Holy data grab Meet Zosima, Russia’s Orthodox Christian messenger app no one asked for
In late September, Zosima, Russia’s so-called Orthodox Christian messenger app announced last year, briefly appeared on Google Play. The page was soon taken down, likely until the official launch on October 30. Still, some journalists managed to download and test it. Here’s what Zosima can actually do (not much) — and how it compares to Russia’s state-backed messenger, Max.
The first details about Zosima, Russia’s new Orthodox-themed messaging app, emerged a year ago, in September 2024. At the time, the press office of the Innotech XXI Foundation, which is developing the app, said it was designed to help believers stay in touch with their local parish, receive updates about nearby churches, request prayers, and “always remain connected with the church and its rector.” Early descriptions likened it to WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta.
Alexey Agapov, the head of the Innotech XXI Foundation, explained that the app was originally conceived as part of Save and Preserve, a restoration project for churches in Russia’s Yaroslavl region. But they later decided to expand it into a nationwide tool open to anyone. A trial version was scheduled for release in November 2024, limited to Yaroslavl residents, with developers saying the number of downloads would be capped “for technical reasons.”
“The messenger is a complex product,” Agapov told the state news agency RIA Novosti at the time. “It will first be tested within the Save and Preserve project, and in the spring of 2025 we plan to make it available on Google Play and other platforms.”
Neither spring nor summer brought the promised launch — at least not officially. In September 2025, journalists noticed Zosima had quietly appeared in Google Play. According to the listing, the app was uploaded in late August, though the developers never announced it. Reporters also found a Zosima page in RuStore, Russia’s state-sponsored domestic app store, though the listing is inactive.
Just days earlier, Agapov had told RTVI that the app’s official launch was set for October 30, to coincide with the foundation’s fifth anniversary. Some Russian outlets noted that the date fell on the eve of Halloween — a detail they saw as symbolic. Agapov added that roughly 2,000 people had taken part in Zosima’s eight-month testing phase.
No features, all data collection
Not long after the press picked up news of the pending launch, developers hid Zosima’s page on Google Play, likely until the official release. It’s now accessible only through a web archive. The developer is listed as Denis Osipov, who also created Licheek, a social network that, judging by its description, is essentially an Instagram clone.
Agapov, however, insisted he doesn’t know who Osipov is or why he’s listed as the app’s publisher. He said a team of about 30 people is working on the project, though he didn’t dispute that the Google Play version was authentic.
Developers have promised that users will be able to create personal and group chats, share photos and videos, livestream, and even collect donations for churches. But no timeline has been given for when those features will actually appear.
Some journalists managed to download and test the app, only to find an unfinished product. Most features weren’t available: settings allowed only password changes, while notifications, appearance customization, and tech support links were all blocked, according to the outlet Kod Durova.
At first glance, Zosima looks like something between a messenger and a social network. The main screen shows a feed of posts from other users or communities. Posts can be found through the search bar, but community pages themselves don’t open — that function is still in development. Regular user profiles already allow friend requests, and soon, according to developers, they’ll also display photos, videos, albums, and playlists (likely containing music or videos).
Much of the app remains under construction, including its planned map of churches. But users can already create their own posts, to which they can attach images. Posts can even be edited after they’re published.
It’s possible to register for Zosima via email, a VK account, or Russia’s state services portal, Gosuslugi, according to the outlet Verstka. But reporters noted that the app’s privacy policy reserves the right to collect a vast range of personal information — from passport numbers and tax IDs to employment records, income, debts, and even military registration data. The developers do specify, however, that they will not gather information on ethnicity, political beliefs, or private life.
At the same time, security appears shaky. Rumors are already circulating that hackers gained access to the app’s full database, including user data.
Both Kod Durova and Verstka concluded that in its current form, Zosima can hardly be considered a working product. One screenshot published by the outlets even showed a menu placeholder riddled with misspellings: “Could add sum info like wether, searches, bdays, etc.”
Some journalists from Fontanka couldn’t get past the registration screen at all — the same problem reported by many users who stumbled across the app on Google Play. Which version the 2,000 beta testers mentioned by Agapov actually used remains unclear.
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The scope of data collection recalls VK’s Max, another Russian-built messenger criticized for intrusiveness. Users have even mocked Zosima in parody reviews styled after VK’s advertising campaigns for its own product.
In some respects, though, Zosima seems poised to outdo Max in prying into users’ lives. Reports suggest the Orthodox app will enforce strict moderation: posting offensive memes or using profanity could get an account suspended. Whether that rule will extend to private chats or apply only to public posts hasn’t been clarified.
Agapov rejected comparisons to Max and stressed that Zosima is “a completely different platform” — something, he told RTVI, “between [the Russian social networks] Odnoklassniki and VKontakte.”
He also resisted calling it an “Orthodox” messenger. For one thing, he said, people of other faiths are welcome to register. For another, the label would require a formal blessing from Patriarch Kirill. However, that hasn’t stopped Agapov from repeatedly describing it in exactly those terms in the past.
