Editor's note: this story was translated from the original VOA Russian article.
Two years after his release from a Russian prison, Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has published a memoir about his time in captivity. His book, This Cursed Beautiful Land, was released Sept. 29, and debuted on The New York Times’ hardcover top 10 nonfiction best-seller list at number seven.
In an interview with VOA, Gershkovich reflected on his 16 months in Russian custody, what helped him survive prison, what he learned about Russian society, and the challenges of rebuilding his life in prison.
Prior to his arrest on espionage charges in March of 2023, Gershkovich worked in Russia for five and a half years covering Moscow, Ukraine and the Former Soviet Union. Gershkovich says his knowledge of the Kremlin helped him understand what was happening to him. He recently told the Columbia Journalism Review, “I was taken specifically for a swap as a valuable hostage to be kept pristine.”
Gershkovich said his 2023 arrest shocked but did not surprise him. He said when he came to Russia, he had no illusions about how Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime operated. However, he said he did not expect Russian authorities to detain foreign journalists.
While Gershkovich says prison conditions were far from pleasant, he says he was treated much better than many other inmates, including Russian political prisoners or Ukrainians from Russia-occupied territories: “I wasn't tortured. I was fed adequately, and I could take hot showers,” said the American journalist. "The American ambassador was allowed to visit me, and the detention center's administrators would ask how I was doing."
Unable to change his situation, he thought to himself that he “could still talk to people and learn new things.” As the son of Soviet immigrants, he grew up speaking Russian, which allowed him to communicate with fellow inmates, guards and intelligence officers. “Not every journalist gets the opportunity to sit down and talk with FSB officers,” Gershkovich told VOA.
He said his sense of humor and having an extensive support network of family, friends, and lawyers helped a great deal as well. “The days, weeks, and months drag on endlessly, and you have to be able to laugh," he said. "And, of course, I was very fortunate to have Russian lawyers who supported me. They visited, joked with me, and helped take my mind off things.”
One thing prison did not change was the challenge of discovering what Russians actually believe about their situation: “It's very difficult to conduct public opinion polls in Russia, so you have to find other ways to understand what people really think,” explains Gershkovich. “It's very difficult to know what people actually believe. Some may support Putin but oppose the war. Others oppose both the war and Putin. And some simply don't want to think about politics at all.”
He found it interesting that this applied also to employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service: some FSB officers told Gershkovich that they generally supported what was happening, but acknowledged that, in the case of Ukraine, the Russian authorities might have gone too far.
After nearly a year and a half in custody, the journalist was released in August of 2024 as part of a prisoner exchange.
Gershkovich told VOA his time in Russian detention did not change his personality, but adjusting to life outside prison took roughly as long as the time he spent in captivity.
“In prison, you're deeply isolated and have very little contact with other people. Then, after your release, you suddenly find yourself in a vast, unfamiliar world," he said. "Your freedom of choice is also taken away from you, and afterward you have to relearn how to make decisions, act independently, and adapt to ordinary life."
While in prison, he said he learned to contain his emotions. But after his release, he said everything he had been holding in began to come out.
“I experienced panic attacks, felt angry, and couldn't sleep. I started working with a therapist who helped me cope with post-traumatic symptoms," Gershkovich said. “I think writing the book also became a way of dealing with the trauma. To get through a difficult experience, you have to think about it, talk about it, and try to make sense of it. The book allowed me to do exactly that.”
Gershkovich has a personal connection to Russia – his parents were born in the former Soviet Union, and he grew up speaking Russian at home.
In Russia, he said he developed personal attachments and friendships. His experience in prison did not erase that.
“What happened to me was about Putin's regime and the FSB, not the Russian language or culture,” he said.
While he expressed hope that someday opportunities for reform in Russia will emerge, Gershkovich told VOA his memoir This Cursed Beautiful Land represents the end of a chapter in his career covering Russia.
“I want to cover other subjects, too. After finishing the book this summer, I returned to work at The Wall Street Journal and reported on completely different topics. I'm interested in broadening the range of subjects I cover.”
A feature film adaptation of his book is also in development, with Oscar-winning director Edward Berger at the helm.