Pavel Durov’s Pasta-Fueled, 6-Week Coding Sprint Gave Birth to Russia’s Biggest Social Network

Key Takeaways

• Pavel Durov launched VKontakte (VK) in 2006, initially aiming to connect university students in Russia.
• Durov’s brother, Nikolai, played a crucial advisory role, emphasizing the importance of user authorization.
• VK has become Russia’s most popular social media platform among users aged 16 to 64.
• After leaving VK in 2013, Durov co-founded Telegram, focusing on user privacy and security.

In the summer of 2006, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, a young graduate named Pavel Durov embarked on a seemingly impossible mission: to create a social network for university students in just four weeks.

Armed with a passion for coding, Durov set out to build a platform that would connect people and revolutionize online communication, which is now the biggest social network in Russia .

How Durov Created VK

Durov described the birth of VK in a post on his Telegram channel , which started from his small apartment.

Sharing this part of his life on Telegram as part of a series of #lifestories. Durov provides a more personal insight into the birth of VK and his subsequent decision to focus on Telegram.

With a pot of pasta boiling on the stove, Durov explains how he would code for hours. His brother, Nikolai, a mathematician, offered valuable advice, suggesting that he start with the core functionality of user authorization.

After six weeks of intense development, Durov launched VKontakte, or VK.

The platform quickly gained traction among university students eager to connect with their peers and share their experiences. As VK’s popularity grew, Durov expanded his team and continued introducing new features and functionalities.

Russia’s Biggest Social Network

Within a few years, VK had become one of Russia’s most popular social networks, with millions of active users.

“On Oct. 10, 2006, I had a beta version of the social network up and running. Durov said. “I called it VKontakte (VK), which means “in contact.” It took me six weeks instead of four to create it. But the result was worth it. Users that I invited from my previous project—a students’ portal I’d been building since 2003—signed up by the thousands and started to invite friends.”

VK’s rapid growth and innovation allowed it to outpace competitors in the market. Within a few months of launch, the platform had attracted over a million users. Durov’s ability to quickly introduce new features and adapt to user feedback was a key factor in its success. As the user base expanded, Durov hired additional developers to help manage the growing platform.

As of January 2024, VK was the most popular social media platform among Russian internet users aged 16 to 64, with WhatsApp, Telegram, and Odnoklassniki following closely behind.

When Was Telegram Launched?

Despite VK’s success, he was dismissed from his role as CEO in 2013. Following his departure, Durov focused his attention on a new messaging app that he had co-founded.

Durov and his brother Nikolai created Telegram, a messaging app focused on privacy and security. The app was initially released for iOS and Android devices in August 2013, and it quickly gained popularity due to its features such as cloud-based storage, end-to-end encryption, and support for large group chats.

Telegram’s emphasis on user privacy and security helped it stand out from other messaging apps, contributing to its rapid growth and success.