The year 2003 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first broadcast of Radio Liberty. For five decades, Radio Liberty has served as a surrogate "home service" to the lands of the former Soviet Union, providing news and information that was otherwise unavailable to most Soviet and post-Soviet citizens. During that time, the station weathered strong opposition from the Soviet Union and its allies, including constant jamming, public criticism, diplomatic protests, and even physical attacks on Radio Liberty buildings and personnel. In 1976, Radio Liberty was merged with Radio Free Europe (RFE) to form a single organization, RFE/RL, Inc. The end of the cold war brought RL new challenges and new opportunities, increasing its commitment to democratic processes and free media in Central Asia, Afghanistan, and other regions, while remaining faithful to its listeners in Russia, Ukraine, the Transcaucasus, and the other newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.

The Hoover Institution has created this virtual exhibit as a guide to the history of Radio Liberty. It contains photographs, documents, sample broadcasts, and general information detailing the station's fifty years on the air. The exhibit is divided into the following sections:

• Timeline: The major events in the history of Radio Liberty.
• People: The most prominent figures in Radio Liberty's development, from presidents to dissidents.
• Language Services: Although Russian was the primary language of Radio Liberty, it was far from the only one. As many as twenty languages were broadcast by RL. Information about them can be found here.
• Organization: Radio Liberty's unique organizational structure is described in this section, as well as its changing relationship to other U.S. government agencies.
• Help: Check here for assistance with navigation and other technical matters.