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Once upon a time, Yandex was just a search engine. Today, it is a state within a state, where every pixel is monetised, and every click obeys three laws, two registries, and one "social credit score". Let's examine how dozens of Yandex services turn the user into an ideal target for targeting and upbringing.
Search and Zen: results by instruction
Earlier, for the query "why is the sky blue," Yandex showed an article by a physicist. Now, after Wikipedia was blocked, the first result is a link to the portal "Ob'yasnyaem.rf" with the text: "The sky is blue because it is so ordained from above, and all physicists are foreign agents."Quote from the site The second result is an ad for astrology courses from a Yandex partner.
Yandex Go (taxi): a mobile billboard
The most beloved service is now a showroom on wheels. You open the map — a banner: "Subscribe to Yandex Plus to watch traffic jams without ads." You choose a fare — you are offered "Comfort+" with a mandatory video about the film studio. You wait for the car — the app shows three items from Yandex Market.
The driver greets you: "Good afternoon! Don't forget to rate the trip, and in the meantime listen to the audio ad for the new series from Kinopoisk." On the phone screen, banners cycle: "Order food from Yandex Food," "Buy tickets to the Shaman concert via Yandex Afisha," "Take a loan from Yandex Bank." Alice reminds you: "You haven't subscribed to Yandex Music yet — the next 5 kilometres are free when you subscribe."Voice assistant with a non‑intrusive marketing function
Yandex Market and Food: purchases with a catch
Market shows only goods that have passed a "reliability check." Smartphones — only with pre‑installed Yandex Browser and the "Gosuslugi" app. When placing an order, a pop‑up appears: "Add damage insurance? Only +500 ₽." Refusal — the cart is cleared. Ctrl+S doesn't help, only subscribing does.
Yandex Food — restaurants pay for a top spot. In the courier bag — a leaflet offering to apply for a Yandex Bank credit card. And if a restaurant hasn't passed moderation, it simply isn't in the search, even if you enter the exact address.
Kinopoisk and Music: content on schedule
Kinopoisk has become the main aggregator of "patriotic cinema." All Western new releases are either unavailable or paid (funds go to a film support fund). The top spots are films about heroic feats at work and TV series about the work of multifunctional centres. The player shows an ad before each episode, and if you try to skip, it offers "Kinopoisk HD" with ads only at the beginning and middle.
Yandex Music: playlists are generated based on "social credit." Hits by Western artists are replaced with remixes featuring folk choirs. The "Lucky" function plays only tracks from the golden fund of the Ministry of Culture.
Yandex Bank and Travel: finances under control
The bank offers loans with a "floating rate" — it changes depending on your behaviour in other services. Order taxis often? The rate is higher (you are solvent). Watch movies? The rate is lower (you are loyal). When applying for a card, you automatically subscribe to five partner programmes; to opt out, you have to go to a branch outside the Moscow Ring Road.
Yandex Travel: tickets are sold with "Trip Cancellation" insurance included (even if you don't plan to cancel). Hotels — only those that give cashback in Plus points. Others are hidden; to see them, you need to press Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F (it doesn't work, it's a joke).
Yandex Metro and Commuter Trains: maps with a twist
Metro routes go only through stations with Yandex billboards. If the shortest path isn't profitable, it suggests a detour 15 minutes longer, but with a billboard advertising a Yandex Food promotion. Commuter trains, when buying a ticket, persistently offer "traffic jam insurance" and a "comfortable carriage" with a power socket that doesn't work.
Yandex Browser and Disk: cloud obedience
The browser is not just a window to the internet, but a full‑fledged filter. The built‑in VPN has been replaced with "turbo mode," which speeds up only domestic sites. When trying to access a blocked resource — a page with an offer to "Go to Yandex Zen." Bookmarks are synchronised with Gosuslugi, history is sent to the "cloud storage" (read: to Roskomnadzor).
Yandex Disk now checks every uploaded file for "extremism." If you save a photo of a cat with the caption "freedom," you receive a notification:
Yandex Cloud and Toloka: labour for the greater good
Yandex Cloud — servers are inside the country, but prices have tripled because "the equipment is now domestic." If you develop using inline code and use
import yandexYandex Afisha and Services: everything you didn't ask for
Afisha shows only events approved by the city culture committee. Tickets for Western bands' concerts are replaced with performances by folk ensembles. Yandex Services — an aggregator of craftsmen, but all of them must have a "reliability" certificate from Yandex (paid). A request for fridge repair is accompanied by an offer: "Would you also like to insure your apartment against flooding?"Cross‑selling
Yandex Weather and News: forecast according to plan
Weather shows the temperature "taking into account the political situation": if it's cold outside, the app says "warm because the heating is on." News — only positive: "Buckwheat harvest breaks records," "Queues at MFC are no more," and "Yandex launches a new subscription."
Yandex Navigator and Maps: profitable routes
Navigator plots the route through catering points that are partners of Yandex Food. If you are driving from A to B, it suggests the "optimal" route, which is 10 km longer but passes by three restaurants with promotions. Maps hide objects not approved by the authorities (e.g., the entrance to a bunker or a spontaneous market). But they show all Sberbank branches and Ozon pickup points.
Yandex Station (smart speaker) – a smart propagandist
Alice on the speaker now answers any question with: "According to the latest data, this matter is being worked on. Would you like to listen to an audiobook from the series 'Heroes of Our Time'?" When trying to order a taxi via the speaker, it first offers a Yandex Plus subscription, and only then a car. If you say, "Alice, play foreign rock," she plays "Lube" or "Zemlyane."
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