Leading Telegram channels in Russian 2023, by average views

The Telegram channel of Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and the country's former president, had the most views per post on average in Russia between January 1 and December 17, 2023, at approximately 2.2 million. It was followed by the account of Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Russian State Duma.

How do Telegram channels work?

Besides one-to-one and group chats, Telegram offers users an option to post messages publicly on their own channels, which their subscribers can follow. Channels can be used for sharing information, as sales platforms, or to conduct polls, among other purposes. For example, Topor Live, the most subscribed Telegram channel in Russia, operated as a news platform. Telegram channels can be managed anonymously, which can make it difficult for authorities to identify the authors.

Telegram usage in Russia since the war Ukraine

After Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram were blocked in Russia in February and March 2022, social media users switched to other networks, such as Telegram and VK. In the first month of the ban, Telegram’s Russian-speaking audience increased by 23 percent. Telegram was among the most downloaded apps in the country in March 2022. Over 42 million Russian users accessed Telegram on average daily in August 2022.