February 23, 2023

Bye-Bye, YouTube?


Bye-Bye, YouTube?
A message in Russian from YouTube saying that a video is blocked in Germany. YouTube, Wikimedia Commons

After invading Ukraine, the Russian government quickly blocked Western social media outlets such as Instagram and Facebook, but not YouTube. On February 17, however, Meduza revealed that the Kremlin is discussing shutting down access to the video platform.

In January, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, declared: "YouTube will be closed soon. And then, those actively using YouTube for their part will be identified and punished after the ban takes effect." While Prigozhin is not a government official, he is a Kremlin insider.

The state-run platform VKontakte (VK) is being updated to compete with the American video platform, and Meduza alleges that the ban won't be implemented until this is completed. VK now controls Medium Quality, which produces widely-viewed Youtube shows such as "Chto Bylo Dalshe?" (What Happened Next) and "Vnutry Lapenko" (Inside Lapenko). The most popular blogger in Russia, the Belarussian Vlad Bumaga, is reportedly leaving YouTube for VK Video.

YouTube has been the home of independent news channels and dissidents fleeing government crackdowns since before the war. In fact, Alexey Navalny, the president of Russia's main political rival, cultivated his base in large part thanks to the video-hosting service

No formal announcement has yet been made about the banning of YouTube in Russia. However, a government source told Meduza: "Our president [Vladimir Putin] definitely doesn't use YouTube and poorly understands how it works. The block is meant as further escalation [with the West]."

Of course, use of a VPN would allow a Russian user to circumvent any ban, and a ban of a high-bandwidth service like YouTube would put a serious strain on VPN apps. Over 35 million VPN downloads were recorded in 2022.

You Might Also Like

AI Will Watch You
  • February 13, 2023

AI Will Watch You

Russian authorities plan to use artificial intelligence to scour the interwebs for undesirable political information.
Meduza Declared Undesirable
  • January 27, 2023

Meduza Declared Undesirable

On January 26, Russia’s Prosecutor General declared the popular publication Meduza an “undesirable” organization.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

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.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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.

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