Boris Reitschuster

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Boris Reitschuster (born May 12, 1971) is a German journalist and author known for his books about contemporary Russia. He led the Moscow bureau of the German weekly Focus from 1999 to 2015. After finishing high school in Augsburg in 1990, he trained as an interpreter at Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics. From 1992 to 1994 he worked as Moscow correspondent for several newspapers. He then did a traineeship at Augsburger Allgemeine (1995–1997) and later worked for the news agencies DPA and AFP in Germany.

From November 1999 to August 2015 he ran Focus’s Moscow office. He is a vocal critic of Russia’s political system and of President Vladimir Putin. In 2008 he received the Theodor Heuss Medal for his commitment to freedom of expression and the protection of citizens’ rights in Russia. Reitschuster has said he received death threats in Russia, which led him to return to Germany in 2011.

Since 2015 he has worked for various media, including Focus, The European, Tichys Einblick and Junge Freiheit, and he also acts as a presenter and lecturer. Some outlets describe his website as controversial and right-wing, and critics say his blog sometimes shows right-wing conservative or populist bias. A 2021 study noted that Reitschuster.de was among the most shared pages on Facebook by AfD supporters. He continues to publish non-fiction books about contemporary Russia.