The article discusses the inequalities that emerged in parallel with, and as a result of, the rise of digital media across the world. The analysis of theoretical approaches to the digital divide in both global and national contexts proves that digital inequality is a multi-faceted issue that has been developing over the course of time and is noticeably affected by the changing realities of digital media today. The article broadens the discussion by adding the issue of multi-ethnicity to the theoretical context, looking at the digital divide in a national context, in this case Russia. The paper focuses on the empirical dimensions of digital inequality on a country-wide level, analysing the issue of the digital divide as both a theoretical and a practical phenomenon. Consequently, possible ways to overcome and to prevent the digital divide are discussed, with a focus on media policy and digital engagement through media literacy playing a crucial role in this process.