Developers unveiled Russias domestic answer to Instagram on Tuesday, just weeks after the country banned the United States photo-sharing app that was hugely popular among ordinary Russians.Called Rossgram, the new app mimics many of Instagrams trademark features, with similar icons, a dedicated bar for stories and even a similar pink-and-purple color scheme.Cofounder Alexander Zobov showcased the Rossgram feed as part of a video marking the apps early-access launch for investors and partners on March 28.While many of the apps features are easily recognizable from the Instagram newsfeed, the Rossgram team say theyll also be working on extra add-ons including a crowdfunding function, a referral program and giving creators the ability to release premium, pay-to-access content.Rossgram's developers hope to replace Instagram, which was blocked in Russia on March 14 as part of authorities' wider crackdown on free speech and Western social media platforms.
The apps parent company, Meta, was later labeled an extremist organization by Russian authorities, who accused them of permitting Russophobia after the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine.Soon after Rossgrams unveiling on Tuesday, developers announced NashStore (Our Store), a Russian equivalent of the now-blocked Google Play app store for Android.