Theo Merz
Theo Merz is a British journalist working in Moscow. He has reported from across the former Soviet Union and written for The Telegraph, Agence France-Presse, The Economist, VICE and others.
Ethnic minorities in Russia are campaigning for the breakup of the country
Russia's long persecuted ethnic minorities — Buryats, Chechens and Yakuts — have seized on the war in Ukraine to make a case for the independence of their own regions. They say the conflict has laid bare Russia's violent and imperial mentality, not just in Eastern Europe, but within its own borders.
Russian artists in exile create new identity and work
Energy workers in France threaten power cuts over retirement age
Moscow multimedia exhibition focuses on anti-Kremlin protest culture
One small step: Moscow’s first queer dance festival challenges homophobia
The Russian capital’s first queer dance festival hopes to change attitudes toward the LGBTQ community in a country where pride marches are illegal and LGBTQ-related hate crimes are on the rise.
The 'edge of the earth': How Chinese tourism is changing one Russian Arctic village
Every day, dozens of visitors drag their suitcases to the tiny, arctic village of Teriberka, Russia, with the hope of seeing the Northern Lights at a fraction of the cost of similar trips to Scandinavia, Iceland or Canada.
The sun sometimes rises: How one Russian city makes it through the polar night
Murmansk is the largest city in the Arctic Circle. Nowhere else in the world do so many people spend so long in near-perpetual darkness. On Sunday, residents came out to catch the first glimpse of the sun in 40 days.