Russian lawmakers are demonstrating a clear preference for Telegram as their primary communication platform with the public, despite a recent directive from the Kremlin urging a transition to the state-backed messenger app, Max. This insight emerges from a study conducted by the consulting group Polilog, which was highlighted by the Kommersant business daily.
Lawmakers’ Engagement on Telegram
The analysis reveals that deputies from the ruling United Russia party boast the largest collective following on Telegram, amassing approximately 4.8 million subscribers. Among them, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stands out, leading his peers in terms of average post views and reposts.
Following Volodin in popularity are notable figures such as:
- Alexei Nechaev, leader of the New People party
- Vladislav Davankov, his deputy
- Leonid Slutsky, head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR)
Interestingly, posts from lawmakers of the New People party garner the highest engagement, averaging around 31,000 views per post—nearly three times the average of 11,200 views for United Russia deputies. Meanwhile, LDPR and A Just Russia lawmakers see average views of approximately 11,400 and 10,600, respectively.
Content Strategies and Preferences
The study further indicates that roughly a quarter of the deputies prefer to communicate solely through text messages on Telegram. In contrast, 55% opt for a combination of text and images, while 20% incorporate video content into their posts. Notably, 116 deputies share short video clips, referred to as “circles,” and only 23 utilize voice messages. When it comes to reposting content across various platforms, Telegram remains the favored choice.
This trend unfolds amid the Russian government’s intensified efforts to promote Max as a “national messenger,” aimed at supplanting Western-owned applications. In August, the state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, began imposing restrictions on calls made through Telegram and WhatsApp.
Simultaneously, the presidential administration directed lawmakers and officials to transition their official channels to Max, establishing a “priority information system” on the platform, as reported by the exiled news outlet Vyorstka. The initiative is managed by Dialog, a state-affiliated organization responsible for regional communications centers that facilitate citizen engagement on behalf of the authorities.
On August 13, Duma Speaker Volodin announced the launch of his Max channel, and parliamentary press offices subsequently informed journalists that official comments would now be exclusively available on this new platform. However, messages circulating in Duma Telegram chats indicated that updates would no longer be disseminated via Telegram, a guideline that many lawmakers appear to have overlooked in practice.
Russian Lawmakers Still Prefer Telegram Despite Kremlin Push for State-Backed Max Messenger
Russian lawmakers are demonstrating a clear preference for Telegram as their primary communication platform with the public, despite a recent directive from the Kremlin urging a transition to the state-backed messenger app, Max. This insight emerges from a study conducted by the consulting group Polilog, which was highlighted by the Kommersant business daily.
Lawmakers’ Engagement on Telegram
The analysis reveals that deputies from the ruling United Russia party boast the largest collective following on Telegram, amassing approximately 4.8 million subscribers. Among them, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stands out, leading his peers in terms of average post views and reposts.
Following Volodin in popularity are notable figures such as:
Interestingly, posts from lawmakers of the New People party garner the highest engagement, averaging around 31,000 views per post—nearly three times the average of 11,200 views for United Russia deputies. Meanwhile, LDPR and A Just Russia lawmakers see average views of approximately 11,400 and 10,600, respectively.
Content Strategies and Preferences
The study further indicates that roughly a quarter of the deputies prefer to communicate solely through text messages on Telegram. In contrast, 55% opt for a combination of text and images, while 20% incorporate video content into their posts. Notably, 116 deputies share short video clips, referred to as “circles,” and only 23 utilize voice messages. When it comes to reposting content across various platforms, Telegram remains the favored choice.
This trend unfolds amid the Russian government’s intensified efforts to promote Max as a “national messenger,” aimed at supplanting Western-owned applications. In August, the state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, began imposing restrictions on calls made through Telegram and WhatsApp.
Simultaneously, the presidential administration directed lawmakers and officials to transition their official channels to Max, establishing a “priority information system” on the platform, as reported by the exiled news outlet Vyorstka. The initiative is managed by Dialog, a state-affiliated organization responsible for regional communications centers that facilitate citizen engagement on behalf of the authorities.
On August 13, Duma Speaker Volodin announced the launch of his Max channel, and parliamentary press offices subsequently informed journalists that official comments would now be exclusively available on this new platform. However, messages circulating in Duma Telegram chats indicated that updates would no longer be disseminated via Telegram, a guideline that many lawmakers appear to have overlooked in practice.