Nepo babies and Kremlin Labubu dolls The stranger sights at this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place from June 18 to 20. Once considered one of Europe’s most prestigious economic gatherings — a place where world leaders rubbed shoulders and multibillion-dollar deals were signed — the event has been largely hollowed out since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. In 2025, the highest-ranking foreign guest is Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Other “friendly” countries like China, India, and South Africa sent only low-level officials. Even top Russian business figures stayed away: just six of the Forbes Russia Top 50 showed up. Here’s what stood out at this year’s forum.
Nepo babies take the stage
Just like last year, President Vladimir Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova, who heads the Innopraktika Foundation, appeared as a speaker at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Tikhonova took part in a session titled “Technological Repatriation Scenarios: The Role of Foreign Companies in the Russian Market,” where she touted a rise in high-tech industrial orders that were previously placed abroad and have now been redirected to Russian companies.
Putin’s elder daughter, Maria Vorontsova, also attended the forum. She moderated a panel called “Neo-ethics and Neurotechnology,” where she discussed efforts aimed at “improving the human being.”
This year’s SPIEF featured more children of Russia’s political and business elite than ever before, the Telegram channel Faridaily noted. Among them were:
- Alexander Vaino, son of Kremlin chief of staff Anton Vaino;
- Pyotr Fradkov, CEO of Promsvyazbank and son of former Prime Minister and Foreign Intelligence Service chief Mikhail Fradkov;
- Vladimir Kiriyenko, CEO of VK and son of Sergey Kiriyenko, the Kremlin’s domestic policy czar;
- Stepan Kovalchuk, senior vice president at VK and grandson of Mikhail Kovalchuk, head of the Kurchatov Institute and a longtime friend of Putin;
- Ksenia Shoigu, daughter of Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu.
T-shirts with Putin quotes — and long lines to get them
At the Bashkortostan booth, the clothing brand Zasport gave away T-shirts printed with quotes from President Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov. Over just three days, organizers planned to distribute more than 5,000 shirts.
Among the featured Putin quotes were: “Fools get lucky — we work from morning till night,” “We won’t interfere, but we won’t give up what’s ours,” and “Together, we’ll overcome anything.” Lavrov’s featured lines included: “Why the hell did I come here?” and “I don’t get paid to be an optimist.” Last year, Zasport held a similar giveaway, though only offering T-shirts quoting Putin.
The T-shirt stand drew a crowd. The Ural-based outlet Ura.ru called the giveaway “one of the most talked-about unofficial events” of the forum.
Labubu dolls with Russian officials’ faces
Another attention-grabbing moment came courtesy of the Moscow region’s booth, where guests who participated in interviews were given plush Labubu dolls with the faces of top Russian officials. The promo was organized by the regional TV channel 360.
Among the Labubu dolls on offer were versions with the likeness of Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov.
The giveaway wasn’t without criticism. In a panel discussion titled “The Role of the State and the Media in Shaping Worldviews and Values,” Duma deputy Marina Kim remarked: “In large cities, where people are well-off, we buy Labubu for our children. But on the front lines, where traditional values are felt more strongly, everyone chooses Cheburashka.”
TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov added, “Traditional values are what unite us — without Labubu or Tamagotchi.
AvtoVAZ unveils its first-ever crossover SUV — by hand
One of the few genuinely newsworthy announcements at the St. Petersburg forum — and one that quickly generated more buzz online than even the Labubu dolls — was the reveal of AvtoVAZ’s first crossover SUV. The model, introduced on the forum’s opening day, is called the Lada Azimut and is built on the existing Lada Vesta platform.
The Azimut will feature voice control technology powered by Sberbank’s GigaChat system, including a voice-activated parking function. Mass production is slated to begin in 2026.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but AvtoVAZ said the car would be “affordable” and priced lower than its foreign competitors.
Still, what caught social media’s attention most wasn’t the specs — it was the oddly low-tech reveal. Instead of a sleek, automated unveiling, the car was revealed by a man standing behind the stage, who frantically yanked the cover off by hand — a moment that stood out at an event meant to showcase innovation and technical sophistication.
And, of course, Putin had something to say
Answering questions from foreign journalists, Putin claimed the West was hyping fears of a Russian attack on NATO to distract citizens from their own struggling economies, repeated Kremlin talking points questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy, and claimed that any journalist close enough to witness a recent missile strike on Kyiv “wouldn’t have survived.” He also quoted the Bible. You can read his more notable remarks below.
‘Let the one without sin cast the first stone’ At St. Petersburg forum, Putin dismisses NATO rearmament, denies civilian toll in Kyiv strike, and quotes the Bible
‘Let the one without sin cast the first stone’ At St. Petersburg forum, Putin dismisses NATO rearmament, denies civilian toll in Kyiv strike, and quotes the Bible
Cover photo: Polina Bogomolova / TASS / Profimedia