Dau. Katya — Tanya

Warning: Contains pervasive psychological abuse, coercive control, and non-simulated emotional distress.

: Katya eventually finds tenderness with Tanya (Tatyana Polozhiy), a journalist. Their relationship provides a rare "LGBT+ angle" in the project, which was highly frowned upon in the Soviet setting—and remains a sensitive topic in modern Russia. DAU. Katya Tanya

Exploring the Portrayal of Daily Active Users (DAU) in the Context of Social Media and Online Interactions: A Case Study of Katya and Tanya in DAU Exploring the Portrayal of Daily Active Users (DAU)

Katya, often perceived as the more pragmatic and grounded of the pair, exists within the institute’s ecosystem as both a caretaker and a prisoner of its logic. She navigates the absurdities of Soviet scientific life with a weary, bureaucratic resignation. Tanya, in contrast, embodies raw, unfiltered emotion—jealousy, desire, and a desperate need for connection. Their interactions are rarely sentimental. Instead, they circle each other like magnets with reversed polarity: sometimes drawn together by shared isolation, more often repelled by the inherent competitiveness that the patriarchal, surveillance-state environment forces upon women. Their interactions are rarely sentimental

refers to Kora (or Cora), Dau’s wife, though in certain translations and subtitles, or specifically regarding the film DAU. Katya Tanya , the focus shifts between the women. However, the primary "wife" figure in the DAU universe is Kora (played by Darya Ekamasova).