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ABSTRACT
This article focuses on the influence of a group of Russian women collectively known as “the czarinas” on social media. This group of business-minded socialites began appearing on social media around 2012 and have turned their popularity on Twitter and Instagram into Internet-based business ventures that are centred around their perceived identities as wives, mothers, and fashion muses. Together, these women have served as an aspirational tableau for other Russian women trying to navigate their own roles of mothers and businesswomen. This article examines how these “czarinas” have constructed their perceived social media identities as wives and mothers to create a relationship with their followers that allows the czarinas to influence their purchasing decisions. Finally, it examines why these women have embraced social media, how they use it to promote their businesses, and how successfully they have navigated social issues created in both Russia and the West.
RÉSUMÉ
Cet article porte sur un groupe de femmes influenceuses russes connues collectivement sous le nom de « tsarines » sur les médias sociaux. Ces entrepreneuses mondaines ont commencé à apparaître sur les médias sociaux vers 2012. Grâce à leur popularité sur Twitter et sur Instagram, elles ont créé des entreprises en ligne qui mettent de l’avant leurs identités d’épouse, de mère et d’égérie de la mode. Ces femmes représentent une source d’inspiration pour d’autres femmes russes qui doivent gérer leurs propres rôles de mère et de femme d’affaires. L’article étudie la façon dont ces « tsarines » ont construit leurs identités d’épouse et de mère sur les médias sociaux dans le but d’établir une relation avec leurs abonnées qui permette d’exercer une influence sur leurs achats. Pour terminer, l’article examine les raisons pour lesquelles ces femmes ont embrassé les médias sociaux, comment elles s’en servent pour promouvoir leurs entreprises et le succès relatif avec lequel elles traitent des questions sociales soulevées aussi bien en Russie que dans les pays occidentaux.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. Hearn, “Witches and Bitches”; Mies, Patriarchy and Accumulation.
2. Chernova, Tretyakova, and Vlasov, “Brand Marketing Trends”; Bergkvist and Zhou, “Celebrity Endorsements.” See also Araujo, Neijens, and Vliegenthart, “Getting the Word Out.”
3. E. Wilson, “Czarinas Are Back.”
4. Ibid.
5. Siemens, Street Fashion Moscow.
6. E. Wilson, “Czarinas Are Back.”
7. Holmgren, “Toward an Understanding,” 538.
8. E. Wilson, “Czarinas Are Back.”
9. Paton, “Rise of Miroslava Duma.”
10. E. Wilson, “Czarinas Are Back.”
11. The Sartorialist received 14 million views per month at its height of popularity from 2011 to 2016.
12. See Babaeva and Chirikova, “Women in Business.” For more on contemporary women business owners in Russia, see Wells, Pfantz, and Bryne, “Russian Women Business Owners”; and Zdravomyslova and Temkina, “Institutsializatsiia gendernykh issledovanii.”
13. Whitmore, “Political Heirs.”
14. Ibid.
15. Jin, Muqaddam, and Ryu, “Instafamous and Social Media,” 568. Dasha Zhukova joined Instagram in March of 2019 and has a significantly smaller following of 15,000.
16. Ibid.
17. McQuarrie, Miller, and Phillips, “Megaphone Effect.”
18. Duffy and Hund, “‘Having It All’.”
19. Vodianova (@natasupernova), “Bring back Vitamin Sun,” Instagram post, 19 March 2018, http://instagram.com/natasupernova.
20. Duma (@miraduma), “Dearest Stefano,” Instagram post, 7 April 2020, http://instagram.com/miraduma.
21. Zakharova, “Dior in Moscow,” 96.
22. Tolstikova, “Baby-Blue ‘Bullet-Proof’,” 386.
23. Reid, “Cold War,” 239.
24. Ibid.
25. Kelly, Refining Russia.
26. Tian and McKenzie, “Long-Term Predictive Validity.”
27. Troitsky, “Pop, Glamour and Gangsters.”
28. “Natalia Vodianova: Fashion File.” InStyle Magazine, September 2007.
29. Goscilo and Strukov, “Introduction,” 4–5.
30. Ibid.
31. Duke and Kreshel, “Negotiating Femininity,” 48.
32. Goscilo and Strukov, “Introduction,” 12. For a fuller discussion of advertising and lifestyle guides aimed at Russian men, see Peshkova, Urkmez, and Wagner, “Intimacy of the Russian”; and Kaufman, Vrontis, and Manakova, “Perceptions of Luxury.”
33. Caldeira, “‘Shop It. Wear It,” 86.
34. Brzenchek and Castañeda, “The Real Housewives,” 17.
35. Hearn, “Witches and Bitches,” 14.
36. Ward and Chiari, “Keeping Luxury Inaccessible.”
37. Brzenchek and Castañeda, “The Real Housewives.”
38. Cox and Proffitt, “Housewives’ Guide.”
39. Although The Real Housewives franchise airs in Russia and has an above-average viewership there according to Parrot Analytics, there is not a Russian version of the series. Parker, “Housewife-Industrial Complex.”
40. Kiblitskaya, “Russia’s Female Breadwinners.”
41. Mazzarino, “Entrepreneurial Women,” 630.
42. Dream boards are physical or digital spaces where the owner can pin various motivational pictures or objects meant to represent her dreams or aspirations, and then visualize obtaining those things. Ibid., 630.
43. Holmgren, “Toward an Understanding,” 539–40.
44. Vodianova (@natasupernova), “So Whether You Are Sharing,” Instagram post, 29 July 2020, http://instagram.com/natasupernova.
45. Ibid.
46. Gentile, “What about Baby?” 39.
47. Ibid.
48. Zeavin, “What about the Episiotomy?” 60.
49. Ibid.
50. Ibid.
51. All references to Duma have since been removed from The Tot’s website.
52. Vodianova, “Being Mama.”
53. Wang and Stivers, “Inside the Fake News.”
54. Milam, “’Art Girls’.”
55. J. Wilson, “Garage Magazine Editor-in-Chief.”
56. Ibid.
57. Tunzelmann (@alexvtunzelmann), “Even in,” Twitter post, 20 January 2014, https://twitter.com/alexvtunzelmann/.
58. Gerstein, “Miroslava Duma Gets Called.”
59. Marsh, “Mira Duma.”
60. Instagram Stories are short photographic or video clips that remain online for only 24 hours.
61. Sergeenko’s note references the Kanye West and Jay-Z song of the same name. (Obscenity redacted by author.)
62. Sergeenko (@ulyanasergeenko), “I was,” Instagram post, 23 January 2018, http://instagram.com/ulyanasergeenko.
63. Schneier (@matthewschneier), “Quite Possibly,” Twitter post, 23 January 2018, 8:49 a.m., https://twitter.com/matthewschneier/.
64. Goehring (@marcgoehring), “Bye Gurl,” Instagram post, 24 January 2018, https://instagram.com/marcgoehring.
65. Hargrove (@calliarmelle), “This DISGUSTS,” Twitter post, 23 January 2018, 9:08 a.m., https://twitter.com/calliarmelle/.
66. Buro 24/7 Singapore (@buro.singapore), “As a publication,” Instagram post, 24 January 2018, http://instagram.com/buro247singapore.
67. Gonzales, “Fashion Influencer Miroslava Duma.”
68. McDuffie, “Miroslava Duma.”
69. Ogunnaike, “Why the Miroslava Duma.”
70. Ibid.
71. Sherman, “On Heels.”
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Jill Martiniuk
Jill Martiniuk received her PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures in 2015 from the University of Virginia. She is currently an assistant professor of teaching in the Engineering Education Department at the University of Buffalo.