Telegram is basically the safest place in Russia’s digital space.

Yep. Alternatives are:

1. Mailru trash - comrade major knows everything
2. VK trash - comrade major knows everything
3. Whatsapp - comrade major knows your phone number, which means he knows who you are

Everything else is not popular.

these people must have been living under a rock

Russians are very advanced when it comes to the internet.

Putin does try to bring Russia into stone age. Russians are very advanced thanks for 1990-2016 period when goverment didn’t try to destroy internet.

They spend more time in it because real life sucks more than in other countries.

This is true. We probably have second worst healthcare after America.