“I know he is bad,” writes user @lilith_crow. “But he is bad in a way that explains why I am so tired.”
But spend an hour in the comments of a Cruel Prince VK edit, and you see something more complex. cruel prince vk
In 2022-2024, following geopolitical isolations and the exodus of many Western brands from Russia, VK experienced a renaissance of internal content creation. Young users turned inward, creating a distinctly Slavic fantasy aesthetic—darker, colder, and more cynical than its American cousin. “I know he is bad,” writes user @lilith_crow
By Anya Volkov, Digital Culture Correspondent Young users turned inward, creating a distinctly Slavic
Holly Black gave Cardan Greenbriar a crown. But the fans of VK gave him a country—cold, unforgiving, and breathtakingly beautiful. And in that frozen land, the cruel prince finally, mercifully, gets to be understood. Anya Volkov covers digital subcultures and the intersection of Slavic folklore with internet memes. She last wrote about the rise of "Doomer Girl" aesthetics in Balkan TikTok.