Projects

I’ve spent more than 20 years building and developing digital businesses, products, media, and communities — sometimes inside large companies, sometimes with small teams, and sometimes simply because I wanted something to exist.

This is a selection of that work.

Current work

Wildberries

Head of China · 2024–present

I work on building Wildberries’ China business and seller ecosystem.

My work spans market localization, seller acquisition, partnerships, payments, ERP and API integrations, local infrastructure, Service Centers, events, and other parts of the ecosystem needed to operate and grow a cross-border marketplace.

During this period, the ERP and partner ecosystem grew from roughly 10 to around 50 partners, while the Service Center network expanded from one to five locations.

I also initiated the China Affiliate program and work across teams on seller acquisition, infrastructure, payments, and other market-development projects.

Runuo

Co-Founder · 2017–present

Runuo is an independent company I co-founded to help international businesses launch and grow in China.

Projects have included work for Yandex, Sber, Aeroflot, Rosatom, Sotheby’s International Realty, S7, China Window, and others.

The work has ranged from market and technology research to localization, digital marketing, product development, and helping international companies navigate the local digital ecosystem.

Selected past work

Alibaba / AliExpress

Marketing Operations Expert · 2014–2017

I joined Alibaba to work on the growth of AliExpress in Russia.

I started with performance marketing, traffic acquisition, partnerships, affiliate marketing, SEO, SMM, conversion, and average order value. After two promotions, I worked on the development of Mall — later Tmall Russia — and online sales, including the annual 11.11 Shopping Festival.

This was where I learned to operate at marketplace scale while still working in a relatively small and fast-moving team.

Aviasales / JetRadar

Country Manager, China · 2011–2012

I launched and developed the China direction for Aviasales / JetRadar.

The work included localization, marketing, PR, business development, and integrations with Chinese travel companies. Our team launched the Chinese flight-search product 爱飞搜 and established agreements with platforms and travel businesses including Ctrip, eLong, 9588.com, Shangyou Travel, Lecheng, Amargo, Skytours, and Agoda.

Yandex.Zen

Independent Researcher & Columnist · 2017–2020

I worked with the Yandex.Zen team on research into Chinese social networks, short-video platforms, recommendation products, and digital-media trends.

I also helped organize meetings with companies and partners in China and wrote about the Chinese internet for Yandex.Zen’s publications.

Independent projects

Independent projects have run alongside my professional work for most of my career. Some became businesses, some became communities, and some were simply ways to explore subjects I cared about.

Magazeta

Founder & Editor-in-Chief · 2005–2022

I founded Magazeta, an independent Russian-language publication about China.

Over its history, the project published more than 5,000 articles about Chinese language, society, history, culture, and everyday life, written by contributors with deep experience in China.

Magazeta became one of my longest-running projects and an important part of the Russian-speaking China community.

CapoeiraWiki

Founder · 2024–present

I created CapoeiraWiki as an independent knowledge project dedicated to documenting capoeira’s history, people, groups, terminology, and culture.

It is built as an open, collaborative encyclopedia with the long-term goal of making knowledge about capoeira easier to find, preserve, and improve.

Laowaicast

Co-Founder & Podcast Host · 2009–2021

I co-created Laowaicast, a Russian-language podcast about China.

The show explored life, culture, news, and the experience of living in China. It received several Russian podcast awards, was a finalist in The Best of Blogs, and received a certificate of honor from the Russian Embassy in China.

Bumafan / SinoCenter

Co-Founder & CTO · 2010–2021

Bumafan.ru — also known as SinoCenter / Центр Китаистов — started as a service for finding interpreters in China and developed into a localization and digital-services business.

We worked on websites, localization, marketing, and China-related consulting projects for international clients.

Shanghai Center for Capoeira

Founder & Lead Instructor

I built and taught within a network of capoeira schools and communities in China.

The project included classes for adults and children, teacher development, workshops and events, social media, and collaborations with international schools and other organizations.

As part of the project, we also created Movement Family, the first Chinese-language digital publication dedicated to capoeira in China, covering capoeira, movement culture, people, and events.

It became another long-term experiment in something that has interested me throughout my career: how communities form, grow, and sustain themselves — both offline and online.

Jogo Space

Co-Founder · 2021–2023

I co-founded Jogo Space with Olga Merekina as a space for exploring and learning dance and movement in Shanghai.

We ran daily classes, workshops, seminars, and intensive programs for children and adults, bringing together teachers, practitioners, and communities from different movement disciplines, including capoeira, contemporary dance, and somatic movement.

50 Lessons on Capoeira, Teaching, and Life

Author · 2025

I wrote 50 Lessons on Capoeira, Teaching, and Life after more than a decade of teaching capoeira.

The book is about teaching, leadership, habits, community, and the lessons that long-term practice can carry into everyday life.

Earlier web projects

Before moving primarily into marketing, business development, and management, I spent many years working as a full-stack web developer and project manager.

That period included dozens of websites and small online projects. Some are still online; others survive only in the Internet Archive.

Selected examples include:

There were many more. Most were small, but together they were where I learned how to take an idea and turn it into something people could actually use.