDOM, MEDIA, RUSSIA

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POEMLESS

4:21 PM ET

June 12, 2008

I'm not sure abut your headline...

First off, if they are fundraising, they are not completely dead ... yet. Just on life support. Also, it's not clear this investigation was done on the orders of Kremlin higher-ups or the "chinovniki," who could be motivated by who knows what.

Here's a rather more insightful take on the situation:

http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/06/11/exile-under-extreme-measures/

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