Biography
Arkady Volozh — tech (yandex founder) with roots in the USSR
Arkady Volozh co-founded Yandex in 1997, building it into Russia's dominant search engine and one of Europe's largest tech companies. Born in Soviet Kazakhstan, he led Yandex to a 2011 Nasdaq IPO before resigning in 2022 over the Ukraine war.
"Relocated to Israel post-2022 sanctions, after decades building Yandex from Moscow."
Migration storyRussian Connection
Tracing the roots — Atyrau (Kazakh)
Born in Atyrau to a Soviet Jewish family, Volozh grew up immersed in the scientific-technical culture the USSR cultivated. His trajectory from Kazakhstan to Moscow to Tel Aviv mirrors a broader Soviet Jewish intelligentsia diaspora.
Family Tree
Subject
Arkady Volozh🇮🇱 Israel
↑
Self (Born there)
-
↑
Origin
Atyrau (Kazakh)🇷🇺 USSR
Historical context
Soviet Union (USSR) · 1922–1991
Atyrau (Kazakh). At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Founded Yandex, Russia's largest search engine
02
Led Yandex to $8B Nasdaq IPO in 2011
03
Built Yandex into a $30B+ tech conglomerate
04
Publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine
05
Named in EU sanctions, resigned from Yandex board 2022
Sources