Russian lawmakers continue to use Telegram as their primary communication tool despite a Kremlin directive to switch to Max, the state-backed messenger app.
Telegram Usage Statistics
- United Russia deputies have a combined 4.8 million subscribers on Telegram.
- State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin leads in post views and reposts.
- New People party posts attract about 31,000 views each, while United Russia posts get 11,200 views on average.
- LDPR and A Just Russia see around 11,400 and 10,600 views per post, respectively.
Content and Posting Trends
The study by Polilog highlighted diverse posting styles among deputies: 25% post only text, 55% use text and images, and 20% share videos. Additionally, 116 deputies post short video clips, and 23 use voice messages.
When reposting content, Telegram is the preferred platform for many lawmakers.
Kremlin's Promotion of Max
In an effort to promote Max as a "national messenger," the Russian government has restricted calls via Telegram and WhatsApp. This campaign is managed by Dialog and the state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor.
Despite these efforts, lawmakers continue to favor Telegram, with many ignoring the official mandate to switch to Max.
