After the Kremlin banned Instagram, a group of Russian developers is planning to establish their own version of the social networking platform.
The app, named Rossgram, was just disclosed ahead of its planned investor launch on March 28th, and it’s quite clear where the inspiration originated from.
According to photographs on Rossgram’s website, the programme is remarkably identical to Instagram in terms of style and symbols, even down to the pink and orange logo.
Rossgram, meanwhile, doesn’t shy away from the parallels, portraying itself as a “new social network with a recognisable and intuitive layout, numerous functionality, and simple working circumstances.”
In a post about the popular Russian messaging app VK, co-founder Alexander Zobov said his team of developers were “ready for this turn of events and decided not to miss the opportunity to create a Russian analogue of a popular social network beloved by our compatriots,” adding that they were “ready for this turn of events and decided not to miss the opportunity to create a Russian analogue of a popular social network beloved by our compatriots.”
The app will be available to investors, sponsors, and the media next week, before being made available to influencers and bloggers at a later date to be determined.
The move comes after the Kremlin banned Instagram in Russia, widely interpreted as an attempt to prevent Russian residents from seeing information about the Ukraine conflict.
A Russian court upheld Facebook and Instagram’s bans on Tuesday, finding parent corporation Meta guilty of ‘extremist behaviour.’
Instagram was one of the most popular social media platforms in Russia, with many influencers and company owners relying on it for income.
After the announcement that the app will be prohibited on March 14, a number of bloggers sent heartbreaking notes to their accounts, asking why they were being removed.
Olga Buzova, one of Russia’s top reality TV stars, told her 23.3 million followers in a video: “This is not merely a job for me; it is a part of my soul. It feels as if a large portion of my heart and life are being ripped from me.”