Photos by Alexander Nemenov. Video by Tommy O’Callaghan and Anna Frant
What should you show on dating apps when you hate the assault on Ukraine or fear repression? Or, on the contrary, how to make a match with a Kremlin admirer? Young Russians looking for love explain their strategies.
Tinder stopped operating in Russia in June 2023 but Russian apps are booming, including VK Dating, created in 2021 by VKontakte, a kind of Facebook, controlled by the state, and which claims to have 32 million active users.
The quotes have become a security challenge in a country where thousands of Russians have been reported, fined and even jailed for their views.
The dating market also reflects the deep divide between supporters and opponents of the conflict.
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Julia, a 21-year-old freelance photographer, is a regular user of dating apps.
This young woman with short, dark hair removed her opposition to the offensive against Ukraine and her tolerance towards the LGBT+ community from her profile, as these ideas could lead to criminal proceedings.
“To avoid the ‘likes’ of the ‘patriots’, I put my musical preferences: Zemfira, Monetotchka or DDT,” an indication of his political opinions, since these musicians are opposed to the attack on kyiv, he told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Only a minority of young people living in Russia would be against the conflict. 59% of 18-24 year-olds approve of the Russian army’s action, while 30% do not support it, according to a June poll by the independent Levada polling center.
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Several groups on social media are proposing “patriotic dates” between government supporters.
This is the case of 24-year-old Arseni Blavatski. One day in July, the public relations manager takes part in his fourth speed dating session.
Although he claims that he “does not look for friends based on their political stances,” when it comes to love, it is essential for him to avoid ideological conflicts.
That evening, after meeting a dozen girls in a Moscow restaurant, the young man chose two. He still doesn’t know “if they will be compatible.”
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Arseni, a supporter of Vladimir Putin, is looking for “an ideologically similar partner because since February 2022, no one can be apolitical.”
Katia Anikievitch and Matvey Klestov, both 21, met in January while collecting signatures for the candidacy of Boris Nadezhdin, an opposition candidate who wanted to challenge Vladimir Putin in the presidential election.
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During that campaign, “thousands of people spoke freely,” says Matvey, a history student.
The authorities eventually rejected Nadezhdin’s application. But it doesn’t matter. For Katya and Matvey, life has changed.
Since then, they have been supporting imprisoned anti-war activists in court and taking part in events where letters are written to political prisoners.
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“Katia shares my opinions, which makes me want to continue living,” Matvey says.
The same spirit exists in another couple that formed at a rally of the National Bolshevik party “Other Russia”, which criticizes the government but supports the attack on Ukraine and was created by the late writer Eduard Limonov.
Maria Smoktiy, a brunette aged 18, and Mikhail Galiachkine, a blond-haired 24-year-old, welcome AFP in the kitchen of their small Moscow apartment, under the banner of their movement.
Maria says she abandoned her Arabic studies to set out with Mikhail, “a consummate adventurer,” to deliver humanitarian aid to Moscow-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.
“When a historic event occurs, you immediately see who belongs to you and who doesn’t,” says the young woman, caressing a bust of Lenin that presides over the table.
The “national-Bolshevik” couple traveled a lot around Russia, went to the theater, organized unauthorized demonstrations, which often led to Mikhail spending several days in prison.
But opposites attract and some unions form despite differences. Like that of Lev, 28, a salesman at a patriotic bookstore in Moscow, and Eugenia, 20, an English teacher.
A self-confessed “staunch conservative,” Lev is about to marry a “liberal, open-minded woman.”
“He is my opposite, he contradicts me and I often end up agreeing with him,” he confesses.
