‘This is my life’: Russian influencers take stock after Instagram access blocked

There was a solemn mood on the Instagram stories of Russia's influenceri over the weekend, as they prepared to be disconnected from the social media app.

"This [Instagram] is my life, this is my soul. This is what I have been waking up to and falling asleep with for the last five years," said the fashion blogger Karina Nigay, who boasts nearly 3 million followers, through tears. "I'm in a state of resentment and nowhere near a state of acceptance."

Russian prosecutors demanded on Friday that access to Instagram be blocked after the app's parent company, Meta, confirmed it was relaxing its policies on hate speech towards Russian soldiers and Vladimir Putin within certain countries in relation to the country's war in Ukraine, although on Monday, Meta clarified its guidance by stating that "calls for the death of a head of state" were banned.

By Monday morning Instagram - the most popular social media platform among young Russians - was no longer accessible.

Karina Istomina, a popular DJ and Instagram influencer with more than 400,000 followers, said: "Roughly half of all my income came through Instagram advertising. To be honest with you, I am absolutely devastated that I am losing my page. I ran my profile for over 10 years. Most likely I will have to find new sources of income, will have to rediscover myself."

The move to block Instagram came as the app had emerged as one of the last platforms for Russians to voice their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine, with Russian artists, bloggers and athletes using the social network to speak out against the war. Russia had already launched an unprecedented crackdown on independent media and anti-war dissent after the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow had already blocked access to Facebook and Twitter earlier this month before Meta's designation as an "extremist organisation," accusing the two platforms of violating the "rights and freedoms of Russian nationals." Russian regulators said the messaging service WhatsApp, which is also owned by Meta, will not be impacted as it is "a means of communication, not a source of information."