AI-Generated Influencer Promotes Tourism in Russia’s Vologda Region
Social media accounts linked to the city of Vologda have introduced an AI-generated character named FeraFima, a virtual influencer created to promote regional tourism. The digital personality posts short videos about the city’s embankment, river routes, and local attractions.
The character’s name references the village of Ferapontovo, a well-known cultural landmark in the Kirillovsky district. FeraFima’s appearance blends the style of a modern social media creator with imagery inspired by Slavic folklore heroines. In her videos, she talks about the redevelopment of the city waterfront, new river-cruise routes, and why the regional waterway network begins there. Beyond shipping and tourism infrastructure, the virtual host also discusses cat cafes, local history, and other city topics. Users can even interact with her directly – the AI system responds to questions in character.
The lightweight visual style is aimed primarily at younger audiences, who are less likely to read traditional tourism brochures but actively consume short-form video content.
Vologda is not the first Russian region to experiment with AI-driven tourism promotion. Since 2025, one hotel in Karelia has greeted visitors with a holographic character named Aino – a 3D avatar inspired by the Kalevala epic capable of holding live conversations. Sakhalin gained attention for an animated tourism video styled after “The Simpsons” featuring bears and crabs, while the Nizhny Novgorod region showcased talking avatars of the Volga and Oka rivers at the VDNKh exhibition center.
