| Summary: | In this article, we analyse the audience of social media through the prism of network approach, i.e. the strength of social bonds in online communities, using the example of orthodox Christian communities in the VKontakte social network. According to Manuel Castells’ theory of network community, the Internet in the modern socium is not simply a communication channel. Rather, it is a complicated organisational structure of network society. In the present state of the art, the core of the Internet is presented, in turn, with communities of social networks. There are both strong and weak social relations among the participants of such communities. The strong social relations include some “circles of contacts” with relatives, work colleagues and friends. By contrast, the weak relations include those with users with whom a participant of a community is not acquainted personally but share a common interest. The current article describes the mechanism of social community growth by means of the development of weak social relations and virus-like content distribution (e.g., likes, republications, comments). The empirical study investigated the orthodox Christian communities in the VKontakte social network, specifically the social composition of these communities’ users. This study examined the social and demographic make-up, social and economic characteristics, and life values of the audience. Concerning the life values of the audience, the study showed the domina weak social relations among the participants of such communities. The strong social relations include some “circles of contacts” with relatives, work colleagues and friends. By contrast, the weak relations include those with users with whom a participant of a community is not acquainted personally but share a common interest. The current article describes the mechanism of social community growth by means of the development of weak social relations and virus-like content distribution (e.g., likes, republications, comments). The empirical study investigated the orthodox Christian communities in the VKontakte social network, specifically the social composition of these communities’ users. This study examined the social and demographic make-up, social and economic characteristics, and life values of the audience. Concerning the life values of the audience, the study showed the domina.
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