Graphic design studio Artemy Lebedev Studio has introduced a new avatar for the Telegram channel of Alisher Morgenstern, the artist sometimes labeled a foreign agent in Russia. The project is named Not Morgenstern and marks a deliberate branding shift for the public-facing profile. The studio explains that the avatar is meant to acknowledge Morgenstern’s presence while simultaneously creating a distinct, self-contained brand identity for the channel itself.
Visually, the avatar is a pink circle serving as a backdrop for a three-dimensional rendering of the artist’s head. Morgenstern’s facial features are rendered with a bold red contour line that defines the silhouette with a striking, graphic emphasis. An animated version accompanies the static image, featuring subtle head movement and a rotating red line to add dynamism and a sense of motion to the identity.
Industry outlet Sostav notes that one strategic aim of the Telegram channel brand is to detach the identity of the account from Morgenstern’s personal public persona. This is reflected in the evolution of the logo, which now presents a white circle adorned with a red question mark, signaling a move toward branding independence and curiosity about the content that follows. The transformation underscores a deliberate choice to position the channel as a platform with its own voice, separate from its creator’s public figure.
According to Sostav, the design concept communicates that the artist is present in the branding, yet not fully defined by it at all times. The Not Morgenstern identity acts as a visual underscore for a channel that houses varied content, including socio-political updates and coverage of entertainment industry events. The channel has surpassed one million subscribers, highlighting a substantial audience drawn to this distinctive, brand-centric approach to digital media in the Russian-speaking online ecosystem.
From the perspective of Artemy Lebedev Studio, the Not Morgenstern avatar is not simply a cosmetic update. It is a strategic reimagining of how a creator’s image can coexist with a branded channel that can stand on its own merits. The approach blends recognizable typography, bold color choices, and a minimalist composition to create an emblem that is memorable, scalable across multiple formats, and adaptable for future updates in response to audience feedback and evolving content strategy.
The broader implications of this branding move extend beyond a single artist. In the landscape of social media and instant communication platforms, channels often seek a balance between the persona of the creator and the editorial cadence of the outlet. By separating identity from persona while keeping a sense of authorial presence, Not Morgenstern illustrates a path for media brands that aim to retain authenticity while expanding reach. The design choices—simplicity, color contrast, and motion—are tuned to capture attention in crowded feeds and to translate across devices, from small mobile screens to larger desktop displays.
Observers note that the color palette and the circular emblem echo contemporary branding trends, where round icons and high-contrast lines convey clarity and instant recognition. The pink background offers a distinctive visual signature; the red line that traces the artist’s features anchors the design with energy and urgency. The animated variant adds a layer of liveliness that can be leveraged for profile intros, channel banners, and promotional posts, ensuring the identity remains active and engaging over time.
In discussing the project, creators emphasize the balance between visibility and ambiguity. The Not Morgenstern identity invites audiences to explore the channel content to discover what kind of news and entertainment updates are featured, rather than prescribing a fixed narrative about the creator behind the channel. This approach aligns with modern branding practices that favor modular, brand-first identities capable of adapting to shifting content ecosystems while preserving a recognizable core element that viewers can trust and recall.