Odnoklassniki (Russian for 'Classmates') is a social networking service and online video sharing website, primarily used in Russia and former Soviet republics. It was launched in 2006 by Albert Popkov and is currently owned by VK. The site reports more than 200 million registered users and is the second most popular social network in Russia, behind VK.
Ownership and growth
Popkov developed the site initially as a hobby project before it expanded enough to require a separate legal entity. In 2008 he sold a controlling interest to Digital Sky Technologies, the owner of Mail.ru. The service later faced a copyright claim from the British company I-CD, which was dropped in 2009 after the parties reached an undisclosed settlement.
Paid registration and features
In 2008 the site introduced paid registration, but users moved to competitors and the fee was dropped by August 2010. Over the following years Odnoklassniki added games, video chat, music uploads, a messenger, and a Smart TV video app. In 2016 it introduced money transfers between users through partner bank cards.
Ban in Ukraine
In May 2017 Ukraine banned Mail.ru's social networks, including Odnoklassniki, as part of sanctions against Russia following the annexation of Crimea. Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders criticised the ban as a disproportionate measure. According to the Ukrainian Internet Association, the share of Ukrainian users visiting the site daily fell from 35% in 2016 to 10% in 2019.