> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ruapi.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Google AI Studio in Russia: how to use it and get a Gemini key

> Why Google AI Studio says “not available in your region”, whether you can open it from Russia, and how to use Gemini 4 Argon, Gemini 3.1 Pro and Nano Banana without a VPN — in the Cherry Studio chat app or via the API with a RuAPI key.

**Short answer:** Google AI Studio is a Google website where you can chat with Gemini models and get a Gemini API key. Russia is not on the list of countries where AI Studio is available, so from Russia it shows "not available in your region". The same Gemini models — Gemini 4 Argon, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Flash-Lite and Nano Banana for images — are available from Russia with a RuAPI key: in a convenient chat app (for example, Cherry Studio) or in your code. No VPN needed.

## Why AI Studio doesn't open

| What you see | Why | What to do |
| - | - | - |
| `Google AI Studio is not available in your region` | Russia is not on the list of countries where Google AI Studio and the Gemini API are available | Use Gemini with a RuAPI key — see below |
| AI Studio opens only with a VPN | Google determines your country by IP | We don't recommend a VPN: the connection is unstable, and using the service from an unsupported country may violate Google's terms |
| No Gemini API key | The key is issued by the same AI Studio | A RuAPI key works with Gemini models over both the OpenAI-compatible protocol and Google's native one |

> [!NOTE]
>
> The country list is on the [Available regions](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/available-regions) page on ai.google.dev (updated 28 April 2026, checked 22 October 2026). The list may change.

## How to use Gemini without AI Studio

**1. RuAPI key**

Sign up at [www.ruapi.ai](https://www.ruapi.ai/?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-google-ai-studio-russia) (with email, Google or Yandex), top up your balance in USDT from 5 USDT — if you don't have USDT yet, [buy it with rubles via SBP (Faster Payments System)](/en/buy-usdt.md) — and in the Console open **API Keys** → **Create API key**.

**2. A chat, like in AI Studio**

Install the free [Cherry Studio](/en/integrations/cherry-studio.md) or [Open WebUI](/en/integrations/open-webui.md) app, set the address to `https://www.ruapi.ai/v1` and add your key — then pick a Gemini model, for example `gemini-4-argon`. No coding needed.

**3. Or via the API, in your own code**

You don't need a separate Google library — a regular OpenAI SDK works. If your code is already written with the Google GenAI SDK, change the key and the address.

```python OpenAI SDK theme={null}
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-your-RuAPI-key",
    base_url="https://www.ruapi.ai/v1",
)

resp = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gemini-4-argon",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)
```

```python Google GenAI SDK theme={null}
from google import genai

client = genai.Client(
    api_key="sk-your-RuAPI-key",
    http_options={"base_url": "https://www.ruapi.ai"},  # no /v1beta
)

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-4-argon",
    contents="Hello!",
)
print(response.text)
```

A step-by-step guide to getting a Gemini key is in [How to get the Gemini API in Russia](/en/gemini-api-russia.md).

## Which Gemini models are available

| Model | What it's for |
| - | - |
| `gemini-4-argon` | Google's flagship for reasoning: complex code, analysis, long documents |
| `gemini-3.1-pro-preview` | Complex tasks and long context |
| `gemini-3.5-flash-lite` | High volume, classification — fast and cheap |
| Nano Banana Pro (`gemini-3-pro-image-preview`), Nano Banana 2 (`gemini-3.1-flash-image`) | Image generation and editing — see the [image generation guide](/en/image-generation.md) |

Current prices are in the table on the [Gemini API in Russia](https://www.ruapi.ai/gemini-api?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-google-ai-studio-russia) page and on the [pricing page](https://www.ruapi.ai/pricing?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-google-ai-studio-russia).

## FAQ

> **How do I open Google AI Studio in Russia?**
>
> Without a VPN, you can't: AI Studio checks your country and shows "not available in your region". But AI Studio is only a window to the Gemini models: the same models are available from Russia with a RuAPI key — in a chat app or in code.

> **Is it free, like AI Studio?**
>
> No. In supported countries, AI Studio has free limits; through RuAPI, Gemini requests are paid — pay as you go, no subscription, top-ups from 5 USDT. We usually give new users \$0.05 right away to try deepseek-flash.

> **Can I generate images with Nano Banana?**
>
> Yes. Nano Banana Pro (`gemini-3-pro-image-preview`) and Nano Banana 2 (`gemini-3.1-flash-image`) work with the same key via `/v1/chat/completions`. Code examples are in the [image generation guide](/en/image-generation.md).

> **Are these Google's official models?**
>
> RuAPI is an independent API gateway, not an official Google partner. Through the gateway, you reach the same Gemini models from Google — with no model substitution and no quality cuts.

> **Can I pay with a Russian card?**
>
> Cards from Russian banks, including Mir, are not accepted. USDT and USDC work — you can buy them with rubles via SBP — as does a Visa / Mastercard card from a foreign bank.

## Next steps

> **[Gemini API in Russia: prices](https://www.ruapi.ai/gemini-api?lng=en\&utm_source=docs\&utm_campaign=en-google-ai-studio-russia)**
>
> Models, prices, comparison with direct access.

> **[How to get the Gemini API in Russia](/en/gemini-api-russia.md)**
>
> Step by step: key, top-up, first request.

> **[Cherry Studio](/en/integrations/cherry-studio.md)**
>
> Chat with Gemini, Claude and GPT without code.

> **[Image generation](/en/image-generation.md)**
>
> Nano Banana and GPT Image — code examples.


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