It’s easy to start with Yandex. Russia’s leading tech company, it’s often referred to as Russian Google, but it’s really more like Amazon, Uber, Google, and maybe a few other companies combined. Primarily known as a very popular search engine, it also offers a wide array of online services including email, Alice virtual assistant, maps, weather reports, taxi reservations, food deliveries, music, etc. – the nice necessities for every taste and wallet. It’s pretty ubiquitous in St. Petersburg. You’ll see it’s delivery cyclists in the trademark yellow uniform and some yellow taxis zoom around, making it feel like New York City or at least Moscow.
So what apps to try?
Yandex.Go (Apple Store and Google Play)
This year, Yandex launched a new super app for city life – Yandex.Go. You can order a taxi or a trip with a personal driver, use car-sharing, get express deliveries from restaurants and grocery stores, as well as access courier services all from one app. This time-saving and easy-to-use app will definitely come in handy as you explore every nook and cranny of the city.
Yandex.Money (Apple Store and Google Play)
If you prefer to go contactless, then this is the app for you. Using Yandex.Money, you can transfer money (dah), pay bills – such as utilities, internet, or mobile services – make loan payments, budget, track your traffic fines, get cashback and discounts, and much more.
Yandex.Music (Apple Store and Google Play)
Yandex.Music is my personal favorite. Tune in to get personal recommendations, mixes for any occasion, podcasts about everything under the sun, and new music from all around the world. It is available both with a subscription (which is about 199 rubles per month but free for the first two months) and for free, though with some limitations. The most popular feature of Yandex.Music is the smart playlists that are based on artificial neural networks and give you an impression that Yandex.Music knows you better than anyone else (not in a creepy way!).
And a few nice bonuses in Russian:
Edadeal (Apple Store and Google Play)
A Russian app, Edadeal, is a catalog of discounts in supermarkets, discount coupons and gifts in stores, cafes, and restaurants, and cashback for products – perfect for coupon people and those who like to buy more but pay less.
Kinopoisk (Apple Store and Google Play) and Kinopoisk HD
For movie lovers, there is Kinopoisk. It provides access to a huge worldwide movie database: movies and TV shows facts and trivia including cast, production team, biographies, interesting facts, plot summaries, ratings, and reviews. With a subscription, you can watch several thousand films, TV series, and cartoons, including premieres and exclusive ones (both in Russian and the original).
Zen (Apple Store and Google Play)
Yandex.Zen is a personal content feed based on your interests and taste. Here, you can read and create interesting stories, find articles, videos, and narratives from bloggers and popular mass media, ranging from news to entertainment – all on one page.
If you’d love to learn more about popular Russian social media platforms you should check out our latest article and for even more useful apps head here. Don’t miss a thing! To stay up to date on our current news, stories, tips, and tricks follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.
