Since
November 3, 2025, something very curious has been happening in St. Petersburg.
Thousands of migrant couriers found themselves
suddenly locked out of delivery platforms like Yandex.Eats and Samokat.
No warning.
No explanation. Just a polite message:
"Partnership terminated.
Please return the thermal bag."
No more
shifts. No more orders. No more gig.
And no —
this isn't a tech glitch. This is Governor Alexander Beglov's new rule in
action.
The Ban Was
Planned
Back in
August, Beglov signed an official decree:
Foreign nationals working under a patent system may
no longer be employed in food delivery.
Businesses
were given a three-month grace period.
On November 3, the hammer dropped.
Official
Narrative: Quality and Fairness
According to
city officials, the move aims to:
- Improve service quality
- Reduce shadow employment
- Open jobs for Russian citizens and students
Sounds
noble, doesn't it?
But let's
talk real life.
Hundreds —
maybe thousands — of former couriers were thrown out of work overnight.
Delivery times are up.
Customer complaints are growing.
And sushi still takes forever to arrive.
Who Will
Take Their Place?
So who's
supposed to dash through the snow for 200 rubles an hour now?
A freshman straight from a philosophy lecture?
A retiree with a cane and a thermos?
The
government wants to look tough.
But are they fixing the problem,
or just performing for the cameras?
But What If
It Spreads?
Here's the
interesting part:
If this works in St. Petersburg, it might become
national policy.
A small
change in the delivery market could signal a big
shift in national identity —
a return to sovereignty not just in borders, but in economics, labor, and
values.
For years,
Russian cities have been flooded with low-paid foreign labor.
Yes, they worked.
But at what cost?
– Lower
wages for locals
– Tax evasion
– Rising crime
– Social disintegration
Now it looks
like the tide is turning.
A New
Chapter?
What
happened in Petersburg is not just about who brings your food.
It's about who owns the streets.
The guests
have been shown the door.
And Russians are stepping in — maybe slowly, maybe clumsily,
but finally and rightfully.
Yes, your
pizza might be late this winter.
But at least it's being delivered on your terms, on
your soil, by your people.
