It’s hard to believe I’ve been on LinkedIn since June 2005. This makes it my longest-used account on any social network, with Twitter and Facebook following much later. It seems like a lifetime ago, yet I still recall certain aspects of those early days. In 2005, I launched my first stand-alone blog, focusing primarily on… Read More My Early Digital Ventures
Category: My Story
My Soviet Awakening
In late 1989, a kindergarten teacher, who seemed to aspire to be a political commissar, scolded me for decorating my pencil box with drawings of cartoon tanks. “You must not deface property,” she admonished. When I protested that the box was indeed mine, she countered by asserting that personal ownership was not permissible and that… Read More My Soviet Awakening
When Silicon Valley Came to Russia
In February 2010, Ilya Ponomarev, then a member of the Russian parliament, brought a group of American diplomats and Silicon Valley moguls to Novosibirsk. I met Howard Solomon and Esther Dyson and even had a beer with Jack Dorsey and Ashton Kutcher. I was hopeful back then. Visits like this showed the advantages of cooperation… Read More When Silicon Valley Came to Russia
My 2023
2023 has been a busy year for me:
My Euromaidan
Ten years ago today, I attended Euromaidan (and listened to my favourite Mykola Hnatyuk at the pro-Yanukovych concert). Looking at the photos now, they seem like ancient Egyptian papyri: not just reminders of the past but messages from a different civilization.
My 40
Today, I turn 40. Coincidentally, it’s been almost a year since I made London my home and a year and a half since I bid farewell to Russia. So, how did I mark this year? I reached out to those in need, shared my experience, gave advice, and penned a few decent pieces. I delved… Read More My 40