In December 2023, VKontakte reached a record high in penetration among the Russian population, with the platform reported to reach 73 percent of people. This figure comes from the Mediascope Cross Web research project, which tracks how extensively different services are adopted across the country. The data highlight VKontakte’s continued prominence in the social media landscape and reflect a broad, everyday use pattern among a wide audience, spanning age groups and regions. Mediascope’s findings show that VKontakte has solidified its leadership as the most widely used social network in Russia, boasting approximately 89 million monthly active users who engage with the platform on a regular basis and rely on it as a central hub for connection and information.
According to the same Mediascope research, the content that resonates most with VKontakte users includes video formats, particularly vertical videos optimized for mobile viewing, as well as consumption through news feeds and recommendation feeds. These preferences underscore the platform’s emphasis on visually driven, scroll-friendly content and its capability to surface relevant material tailored to individual interests. The emphasis on video aligns with broader social media trends seen across major markets, where short-form and easily digestible video content drives higher engagement and longer session times.
Mediascope’s coverage analysis also places Telegram at 68 percent, TikTok at 55 percent, and Odnoklassniki at 43 percent as other strong players in the Russian social graph. This snapshot illustrates a diverse ecosystem where messaging, short-form video, and traditional social networking coexist, each capturing distinct user needs such as instant communication, entertainment discovery, and long-form social connection. The data emphasize how audiences allocate attention across platforms and how competing services maintain relevance through features that align with local usage habits and preferences.
In addition to the broader market metrics, Mediascope notes a growth in the daily usage of Telegram, with a rise of more than 20 percent within a year. This uptick signals expanding daily engagement and the role of messaging apps not only as a communication channel but also as a platform for news, updates, and multimedia sharing in everyday routines.
VKontakte has conducted its own user research to gain deeper insight into how people interact on the platform over time. The findings indicate that the average duration of friendships among Russian social media users on VKontakte stands at roughly 4.5 years, reflecting the platform’s ability to support enduring connections beyond casual, short-term interactions. This longevity metric suggests a steady community with established networks, where relationships persist and evolve as users continue to engage with content and with one another.
Earlier disclosures highlighted how many bloggers joined VKontakte during 2023, offering a glimpse into the platform’s role as a creator-friendly space where content creators can build audiences, share perspectives, and monetize or grow influence within a familiar social context. The interplay between creator activity and audience engagement helps explain why VKontakte remains a central feature of Russia’s social media framework, supporting both personal connections and broader content ecosystems. The overall picture shows VKontakte maintaining a strong, sustained presence in a crowded digital marketplace, while other networks also command significant audiences across different segments. At the same time, brands and individual creators alike continue to evaluate platform-specific strengths, user behavior patterns, and the evolving mix of media formats that draw attention and shape conversations in the region.