Business
Hamster Kombat takes Telegram by storm, helping app’s crypto ambitions Paid Members Public
A Russian-developed mobile game linked to the world of cryptocurrency has proved a mega hit for Telegram, providing a big boost to the app’s founder, Pavel Durov, and his own blockchain project. Hamster Kombat, a simple game in which players pound their phone screens to generate virtual currency, has
War helps Russian jewelry market shine again Paid Members Public
Money from the war is pumping up the unlikeliest corners of the Russian economy. As soldiers’ families back home look to splash the cash from their loved ones’ bumper salaries, retail sales of jewelry are set to climb by at least 15-20% this year, according to figures collected by Kommersant.
‘Pirate’ Western cars go on sale Paid Members Public
Almost all international car brands have left Russia since the start of the war, and it has become impossible to continue making authentic and licensed foreign vehicles from Russian factories. However, a loophole has emerged that enables Russian companies to manufacture so-called “pirate” cars, branded as Western models without the
The Great Repatriation: Russian millionaires bring their cash back to the Motherland Paid Members Public
After trying to send their money overseas in the immediate aftermath of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, wealthy Russians are now bringing their millions back home, new data shows. The number of high net worth individuals jumped back above pre-war levels last year, after falling in 2022. Some 22,000
Medvedev threatens reprisals against Yandex bosses over GPT chatbot Paid Members Public
Former president Dmitry Medvedev, the most prominent hawk among senior Russian officials, criticized Yandex’s efforts to create an artificial neural network. Medvedev was unhappy with the efforts of the company, sometimes dubbed “Russia’s Google”, because its AI chatbot refused to answer questions about Ukraine. * Medvedev, now deputy chair
Russia’s VK could be about to get a new CEO Paid Members Public
Vladimir Putin’s inauguration — the official start of his new presidential term — is set for May 7. Talk is swirling that a possible government reshuffle could soon follow. It is not just ministries that are preparing for a leadership change, state-run companies are as well. One of the most widely
The state’s flagship patriotic video game flops Paid Members Public
The much-heralded launch of a state-funded patriotic adventure video game — set in 1612 and based on resistance to Polish forces waging war against Russia — has fallen flat. Critics said the game, The Time of Troubles, was boring and failed to compete with others on the market. * The game is based
How a car salesman became the biggest winner of the corporate exodus from Russia Paid Members Public
The Bell has published a major investigation into Alexander Varshavsky — a car dealership owner who now controls the Russian assets of Volkswagen and Hyundai and is one of the biggest winners of the mass departure of foreign firms from the Russian market. * Alexander Varshavsky and his business partner Kamo Avagumyan
