Unicorns and foreign agents: Kremlin puts on investment show amid crackdown

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia’s primary investor event, opened on Thursday to the usual fanfare of overweight executives, siliconed escorts, and exotic-sounding breakout sessions.

The “world’s largest post-pandemic meeting” offered a flavour to suit every suit: from “Russian investment unicorns” to “Fighting Covid” and “Connecting Our Brains to Computers”.

But starting it all was a session devoted to the Kremlin’s controversial new media policies, hosted by the Russian foreign ministry’s Maria Zakharova. The assertive spokesperson, hardly known for subtlety, titled her session right on brand: “Foreign Media Agents in Russia.”