Who is trending on Russian YouTube? Channel ratings and new authors with a high potential

In 2022 YouTube in Russia faced a number of restrictions, including a complete ban on monetization for Russian content creators. In July 2024, part of YouTube's servers were slowdown in video loading—first on desktop devices and later on mobile. Now, accessing the platform normally requires using a VPN. 

However, despite this, advertising integrations continued and it confirms the potential perspective of influencer marketing on YouTube in Russia. 

If we talk in numbers, the profitability of the top Russian YouTube bloggers increased by 19% in 2022. We are talking about 483 million rubles (note - $5.5 million).  The most striking thing is that the amount of main content produced by Russian-speaking creators decreased by 20% (note - 430 videos) after monetization had been blocked. At the same time, the number of advertising integrations increased by 30% (approx. 305 integrations). 

This is due to the fact that most Russian companies began to cooperate with authors on YouTube or Telegram after Instagram was blocked. And they continue to do it in the current year of 2023, increasing their advertising turnover. Plus, YouTube itself is not losing its position in terms of the main characteristics of the audience in Russia. By the way, we wrote more about this in our article "A complete Russian YouTube Overview for Marketers. Key Market Insights".

In early 2024, advertising revenues for the ten largest Russian YouTube bloggers increased by 75% compared to the same period the previous year. Collectively, they earned approximately 1.2 billion rubles.

In the context of analytics, we can see that Russian YouTube can be safely called one of the main channels of influencer marketing at the moment. Probably, the most important question for brands always sounds about the same.

How to choose the channel(s) for advertising integration? 

We focus on general trends and ratings.

Top10 YouTube Channels in Russia

According to the WhatStat platform, the Top10 popular Russian YouTube channels include mostly authors with bright, entertaining content. 

 

 

Depending on the number of subscribers or views, the ranking changes slightly. For example, the place of a popular A4 blogger varies from 3 by the number of subscribers to 6 if you choose the views filter. 

But the general trend of the list is obvious: the supremacy belongs to the children channels. Kids Diana Show is the absolute leader for many years now (note - and not only in Russia). It is devoted to the little girl Diana and her life.

 

Kids Diana Show channel content (131M subscribers)

 

The success of Kids Diana Show can be characterized by a combination of many criteria at once: systematic release of content, interesting ideas of videos, bright design. Initially, the authors of the channel (note - parents of the girl Diana) wanted to attract a children's audience. But as the popularity grew, it became clear that Kids Diana Show is watched by viewers of different ages around the world. After that, the creators decided to start other channels including Kids Roma Show, where the main character is Diana's brother. The channel takes 7th place in the TOP 10 in the number of subscribers in Russia, but in terms of views, alas, is not included in the TOP. 

Also there are channels Like Nastya, Mister Max, Miss Katy and Vania Mania Kids in the Top10 of YouTube Russia. All of them are somewhat similar to the leader Kids Diana Show. But Masha i Medved, its English version Masha and The Bear, Luntik, which got into the general TOP, are already animation blogs. Cartoons are loved by everyone, especially if they have an interesting plot and beautiful design. By the way, the heroes of the blog exist not only on YouTube. Cartoons are periodically broadcast by TV channels. Separately, we should mention Get Movie, whose content covers all popular children's cartoons.

 

Advertising integration of ‘Alekseevskoe’ (condensed milk) on the Masha and the Bear channel (54.1M subscribers)

 

Apart from children's and animation vlogs, the Russian YouTube ranking includes vlogger Vlad Paper and his channel A4 since 2016. Vlad shoots videos of various popular formats, from horror stories to challenges. Over several years of popularity, A4 has turned into a full-fledged brand that is not limited to YouTube. According to Dmitry Smirnov, CEO of A4 Group, the company produces content and offline events, has the A4 Shop and a food brand called Lava-Lava. All this would not happen but for the success of the channel on the expanses of Russian YouTube. 

Another exception from the list is the channel about the life of twin dachshunds and their owners Chapitosiki, which ranks 7th in the Russian YouTube ranking in terms of views. Like all the leaders of the Top10, the content of the blog is full of Challenges, contests, funny videos and has a colorful design. Unlike others, Chapitosiki videos are short, filmed mostly in the popular Shorts format. Due to this approach, the channel gains a large number of views and gathers a diverse audience.

 

Advertising integration of ‘Nasha Marka’ pet food on the Chapitosiki channel (28.7M subscribers)

 

The intermediate conclusion of the YouTube review is self-evident. Funny, children's content mainly, animated characters and short videos is everything you need for leading positions in the ratings, and consequently,  for successful advertising integrations in these channels. But it's not that simple.

Lifestyle Category. Which Authors Vlogs are Leading in Russia?

Channels that can be conditionally categorized as lifestyle (note - there is a real hero of the channel, long videos, the story) cover a wide range of topics. But if we talk about the Top10, here again we will see children's entertainment topics. Plus, gamification, science, etc. Let's begin in order.

 

TV3 channel advertising integration on the KikiDo channel (13,3M subscribers)

 

Andrei Shirin's HiMan blog ranks third in the number of subscribers. It cannot be said that the channel is aimed at a particular audience. On the contrary, the blogger's goal is large coverage. Due to the entertaining content without foul language and hot topics, Andrei attracts both adult viewers and teenagers. Challenges, traveling, various shopping reviews. Thanks to this, the author constantly cooperates with large companies (note - in recent videos at least Yandex and Alfa Bank were spotted advertising ) on a regular basis.

 

Advertising integration of Effaclar DUO+M cream-gel by La Roche-Posay on the HiMan channel (19.5M subscribers)

 

Next in the ranking are the vlogs of unconventional authors. In It's Matrix channel, blogger Maxim Monakhov conducts scientific experiments. For example, he explodes a soda bottle or fills a ballpoint pen with squid ink. Sounds a little crazy? But that's what the channel exists for. Another blogger with elements of shock content in the rating is Mikhail Litvin (note - the channel of the same name Litvin). The author became famous for the videos in which he pranks people. These were teenagers and adults, random passers-by and friends. Currently, the content of the channel Litvin became even a little crazier. The blogger then steals a car in Dubai, then he is arrested, then he takes part in crazy races. In short, every year the channel becomes a little higher on the extreme scale, which certainly keeps it on the leading positions.  

Another vlog stands out, ranking 9th among the most-viewed channels. Nastya CHPEK Tuman is a channel dedicated to the automotive category. What makes it unique is that the main protagonist is a woman. Nastya Tuman offers car reviews, stories of truckers, traveling by car outside Russia and other content that will interest car enthusiasts. The channel is successful due to their interesting, atypical, stereotype-based (note - women should not drive) approach.

 

Advertising integration of the Drom app in the Shorts of Nastya ChPEK Tuman channel (5.8 M subscribers)

 

Another interesting YouTube blog is Morgenshtern, which ranks 10th in the authors' ranking by number of subscribers. At the same time, it is not in the top in terms of views. The channel belongs to Alisher Morgenshtern, a popular music performer in Russia. The singer publishes a variety of content: clips, video notes, meetings with fans and others. But he deserves attention not only for this reason. For the current year of 2023, blogger Alisher Morgenstern has the status of a foreign agent in the Russian Federation as well as journalist Yuri Dud (note - vDud). But this is only the top of the rankings. There will be such blogs in every category.

Is it possible to cooperate with a YouTube author if he is a foreign agent?

It is not possible to say with certainty. On the one hand, we see a drop in income for these vloggers. If we look at the figures again, Morgenstern's advertising earnings for 2022 have fallen by 80% (note - to 24mln rubles / $273 thousand), At Yuri Dud - by 53% (note - to 63 mln rubles / $714 thousand). But on the other hand, we can see that these authors reduced the amount of content. In other words, they could simply pause all commercial contracts and not necessarily for political reasons. Besides, before 2025 there has not been a single official case when advertisers "suffered" for cooperating with foreign agents (note - we are talking about fines, etc. from the Russian government).

 

Advertiding integration of Vlad Bykov brand on Morgenshtern channel (12M subscribers)

 

Plus, many companies cut back on advertising after February 2022. But the "wait-and-see" period is coming to an end, as the market in Russia has rebuilt itself after all the changes.

Games are Always in the TOP

The review would be incomplete without saying a word or two about gamers here. Since games are one of the most popular topics for YouTube audiences around the world. Gamers are not included in the overall TOP10 in Russia, but 2 channels still appeared in the rating among author vlogs. 

Vlad Glent (note - the channel of the same name Glent) publishes entertainment content, in which he often analyzes computer and mobile games.He ranked 1st in the TOP by number of subscribers and 12th by views.The author is not limited in genres. Meet Minecraft, horror, the universe of the popular game Angry Birds and others in the reviews of Glent. Of course, such content combined with the author's style, good video quality attracts many advertisers. At the moment, the blogger cooperates with the online store MegaMarket, which is actively described in each video.

 

Advertising integration of GigaChat (a Russian-language AI chatbot) by Sber on the Glent channel (23.1M subscribers)

 

Glent's opponent in the ranking in terms of content format is gamer Alexander Pavlichenko (note - FixEye channel). His channel is dedicated entirely to the topic of minecraft. Moreover, the blogger is not limited to reviews of the game. FixEye managed to create its own Minecraft universe with staged videos, let’s play videos, challenges, and other interesting formats over several years. This is the reason why the channel is on the 11th place in the number of subscribers and views, despite the narrowly focused topic. 

Want to learn more about the gaming universe of Russian YouTube? Check out our previous article.

Promising Young YouTube Authors

YouTube is a platform where you constantly need to keep your finger on the pulse and monitor trends. In particular, the emergence of promising new authors. 

Here we have another rating, but this time from Forbes. Every year the list of successful young people under 30 years old is updated. The rating for 2024 includes several YouTube bloggers. Two of them won in the New Media category.

So, for whom you should look out in the near future of commercial cooperation.  

Russian entrepreneur and YouTube blogger Alexander Sokolovsky gained recognition through his podcasts on business and personal development. He began his career in the event and advertising industry and launched his YouTube channel in 2014. During the pandemic, his content format shifted, turning the channel into a platform for interviews with entrepreneurs and experts. Today, he covers topics such as business, investment, and self-improvement. His YouTube channel has over 1.2 million subscribers. In 2024, he was included in the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ list and won the Forbes Award in the New Media category.

 

Advertising integration of the MTS ecosystem (HUAWEI smartphone purchases) on Alexander Sokolovsky’s channel

 

Alexander Paradeev, known as Paradeevich, is a Russian streamer and blogger. He began his online career in 2020, quickly gaining popularity through his involvement in the Khazyaeva streaming community and organizing online games like Mafia with well-known bloggers and streamers. His YouTube channel, "paradeevich," has 2.05 million subscribers. In 2024, Alexander was nominated in the New Media category of the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ ranking and became a winner. He is also active on Twitch, TikTok, and Telegram, where he regularly engages with his audience.

 

Ozon sale advertising integration on Paradeevich channel

 

Another nominee in the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ ranking in the New Media category is Mash Milash. She began her online career in 2014, launching a YouTube channel where she shared lifestyle content with a strong focus on aesthetics. Alongside her YouTube presence, Maria developed her profiles on other social media platforms and engaged in musical creativity. As of February 2025, her YouTube channel has 1.54 million subscribers.

 

 

Rating VS Reality

It would seem that ratings determine everything and the main criteria for choosing YouTube vloggers are obvious -bright content, kids, games, challenges, animation and everything in this format. However, not always the cooperation of advertisers with entertainment channels in the Top is what is needed to promote the brand.

Working with bloggers on various platforms, including YouTube, RMAA often encounters atypical situations. The history of cooperation with Genshin Impact is a clear example of this. Or, on the contrary, collaboration with a brand requires a narrower, segmented approach. This was the case with the promotion of the Celimax cosmetics brand, when there was an urgent need to collaborate with beauty bloggers. Plus, a brand may have a limited advertising budget that can't afford collaborations with top YouTube creators. That's okay. And there's a big list of other subtleties.

In general, nothing will work without a personalized approach to promotion tasks. Especially in Influencer marketing, because the competition even within this segment is very high. Let us remind you again that you cannot do without professional help. 

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