Russian Wikinews

Russian Wikinews belongs to the broader Wikinews project, whose origins lie in Wikimedia-community discussions about creating a collaborative news service distinct from Wikipedia. The first recorded proposal for a Wikimedia news site appeared on Meta-Wiki on January 5, 2003. The concept was subsequently developed through discussions involving Wikimedia contributors and Erik Möller, a German journalist, software developer, and author. Some contributors initially questioned whether a separate news project was necessary because Wikipedia already contained news-related summaries, but the discussions eventually produced a separate model focused on news articles and timely reporting. The Wikinews domain was registered on April 2, 2004. A demonstration wiki was established in November of that year, allowing the community to test how collaborative news production might operate. In December 2004, the project moved beyond its demonstration phase into public beta and a German-language edition was launched. Additional language editions followed, including Russian. The supplied sources do not specify the exact launch date, original contributors, or early editorial leadership of Russian Wikinews, so those details cannot be stated reliably. Wikinews was designed to use a news-reporting format rather than the encyclopedic structure associated with Wikipedia. Contributors could collaboratively write reports, update developing stories, add sources, and organize coverage through categories and project pages. The project was initially released under a public-domain-style copyleft arrangement and moved to the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license in September 2005. This licensing history provided a framework for reuse and modification of published material while retaining attribution requirements. The wider Wikinews project developed a network of language editions and pursued both community-written reporting and interviews. Its reporters interviewed a range of public figures, including Israeli president Shimon Peres in December 2007 and other politicians, writers, entertainers, and technology figures. The reference material does not establish that these interviews were produced by the Russian edition, so they are treated as part of Wikinews history rather than as Russian Wikinews-specific achievements. Wikinews later faced questions about its ability to sustain independent and timely reporting. In commentary cited by the project’s history, Jimmy Wales suggested that the community had difficulty obtaining firsthand information and communicating directly with relevant sources, which limited the project’s ability to report independently. In June 2025, the Wikimedia Foundation's Sister Projects Task Force reviewed a proposal to close Wikinews and conducted a public consultation. In March 2026, the foundation announced a planned closure and conversion to read-only status on May 4, 2026. If carried out, that decision would end new editorial activity across the language editions, including Russian Wikinews, while preserving the existing pages as an accessible archive.

• 2026

  Planned conversion to read-only status

  [1]Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org

  The Wikimedia Foundation announced that Wikinews would be closed and made read-only on May 4, 2026, affecting its language editions, including Russian Wikinews.

• 2025

  Closure proposal enters Wikimedia review

  [1]Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org

  The Wikimedia Foundation's Sister Projects Task Force reviewed a proposal to close Wikinews and initiated a public consultation.

• 2005

  License changes to Creative Commons Attribution 2.5

  [1]Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org

  Wikinews adopted the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license, establishing the reuse terms for its collaboratively produced content.

• 2004

  Wikinews domain registered

  [1]Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org

  The wikinews.org domain was registered, providing the project with its principal web identity.

• 2004

  Wikinews enters public beta

  [1]Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org

  Following a demonstration phase, Wikinews moved into public beta in December. The project began expanding into multiple language editions, including Russian.

• 2003

  First recorded proposal for a Wikimedia news project

  [1]Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org

  A two-line proposal for a Wikimedia news site was posted on Meta-Wiki, beginning the discussions that eventually led to Wikinews.

A free, collaborative, Russian-language news publication within the Wikimedia project family, differentiated from Wikipedia by its news-reporting format and emphasis on current events.

• Online news publication

  Russian Wikinews articles

  Russian-language news reports collaboratively created and edited through the Wikinews wiki. Articles are intended to present current events in a news format, with contributors adding information, sources, updates, and contextual material as stories develop.

• Editorial infrastructure

  Russian Wikinews project pages and categories

  The edition's supporting wiki infrastructure includes categories, portals, project pages, discussions, and archival structures used to organize coverage and coordinate community editing. These pages support the publication function but are not separate commercial products.

• 2026

  Planned read-only transitionStrategy

  Background

  The Wikimedia Foundation announced a planned end to active Wikinews publication following the closure review.

  Action taken

  Wikinews, including the Russian edition, was scheduled to become read-only on May 4, 2026, preserving access to existing pages while stopping new edits.

  Aftermath

  The supplied material does not provide edition-specific confirmation of the implementation or describe the subsequent archival arrangements in detail.

  Source

• 2025

  Review of a proposal to close WikinewsStrategy

  Background

  The Wikimedia Foundation's Sister Projects Task Force examined the future of Wikinews after concerns about the project's sustainability and effectiveness as a collaborative news service.

  Action taken

  The task force reviewed the closure proposal and conducted a public consultation covering the Wikinews project and its language editions.

  Aftermath

  The review was followed by a Wikimedia Foundation announcement in March 2026 that Wikinews would be closed and made read-only on May 4, 2026.

  Source

1. 1Wikinewsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Russian Wikinewsru.wikinews.org