In the vast digital landscape, one app has become a symbol of freedom for millions around the world: Telegram. But this seemingly simple messaging app hides a story of defiance, conflict, and power struggles involving one of the most powerful governments in the world—the Kremlin.

Telegram’s Birth: A Tale of Resistance

Telegram was born out of a need for privacy, a concept that clashed sharply with the Kremlin's efforts to control the digital space. The app’s creators, brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, were no strangers to the Kremlin’s tactics. Before Telegram, they built Vkontakte (VK), Russia’s biggest social media platform, which became a hub for free expression and political dissent.

This made VK a target for the Russian government. The Kremlin demanded that the Durov brothers hand over data of protestors using the platform. When Pavel Durov refused, his fate was sealed. Pressured and squeezed out of VK by pro-Kremlin forces, Pavel left Russia, but his fight for priva...