Why Russian Tech News

There are many reasons not to start “another pandemic newsletter.” We’re bombarded with so much information from podcasts to new social media channels that are increasingly exploring niche topics. 

After some deliberation and nudging from friends, I’ve decided to ignore all that and start my own newsletter dedicated to independent, unbiased news coverage of Russia’s tech and scientific developments.

Why Russia

I was born in Russia and am one of the handful of Russian-American business journalists based in the U.S. today.

I come from a family of scientists. Silicon Carbide, a diamond-like material with a myriad of applications from LEDs to quantum photonics, has played a key role in my family history. It’s why we emigrated from Russia to the United States. I joined my father in the late 1990s in South Carolina, where he worked at a university research lab focusing on Silicon Carbide research. I also went to South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math, the state’s attempt to make up for a terrible science and math track record. And I briefly considered majoring in microbiology in college. (Organic chemistry broke me.)

Today Russia is far from the superpower it wants to be. While it remains the largest tech ecosystem outside the U.S. and China, most U.S. newsrooms don’t have resources to cover Russia or emerging markets’ biggest tech companies, banks or emerging startups in detail.

Most of the U.S. media coverage is focused on political developments or hacks. There is space for continued, independent tech and science news coverage that is not trapped in the language of the past and is free of political bias.

Why Technology

The history of the Russian internet and dynamics of the social media landscape are unique and don’t follow the same trajectory as other European and emerging markets.

Russia is the only major market where Google is not the dominant search engine. There are many reasons why Yandex, which has been publicly traded in the U.S. for nearly a decade, is Russia’s preferred search engine. Its geographic reach and ambitions in fintech and self-driving shouldn’t be underestimated. And yet stories covering Yandex’s specific businesses are few and far between.

As we’ve seen with the Sputnik V vaccine, covering Russia and scientific breakthroughs can be challenging. While the science has received solid reviews from international scientific publications, there were questions about distribution and reports of Russia using it for political purposes around the globe.

There are certainly reasons to be skeptical and a lot of the time sound technology can be misused or manipulated for political purposes. But when we don’t cover these emerging technologies and scientific developments day-to-day, how do we know as journalists and as a wider public if these developments are sound or not? 

My goal is to monitor and cover these emerging technologies, promising startups and broader industry trends. I’d like to analyze them and share them with a wider audience.

The Newsletter Format

I believe newsletters are here to stay, despite a growing glut of information and disinformation. As media consumers, we’re becoming smarter, more discerning, and we’re limiting the number of channels and the volume of information intake.

There is a growing number of entrepreneurs, investors and tech enthusiasts who may appreciate the convenience of timely, comprehensive summaries of the latest breakthroughs--as well as original reporting, presented in English and delivered to their inbox. 

Over a decade ago, I started out my journalism career at the Wall Street Journal’s Moscow bureau. As a rookie reporter, I had the lovely task of sorting through all of the Russian-language print papers to flag and share the most interesting stories with the rest of the team.

It’s with a bit of nostalgia and a sense of a “full circle” moment that I am now pleased to bring with you a free, weekly newsletter curating the most interesting headlines and developments in the Russian tech space. In addition, there are many AI, fintech, biotech and space technology stories that I’m excited to share with you. 

Until then, I welcome your feedback or ideas for future stories.