In this deeply personal piece for The Moscow Times, journalist and researcher Dan Storyev reflects on the emotional toll and moral imperative of working for OVD-Info, a leading Russian human rights watchdog. Amid a tightening authoritarian grip, Storyev chronicles how OVD-Info grew from a grassroots response to protest detentions into a vital lifeline for those persecuted by the Kremlin—offering legal aid, emergency hotlines, and hard-to-access data on state repression. Despite the demoralizing nature of documenting torture, censorship, and political imprisonment, Storyev insists that even small victories—like protecting a single detainee—are meaningful acts of resistance. He argues that Russia’s transformation must come from within, and that the quiet, persistent work of civil society is essential to that change.