We Build the Infrastructure That Keeps Queer Voices Alive
Doberman Media is an independent nonprofit and media platform built for LGBTQ+ people living under authoritarianism — in Russia, Belarus, and across the post-Soviet diaspora. We create tools, spaces, and stories that governments cannot easily silence. Since 2022, our platforms have been fully blocked in Russia. We have never stopped publishing.
Wondering why we chose this name? → Read our story
The Problem We Work On
In Russia and Belarus, LGBTQ+ people face state-sponsored persecution, complete media blackout, and growing legal violence. Independent queer journalism is criminalized. Community platforms are shut down. People migrate, scatter, and lose connection to each other and to verified information.
For millions living inside these systems — and for the hundreds of thousands who have left — there is almost nowhere to turn for honest, safe, community-focused media.
That is the gap Doberman Media was built to fill.
What We Do
We are not just a media outlet. We are an ecosystem.
Independent media.
Doberman.media publishes in Russian for queer men and the broader LGBTQ+ community — covering health, identity, emigration, human rights, and culture. No corporate ownership. No state influence. Funded entirely by our readers.
Digital infrastructure.
We build tools that bypass censorship and serve the community directly: a Telegram-based media hub with built-in circumvention tools, a curated LGBTQ+ channel catalog, a dedicated video aggregator, and GOGO — a search engine indexing verified Russian-language queer resources.
Community and memory.
From the Digital Candle memorial for those silenced or lost, to relocation guides for people leaving Russia and Belarus — we build spaces where the community can exist safely, remember, and move forward.
Human rights advocacy.
We participate in international appeals and sign joint statements with global organizations calling for decriminalization of homosexuality, sanctions against state-sponsored homophobia, and protection of LGBTQ+ rights in the post-Soviet region. In 2026, we signed the international appeal to the United Nations calling for a universal decriminalization resolution, and joined the PACE platform statement in support of the Russian LGBTQ+ community.
Our activities are formally grounded in our Articles of Association (Įstatai, Section II, Art. 5), which define our statutory goals to include: protection of human and civil rights; protection of minority rights and integration; support to non-governmental organisations; civic education; media representation; and international cooperation.
Our Story
Doberman Media started as a Russian-language magazine for gay and bisexual men — the first of its kind in the post-Soviet space focused on identity, health, and community rather than entertainment. Over three years it grew into something larger: a network of platforms, tools, and activist work serving an audience that has almost no other independent voice.
In 2024 we formalized as a nonprofit — a Višoji įstaiga registered in Vilnius, Lithuania — to operate transparently, access international funding, and build sustainable infrastructure for the community we serve.
We are registered in the European Union. We operate independently. We answer to our readers.
Who We Are
Doberman Media is built by a small team of editors, developers, and activists based in Lithuania and across Europe — many of whom left Russia and Belarus themselves. We understand our audience because we are part of it.
We don’t publish about the community from the outside. We build from within.
Our Team
Siarhei Sadouski
(Lithuania)
Stanislav Kostiuchenko
(Germany)
Artūras Kozubovskis
(Lithuania)
We are also powered by 9 contributors and volunteers across Europe — editors, developers, and activists who believe this work matters.
Our Values
Independence
We have no state funding, no corporate backers, no political affiliations. Every decision — editorial and organizational — is made by the team and accountable to the community.
Safety
We engineer our platforms with censorship circumvention and digital security in mind. Access to information should not require courage. We work to make it as frictionless as possible.
Openness
Our work is public. Our finances are reported. Our advocacy positions are stated clearly. We believe transparency is not optional for organizations that ask for trust.
In accordance with our Articles of Association (Įstatai, Section X, Art. 30), our annual activity report is submitted to the Register of Legal Entities and published on this website within 5 business days of the annual General Meeting of Part-owners. All published information is also available for review at our registered office during working hours.
Governance
Doberman Media is governed by two bodies as defined in our Articles of Association:
- General Meeting of Part-owners — the supreme governing body. Resolutions on key matters — including reorganisation or liquidation — require a two-thirds majority. Each part-owner holds one vote. Part-owners are notified of meetings at least 14 days in advance by registered mail (Įstatai, Section VI, Art. 19–22).
- Institution’s Manager — the sole executive body, responsible for day-to-day operations, maintaining internal documentation, and representing the organisation (Įstatai, Section VI, Art. 16–18).
| Our governance structure is designed to ensure accountability to our community. Written decisions by the sole owner carry the same weight as resolutions of the General Meeting (Įstatai, Art. 23). |
Legal & Transparency
Full legal details of the organisation:
| Full legal name | Višoji įstaiga (VšĮ) „Doberman Media“ |
| Legal form | Višoji įstaiga (public institution / nonprofit) |
| Registration number | 306984317 |
| Registered address | Giedraičių g. 39, R53, LT-09302 Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Jurisdiction | Republic of Lithuania, European Union |
| Duration of activity | Unlimited (Įstatai, Section I, Art. 3) |
| Financial year | 1 January – 31 December (Įstatai, Section I, Art. 4) |
| Governing document | Articles of Association (Įstatai), registered with the Centre of Registers of the Republic of Lithuania |
| Contact | info@doberman.media |
| Our Articles of Association (Įstatai) are publicly available at the Centre of Registers of the Republic of Lithuania (registrucentras.lt) and upon written request at our registered office. |
Support Our Work
Doberman Media runs on reader support. No subscription walls. No paywalls. No ads from corporations that do not share our values.
If our work matters to you — help us keep it going.