VK (service)

VK is a huge social media service based in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

It helps people connect through many different digital tools. Most people who use it speak Russian. The site has at least 500 million accounts. It is a very important part of how people talk online in Russia. In 2024, it was the 30th most visited website in the entire world.

There are many ways to use the site to share your life. You can send private messages to small groups or large ones.

These messages can include photos, videos, or even music files. Users can also post updates to their own profile walls. You can join groups to talk about specific ideas. Public pages are used by famous stars to talk to fans. You can even use the Events tool to plan things like concerts.

The story of VK began in 2006. Pavel Durov wanted to create a new social network after seeing Facebook.

He worked with his classmate Vyacheslav Mirilashvili to start the project. Pavel's brother, Nikolai, helped by writing the computer code for the site. The site grew very quickly in its early years. By February 2007, the site already had over 100,000 users. By 2008, it became the most popular social network in Russia.

Ownership of the company has changed many times over the years. At first, the founders held most of the power. Later, a company called Mail.ru Group bought many shares to take control. In 2014, Pavel Durov left the company and Russia.

He said he could not do business in the country at that time. By 2021, a Russian bank and an insurance company became the main owners. They now hold the controlling interest in the whole network.

VK works much like other websites you might know, such as Facebook. You can share news from VK to other sites like Twitter. However, the "like" button works in a special way. When you click it, the post goes to a private Favorites section. It does not automatically appear on your public wall. You must press a second button to share it with your friends. This gives users more control over what they show to others.