Since Facebook and Instagram have been blocked in Russia, many Russians have moved to alternative social media platforms that are supported by the Russian government. The two most popular domestic platforms are VKontakte (VK) and Odnoklassniki (OK).
Quick Answers
VKontakte (VK) is the most popular Facebook alternative in Russia with around 60 million active monthly users. It offers similar features to Facebook like news feeds, messaging, groups and more. VK is owned by Mail.Ru Group which has close ties to the Russian government.
Odnoklassniki (OK) is the second most popular platform with around 48 million monthly users. It is oriented towards friends, family and classmates. OK is owned by Sberbank, a state-owned company.
Other popular apps include Telegram for messaging, Yandex for search, maps and other services, and RuTube as a YouTube alternative.
The Russian government supported the development of these domestic platforms years ago anticipating actions like bans from Western tech companies.
The Popularity of VK in Russia
VKontakte, or VK, is a social media and social networking service based in Russia. It is the most popular Facebook alternative within Russia with around 60 million active users per month according to data from 2021. VK was launched in 2006 and has many similarities with Facebook in terms of features and functionality.
Some key facts about VK:
- It was founded by Pavel Durov, who also founded the Telegram messaging app.
- VK is now owned and operated by Mail.Ru Group, which has close ties to the Russian government.
- In addition to a news feed, profile pages, messaging, and communities, VK also offers music, gaming, jobs, and other services.
- VK user demographics lean young, with around 50% of users between 18-35 years old.
- VK is the 6th most visited website in Russia, after search engines and YouTube.
VK became the dominant social media force within Russia, in part because Facebook was actually banned in the country for some time between 2016-2020. Even after Facebook was unblocked, many users stuck with VK out of habit, preference, or nationalism.
The platform’s popularity and similarity to Facebook has led to it being called the “Russian Facebook” by many in the West. When Russia began their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, access to Facebook and Instagram was restricted. This led even more Russians to join VK as their social media outlet of choice.
VK User Statistics
| Date | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| October 2022 | 61 million |
| March 2021 | 59 million |
| October 2020 | 52 million |
As shown in the table above, VK has seen steady growth in its userbase over the past few years. It continues to be the dominant social media platform within Russia.
Overview of Odnoklassniki
After VK, the second most popular Russian social media platform is Odnoklassniki (OK). OK means “classmates” in Russian, indicating the network’s original focus on connecting friends, family, and classmates.
Some key information on Odnoklassniki:
- It was launched in 2006, shortly before VK.
- OK is owned by Sberbank, a Russian state-owned company.
- It has around 48 million monthly active users as of 2022.
- The platform is geared towards an older demographic compared to VK.
- OK users have access to a news feed, messaging, photo sharing, groups, games, and other features.
- The network has high penetration in smaller Russian towns and with users over 30.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, OK saw an influx of new users just like VK did. It provides an alternative social media outlet for Russians on top of VK.
Odnoklassniki User Statistics
| Date | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| October 2022 | 48 million |
| March 2021 | 46 million |
| October 2020 | 43 million |
The table shows the steady growth of OK’s userbase, though not as rapidly as VK. It maintains around 12-15 million fewer monthly active users than VK.
Other Popular Russian Social Apps
Beyond VK and OK, there are a few other popular Russia-based social media and messaging platforms that have seen increased use since restrictions were placed on American tech companies:
- Telegram – A cloud-based messaging app launched by Pavel Durov in 2013. It has 500-700 million users worldwide and is popular in Russia for secure communications.
- Yandex – Russia’s leading technology company that operates the country’s top search engine. Their apps and services have replaced Google offerings in Russia.
- RuTube – Video hosting service and YouTube alternative owned by Gazprom-Media. It has around 100 million monthly users.
- LiveJournal – Launched in the US in 2007, it saw growth in Russia and is now owned by a Russian company SUP Media. It retains around 11 million Russian users.
A few smaller platforms like TikTok alternative Likee and Reddit clone Pikabu have also seen boosts since access to bigger US brands was cut off.
Government Support for Domestic Platforms
The rise of platforms like VK was largely intentional on the part of the Russian government and entities like Mail.Ru Group. For many years, Russia has aimed to cultivate successful domestic tech companies that can compete with Silicon Valley brands.
Motivations for growing Russian platforms include:
- Preventing data and information leakage out to foreign tech firms
- Exerting greater control and censorship over platforms
- Locking users into the Russian digital ecosystem
- Technological independence and security for the country
The government has provided funding, contracts, legal support and more to Russian tech startups. For example, OK being owned by state-run Sberbank gives it implicit government backing. The sanctions and tech company exit since the Ukraine invasion has only further highlighted Russia’s need for domestic alternatives.
Government officials have also indicated they will take legal action against companies like Google if they reduce service capabilities within Russia. However, the technology gap created by losing access to popular Western platforms may be impossible to fill entirely.
Timeline of Government Tech Initiatives
| Year | Initiative |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Passing of data localization laws requiring Russian user data to be stored within the country |
| 2016 | Ban of LinkedIn after refusal to localize data in Russia |
| 2019 | Sovereign Internet law passed to enable Russia to disconnect from global internet |
| 2022 | Russia bans Facebook and Instagram after invasion of Ukraine |
This timeline shows the increased assertiveness Russia has taken in cultivating a domestic tech ecosystem separate from the West, especially in recent years.
Conclusion
Russia has actively developed domestic alternatives to Western social media platforms for many years in the form of VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Telegram, and others. These platforms have seen surges in users since Facebook and Instagram access was cut off following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, matching the capabilities of global tech giants remains difficult despite significant government support.
It seems likely that VK and OK will continue thriving as the primary social media outlets within Russia. Yet the younger generations may still yearn for access to globally popular networks that Russia has restricted. Only time will tell how Russia’s isolationist tech policies impact their economy and access to information from abroad.