One in Four Russians Plans to Digitize Old Family Photos

A growing number of Russian users are moving analog memories into digital storage, driven by concerns over damage, loss, or aging paper.

Interest in photo digitization is on the rise across Russia. According to a survey conducted by A2: Research and Yandex 360, three percent of respondents have already fully transitioned to digital formats, storing their archives on USB drives, disks, or cloud services.

While most people still keep their pictures in physical albums, 40%—roughly one in four—plan to digitize their old photographs. The motivation is largely practical: fear of losing irreplaceable images due to aging materials, house moves, or accidental damage.

Many of those embracing digitization prefer cloud storage. One of Russia’s most popular platforms, Mail Cloud, uses neural networks to detect duplicate uploads. The AI scans metadata and visual patterns to identify similar or identical photos.

Another domestic cloud service is beta testing new AI-based mobile tools, including background removal, eraser, and auto-enhance features, enabling users to edit photos without leaving the app.

Digitizing family photo collections offers long-term preservation and gives new life to old memories through smart tools.