Summing up: Gazprom-Media Holding at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2025

The fourth consecutive media partnership with dozens of sessions, signings, interviews, and other events at SPIEF-2025 was very eventful for Gazprom-Media Holding.  

International Agenda and Russian Cultural Code

The holding is consistently expanding its international presence, strengthening Russia’s cultural influence by building strong ties with foreign partners and conveying the key meanings and values of our country. Participation in global events like SPIEF is an excellent opportunity to showcase achievements, share experiences, and establish dialogue with international partners.

The General Director of the Holding, Aleksandr Zharov, spoke about the development plans for RUTUBE, as well as the Holding’s international cooperation with partners from several foreign countries, including China and India. The Deputy General Director of the Holding, Boris Khanchalyan, emphasized the importance of media projects in promoting Russia’s image abroad. He shared plans for international cooperation, including blogger exchanges, and noted that media plays a key role in shaping the relevant professions of the future in the country. The Deputy General Director of the Holding, Lyudmila Smirnova, spoke about the new challenges facing Russian media and the promotion of domestic brands. She specifically pointed out the need to support and develop new Russian initiatives to strengthen the country’s position in the global market. 

By expanding international cooperation, the Holding understands the importance of preserving the cultural and historical heritage of our country, especially for the younger generation. Aleksandr Zharov shared the Holding’s experience in forming cultural codes in society. He noted that the Holding’s projects convey “a cultural code that is absolutely understandable to every Russian”. 

The General Director of YARKO animation company, Albina Mukhametzyanova, emphasized that animation projects should convey the Russian cultural code. However, when entering international markets, it is important to pay attention to details to avoid violating local traditions.

The General Producer of NTV, Timur Weinstein, noted that people want to see a hero who fights for justice. The domestic audience has a demand for films about both historical events and what happened in the recent past.

Creative Agenda and Digital Assets

One of the important directions for the Holding is the development of digital assets. As Aleksandr Zharov stated at the forum, the creation of a unified media platform combining Yappy, Premier, and RUTUBE is planned for the first half of 2026. Special attention is paid to the implementation of AI, the development of proprietary technologies, content safety for children, support for authors, and the development of platform functionality. Deputy CEO of the Holding, Sergey Kosinsky, emphasized the role of artificial intelligence in the media sphere, highlighting the need to achieve a rational symbiosis with technologies. He also spoke about the rapid growth of the RUTUBE audience.

The topic was continued by the General Director of GPM Projects, Sergey Stamboltsyan, who shared how the national video hosting creates infrastructure for authors of various types of content.

The forum also widely discussed creative industries. Gazprom-Media Holding, as one of the industry leaders setting standards in the media industry, was widely represented in the agenda. Deputy General CEO of the Holding, Yulia Golubeva, emphasized the importance of media promotion of the image of collective success and the development of creative industries in Russia. She specifically noted the potential of Russian cinema for promotion both in our country and abroad. Yulia Golubeva also touched on the topic of attracting audiences to professional development in the technological field. She emphasized that creative industries in Russia are capable of forming a corresponding value agenda.

The HR Director of Gazprom-Media Holding, Antonina Priezzheva, noted that the key to building a career in the media industry is emotional intelligence and the ability to learn within teams. And the Director of the Research Department of Gazprom-Media Holding, Daria Pugacheva, spoke about the impact of personalization algorithms on media consumption. According to her, personalized approaches radically change audience habits, making media consumption deeper and more targeted.

The General Director of the Insight People production center, Alina Zinnatullina, in turn, shared how to create a balanced media product.

The General Director of GPM Radio, Vadim Tereshchuk, moderated the session “Music Industrialization – Tenfold Growth in Five Years. Is it possible?” He noted that developing the legislative framework, distribution, and creating favorable conditions for investments will help in further work with the state, public organizations, and interaction within the industry. But the main driver of growth in the music industry is the common desire to make it beautiful, large, and noticeable in the world. 

Signings

SPIEF has traditionally become a platform for signing a number of key agreements. Aleksandr Zharov emphasized the importance of the Holding’s cooperation with regions and public organizations: agreements were concluded with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, Tatarstan, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Yugra, and the Judo Federation.

NTV agreed with the Ministry of Education and Science and National Priorities to create an educational platform for applicants, and the channel also concluded agreements with the Innosocium Foundation and Soyuzmultfilm.

Match TV marked a number of cooperation signings with various sports federations. GPM Radio agreed on cooperation with the Artemy Lebedev Studio, and YARKO animation company entered into a partnership with the Children’s Protection Alliance.

On the sidelines of the forum

Despite the busy business program, life was also bustling on the sidelines of the forum. Aleksandr Zharov in an interview with RBC-TV talked about the key trends of the Russian media market, and Sergey Kosinsky discussed the development of RUTUBE with RT. Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius Irada

Zeynalova communicated with colleagues and reminisced about her work at NTV. From 2016 to 2024 she hosted the Itogi Nedelya program.

Also, representatives of the Holding companies participated in a number of public talks and other events at the SPIEF venue.