Even if the cat doesn’t seem very enthusiastic: the feeder’s cameras can be used for video calls.Image: Instagram
The Kremlin is making it increasingly difficult for Russia’s population to chat with each other via secure channels. Some citizens come up with creative ideas.
April 6, 2026, 4:20 p.mApril 7, 2026, 6:30 a.m
Dariusch Rimkus / watson.de
The Kremlin has been tightening the reins for months. The list of partially or completely blocked messenger services is getting longer and VPNs are being restricted, while the state-run mega app “Max” is increasingly having no alternative.
Using Max you can chat with each other, access maps like Google Maps or even go to the authorities digitally – all under the virtual nose of the Kremlin.
The most popular messenger services Telegram and Whatsapp have been officially blocked by the state media regulator Roskomnadzor for several weeks.
The blocking is apparently not active everywhere. As Watson knows from private sources, some people in Kaliningrad can still use WhatsApp without a VPN.
Nevertheless, for most people: use max or find detours. This forces many citizens to become creative.
Russians chat on chess and dating apps or Duolingo
One of the most surprising alternatives in recent weeks has been the use of online chess apps, as the Meduza portal, the independent Russian online medium based in Latvia, writes. This means that players can not only challenge each other, but also exchange messages using integrated chat functions.
This method works loudly Kommersant also with other programs. Dating apps and even Duolingo’s chat function would be used as open communication channels, at least for the time being.
Video calls about pet feeders
A Muscovite who lives in Bali recently had an even stranger idea. As a video she uploaded to Instagram shows, she and her parents used her cat’s feeder to make phone calls.
The cat was irritated, but the method worked.
How Meduza writes, the video went viral and the comments below were busy brainstorming which other household appliances could be suitable for calls.
Robot vacuum cleaner with voice function
Robotic vacuum cleaners have also been proposed to be repurposed as a means of communication. Some models are equipped with cameras, microphones and speakers that are actually intended for obstacle detection and voice notifications. The functions can also be used for conversations.
Shared online documents
Text messages can also be exchanged via online documents that are released for collaborative editing. Platforms like Google Docs or Yandex would be used by Russians to leave messages directly in documents.
Ebay classifieds becomes a chat
The chat function on eBay classifieds is notorious in Germany. Published conversations about the platform with potential buyers and sellers have led to numerous memes in recent years.
Nevertheless, such marketplace apps are useful in Russia – as long as they remain activated. According to “Meduza”, a woman from St. Petersburg used the Avito service to chat with her friends via a fake ad – until the platform deleted the ad because it violated the rules.
VPNs: The classic solution remains popular
Despite the creative alternatives, using VPNs remains the most effective way to bypass the blocks. With a VPN, users can hide their IP address and continue to access blocked services such as Telegram and Whatsapp.
Many Russians rely on this technology to preserve their digital freedom, even as VPN connections are increasingly being banned by the Kremlin. But as you can see from the creative ideas, this isn’t a major problem for many people.
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Video: watson/Emanuella Kälin