Russian tech developers have double-tapped into their creativity to share their unfiltered opinions online.
Developers have created a melancholy alternative to Instagram after the platform’s ban in Russia, launching a new app solely dedicated to expressing sadness and disappointment. “Grustnogram,” or “Sadgram” in English, serves as a replacement for the popular U.S.-based social media site after Russia restricted access earlier in March.
“We are very sad that many high quality and popular services are stopping their work in Russia for various reasons,” said Alexander Tokarev, one of the service’s founders, according to NBC. “We created Grustnogram to grieve about this together and support each other.”
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The platform’s purpose is to post sad photos and “be sad together,” with every photo automatically posted with a black-and-white filter. Instead of liking a post with Instagram’s signature heart icon, the app provides buttons shaped like broken hearts for users to react to posts. It is unclear whether Sadgram is intended to become a true social media platform or to serve as social commentary amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sadgram follows the creation of Rossgram, a Russian-developed photo-sharing app intended to be an official alternative to Instagram. Rossgram, which is nearly identical to Instagram in terms of its layout and color scheme, was set to launch earlier this week but has experienced delays.
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Russia’s ban of Instagram prompted immediate backlash from social media influencers, who largely depend on the site as a source of income. The Russian government restricted access to the platform on March 14 after declaring its parent company, Meta, an “extremist organization” after it modified its rules to allow users to call for violence against invading forces.
Sadgram is already operational as a web version, with developers currently working to launch the mobile version by the end of the week on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The development team, comprising four people, reportedly created the prototype in just one week.
