Shaun Walker spent over a decade reporting from Moscow and has recently written a book about the Putin era and the search for a new Russian identity. As he prepares to start a new life as the Guardian’s central and eastern Europe correspondent, he reflects on his years in the country

Why did you first decide to become a journalist?

I always wanted to write, but I came to journalism through Russia, rather than vice versa. I’d studied Russian and Soviet history at university and went to Russia to learn the language when I graduated. I planned to stay for a year and ended up staying for 14 – first working for an NGO, then a local magazine, then for the Independent for six years and the Guardian for the past four and a half.

What do you enjoy most about being a foreign correspondent?

The incredible variety. You aren’t confined to a thematic specialisation and have a whole region to cover, so in the space of a month I could move from covering the war in eastern Ukraine, to high Kremlin politics, to stories about the ballet or Russian cuisine. I met presidents, billionaires, warlords and cosmonauts, as well as many “ordinary” people who turned out to have extraordinary stories. Of course, it can be mentally tough to cover abuses of power, injustice and inequalities. But the core of the job is learning about the world and meeting people who are always interesting and sometimes inspiring. It’s an incredible privilege – I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.

Can you tell us a bit about what it’s actually like to live in Moscow?

Moscow has become immeasurably more liveable during the time I’ve been there. As the political climate got worse, the city got better, with nicer places to eat and drink and an urban makeover that means there are many more pedestrianised zones and fantastic parks. There is also a slow but noticeable change in attitudes: Moscow is becoming a much friendlier place, which is partly a generational thing, I think.

Were you ever prevented from going anywhere or covering particular stories?

On the whole, except for border zones and the Arctic, you can travel to most places in Russia with no problems (though the immense distances can sometimes pose logistical challenges). The issue is usually more about access. Many people are alarmed by the idea of talking to a foreign journalists and some topics are really difficult. The whole story about Russian electoral interference has been hard to cover from Moscow. While there are still people around the Kremlin who can give insider information on internal politics, the world of intelligence and security is completely closed off. The recent story about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, for example: there’s not all that much you can do in Moscow except listen to angry denials.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Clashes in Kiev in summer 2014. Photograph: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

Looking back at your time there, which story are you proudest of?

Probably the most extraordinary standalone story I wrote during my time in Russia was the tale of the two sons of Russian deep cover spies. The kids thought their parents were Canadians until the FBI came knocking on the door and it turned out they were actually KGB agents from Siberia. The family was deported back to Russia and the two young men had to start life in a country they had never visited, and come to terms with the years of lies from their parents.

The first six months of 2014 were the most intense period of my career so far – from the revolution on Maidan in Kiev, through the annexation of Crimea, the war in eastern Ukraine and the downing of MH17. It was an exhausting and depressing story to cover but extraordinary to bear witness to such momentous events. The brazen Russian lying and disinformation around the conflict was frustrating and tiring, but officials in Kiev and western diplomats also often had skewed ideas about what was going on. I realised that there were very few people who were able to speak to all parties in the conflict: officials in Moscow and Kiev, separatist warlords, ordinary people on both sides of the lines.

What are the challenges of being a foreign correspondent?

One of the hardest things about working in Russia is that so many people believe all journalists are biased and that it’s impossible that a western journalist would even try to be objective. These days, of course, that’s an issue journalists are facing not only in Russia.

In fact, many of the challenges foreign correspondents face are the same as those for all journalists. I have been thinking a lot about the responsibilities of journalists recently. My book has just come out, and doing promotion for it has been an instructive experience. Often, when interviews I’ve given about the book are published, I’ve felt my ideas were quoted out of context, or am confused as to why people have picked out particular strands. It can be very disconcerting to have a long conversation appear in print as two or three quotes, which of course is what we do with our interviewees all the time. Being on the other side of the interview is a very good reminder of how much trust people are putting in you when they agree to tell you their stories.

You’re heading to Budapest next. What are you most looking forward to in your new beat?

Central and eastern Europe is a fascinating region that seems to have been a bit overlooked in recent years. When most of the former Warsaw Pact countries joined the EU, many people assumed it was a kind of End of History moment, of peace and harmony on a united, democratic European continent. Now, leaders in Hungary, Poland and elsewhere are challenging that consensus, the UK has voted to leave the EU, and all the certainties of a decade ago suddenly seem fragile. I’m looking forward to exploring the bigger stories and trends – the rejection of liberalism, the effects of Brexit and the role Russia is playing in the region.