The mass boycott of Russia by big Western companies has had a huge impact on the country's economy.
Polina Che, the founder of Recycled Objects, is fighting for her life.
Che told Insider that they are losing money every month.
Over the past decade, many Russian businesses have relied on income from collaborations with Western brands through things like sponsored social-media posts and event-hosting.
The same brands have stopped doing business with Russia after Putin launched his assault on Ukraine.
Che said she used to make up to $2,000 a month through partnerships with Reebok, and earned money from brands like Logitech and Uniqlo, but Insider was not able to independently verify these claims. Che made recycled souvenirs for Reebok events after modeling in a Reebok photoshoot.
A post shared by Polina Che (@polina_cherp)
Che said she had slashed her workforce from 10 to three to cope with the loss of income from Reebok having cut ties with Russia.
Che used to use social media to promote her business. On March 14, Russia banned the platform because of calls for violence against Russians.
Some people in Russia still use virtual private networks to access blocked sites on social media.
Che told Insider that she moved to Georgia in order to regain access to her company's account. She said she can not purchase ads from Georgia because Meta has stopped advertising in Russia.
Two small Russian business owners told Insider that their income had fallen since the war began.
Zerowaste Lab is a company that makes art from recycled products.
She collaborated with Adidas, another brand which has pulled out of Russia, making necklaces and keychains for their sustainable workshops in Moscow.
A post shared by ZW Lab (@zerowaste.lab)
According to Todaeva and Che, after Western brands left Russia, their businesses lost most of their income.
Tadoeva said she felt bad for her friends and team who supported her so much.
Diana Akhmadishina, a sports coach who was a brand ambassador for Adidas Russia, told Insider that her photoshoots and other projects had been put on hold.
A post shared by Diana Akhmadishina (@dishasaharok)
The representatives of some companies she works with have privately shown their support for her, she said.
Adidas has suspended operations in stores and on its website in Russia until further notice because it condemns violence. Reebok did not reply to the request for comment.
According to the data supplied to Insider, the Russian economy is worth $250 million. It is likely to face significant disruption as a result of the invasion.
The CEO of Proekta, a Russia-based marketing agency, said that some brands don't want to work with business owners who don't have access to social media.
Before the invasion, 70% of his company's work came from Western brands, with clients including Prada and Lego. Proekta lost 75% of its revenue because all of the Russians had left since the war began.
Even if the invasion ends, companies may not return to Russia. The double-hit of losing brand deals and being shut off from the photo sharing site was devastating for the country'sinfluencers.
If you cut off distribution, you don't have a job in the influencer industry.
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