First, I want to share that our community—our employees, family members, customers, contractors, partners, and suppliers worldwide—are all reeling from Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.
Personally, I am beside myself as I, along with everyone else at Semrush, watch the unprovoked aggression that is taking place.
I’ve had the opportunity to work in Ukraine and Russia for years. I understand first-hand the raw emotions our community is feeling. I also feel them.
Over the last six days, Semrush has made the safety of our people top priority. We have been working non-stop since last Thursday to ensure this.
As a company, we cannot stress it more: We strongly oppose this war. Virtually everyone at Semrush has family or colleagues in Ukraine and Russia, all of whom love and care deeply for one another. The concerns for those impacted by the violence–and opposition to the war–is universal within our company.
Some in the SEO community have asked over the past few days, “Is Semrush a Russian company?” and some have implied that supporting Semrush is somehow supporting the war.
Semrush is a US-based, publicly-traded company that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (SEMR). Our company was established in the US in 2012 by Oleg and Dmitri. They relocated to the US in 2017. Semrush now operates in 23 countries, with more than 1,300 colleagues around the world. We are truly a global company.
Oleg and Dmitri have family in St. Petersburg, and while it may not be obvious for some in our community, they are not able to say exactly how they feel, to ensure the safety of those they love. I am in contact with Oleg and Dmitri daily, and I know they are 100% and categorically against the war.
Like many of our favorite household brands, we have a legal entity in Russia because we have employees there. We have an entity in Russia so we may pay our people and contribute to their pensions.
We do not accept new business from Russian companies. We do not support this war politically, financially, or in any capacity.
Over the course of 2021, Semrush planned to create additional legal entities, and starting in January 2022, Semrush accelerated the staffing of its new offices in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Berlin. With remote working and distance now mainstream, these moves will provide opportunities for employees to relocate to the EU and to live/work where they please. With the onset of the war in Ukraine, we are accelerating our plans to honor our employees’ requests to relocate from St Petersburg to cities in the European Union.
To our dear community, I personally share your pain. I feel the shock, sadness, and anger at what is happening, right now, in Ukraine, and I ask that we use this time to come together.
And there are many ways to help. Thanks to our Polish entity, Prowly, we have an opportunity to provide Ukraine with real help.
Dear community, if you are able to make donations, please consider Polish Humanitarian Action, an NGO that focuses on helping victims of humanitarian crises, specifically those suffering from the invasion of Ukraine. Semrush has already made a six-figure contribution to PAH.
Let’s focus our collective energy on helping the people of Ukraine.
I am a Semrush employee, and I #standforpeace. #freeUkraine
— Andrew Warden, CMO, Semrush
