| You know there's a modern proverb in Russian about doing business in Russia: 1. Do not establish any contracts with government. 2. Do not participate in any governmental organizations or organizations created with any support from the government as a member. 3. Do not have any assets in Russia, that can not be instantly moved out. 4. Do not have any business with any person who might be business partners, friends, clients, family of anyone controlling or participating or in any way related to Russian government. Especially the military or the internal security. 5. Do not have any business with any legal entity involving anyone from number 4. If you have to, always demand full prepayment and mind number 3. 6. Do not incorporate any businesses in Russia, whose activity might contradict goals of persons from number 4 or entities from number 5. 7. Do not create any high earning businesses in Russia. Exceptions are businesses based on intellectual property (that can be sheltered outside), or on personal skills/knowledge (that can't be taken away). 8. Never rely that the courts will take your side even in clear cut cases. Also never rely on any number of qualified lawyers telling you what you are doing is legal in Russia. No matter what the law says, the court can at any time decide otherwise. 9. Never let your business do anything unusual, if it is offered by any entity from numbers 4 and 5, even if (and especially when) certain preferential treatment is offered. 10. Never end up in situation where an immediate and irreversible need to leave Russia is impossible, or complicated, or would have high cost, or would threaten other people. Even if you are precisely following the rules 1-9. Yandex violates quite a few. https://movchan.jonny.ru/publications/10-rules/ |
Certainly after the theft of vk from Durov everyone knew what the deal is.