Pavel Durov and VK. A story of ups and downs

At 0:00 the video opens with an introduction that sets the stage for a look at the rise and fall of Russia’s social media landscape, focusing on Pavel Durov and his brother. At 2:38 the brothers are presented as indie programmers who later founded VKontakte. At 4:47 Durov’s early attempts to provoke users on his forum are described, followed by a look at his university years at 9:24. At 12:29 the creator of Odnoklassniki is introduced, and at 15:17 the Durov brothers’ ties to the mafia and the comparison of VKontakte to Facebook are explored. At 18:39 the origins of Odnoklassniki as a hobby are explained, and at 21:19 the launch of VKontakte through invitation‑only registration and a free‑ad model is detailed. At 29:40 the startup spirit is highlighted, and at 31:37 the management style of VKontakte is compared to Apple. At 33:37 a controversial statement about copyright owners is quoted. At 36:21 Yuriy Milner’s vision for IT startups is discussed. At 41:29 the team’s nickname for Durov is revealed. At 45:29 the reason for alcohol‑free parties at VKontakte is given. At 46:52 the shift of intellectual users from Odnoklassniki to Facebook is examined. At 48:46 the government’s growing interest in the internet is described. At 51:51 the monetization of Odnoklassniki and its consequences are covered. At 56:16 Durov’s decision to throw money away is explained. At 59:09 salaries at VKontakte and Odnoklassniki are compared. At 1:00:27 the acquisition of Odnoklassniki by Mail.ru Group is noted. At 1:03:04 the conflict between Durov and VKontakte co‑founders and the deletion of their profiles is recounted. At 1:05:01 the 2011 prosecutor’s request to delete protest‑coordinating groups and Durov’s response are presented. At 1:07:49 the motivation behind the creation of Telegram is discussed. At 1:13:03 the circumstances of Durov’s dismissal from VKontakte are described. At 1:18:42 a reflection on Durov’s presence during Putin’s rule concludes the narrative.