August 31, 2020

Russia's Instamamas


Russia's Instamamas
Instagram is popular all over the world. Image by Ian Spalter, Joy-Vincent Niemantsverdriet, Eric Goud, Robert Padbury via Wikimedia Commons

Last year, Forbes released a list of the 15 highest-earning Instagram bloggers in Russia. This year, the list has changed, with six new figures entering the top 15 earners, including several “Instamamas.”

The top-ranking Instagram blogger this year is yet again Ksenia Sobchak. Over the past year, Sobchak got remarried, launched a show on Pervyi Kanal, and really built up her audience. She advertises a wide range of brands, from Bork appliances to Mixit cosmetics. Sobchak at one point also had a deal with Audi, but after she made critical comments about Black Lives Matter on Instagram, Audi canceled her contract. In second place on the ranking is the singer Polina Gagarina, who uses her account to share details of her daily life, photos of other artists, and to posts ads. Gagarina replaced Regina Todorenko in second place from last year’s list.

Additional changes include the addition of “Instamamas,” bloggers who post about their life with children. For example, in third place, replacing last year’s Olga Buzova, is blogger Ida Galich. Last year Galich launched a show for children and this year became the host of “Takie roditeli” (“Such Parents”), where she shares her experiences of raising a child with her husband. Newcomers to Forbes’ list who share this trend of motherhood include Valeria Chekalin and Alina Levda.

One thing that these bloggers have in common is a new type of sincerity – they attempt to be closer to their subscribers by not only showing the good side of life, but also posting non-photoshopped images and talking honestly about their lives. According to Mikhail Karpushin, Marketing Director of GetBlogger, “Instagram has ceased to be a social network where plastic people publish nonsensical posts, but strives to become a place where you can communicate with a popular person in the same way as a friend.”

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955