2026 Marie Colvin Distinguished Lecture Series 

Imprisoned for Spying: Evan Gershkovich Tells His Story

In conversation with Radhika Jones, former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair. Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist jailed in Russia since the Cold War, was seized by masked agents in March 2023. The Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent was tried on false espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He spent nearly 500 days in prison before his release in August 2024 in a multi-country prisoner exchange. Gershkovich explains the events leading to his arrest, his time in prison and his haunting relationship with Russia as detailed in his highly acclaimed new memoir, This Cursed Beautiful Land.