Cloud Storage Setup for Russia: Selectel S3 Integration with CDN

Note: when the number of uploaded files exceeds several thousand per day, standard storage on a VPS becomes a bottleneck. We encountered this on an e-commerce project — the product page loaded in 2+ seconds due to slow image reading. After migrating to Selectel Cloud Storage (an S3-compatible object storage from a Russian provider), LCP dropped from 3.2s to 1.1s, and page load speed increased by 40%. Our decade-long experience in cloud technologies and over 50 implemented projects with Selectel guarantee results. This object storage resides in data centers in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, complies with 152-FZ, and replicates data in three copies.

Why Selectel Cloud Storage?

According to Selectel documentation, the service is fully compatible with the Amazon S3 API, allowing you to use any S3 client. Data is automatically replicated in three copies, ensuring fault tolerance and eventual consistency. The built-in CDN accelerator reduces load times for users in Russia and the CIS. And most importantly — you comply with 152-FZ requirements without additional approvals. Detailed S3 configuration is no different from working with Amazon S3, so your team adapts quickly.

Integration of this object storage for Russia into a project goes through the standard S3 API, simplifying development.

What problems do we solve?

• Slow upload and download. Selectel uses CDN acceleration, reducing response time by 2–3 times compared to FTP or VPS.
• Legal non-compliance. Data is stored in Russia; compliance with 152-FZ is automatic.
• Scaling difficulties. S3 architecture allows storing petabytes without downtime.

How to configure Selectel Cloud Storage: step by step

First, obtain S3 access keys: in the Selectel control panel, go to the "Users" section, create a new user, and generate access keys. Save them — you'll need them to configure your application.

1. Create a bucket in the Selectel control panel. Choose a region (ru-1 or ru-2) and access type (private).
2. Generate S3 keys in the "Users" section.
3. Configure your application (Laravel, Node.js, or others). Examples below.
4. Check file accessibility via presigned URLs or temporary signed URLs.

Laravel configuration (Laravel S3 disk)

// config/filesystems.php 'selectel' => [ 'driver' => 's3', 'key' => env('AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID'), 'secret' => env('AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY'), 'region' => env('AWS_DEFAULT_REGION', 'ru-1'), 'bucket' => env('AWS_BUCKET'), 'endpoint' => env('AWS_ENDPOINT', 'https://s3.ru-1.storage.selcloud.ru'), 'use_path_style_endpoint' => true, 'throw' => true, ]; // Upload a file $path = Storage::disk('selectel')->putFile('uploads/' . date('Y/m'), $request->file('document')); // Presigned URL for temporary access $url = Storage::disk('selectel')->temporaryUrl($path, now()->addHour()); // Public URL (if bucket is public) $url = Storage::disk('selectel')->url($path); 

Node.js with AWS SDK v3

import { S3Client, PutObjectCommand, GetObjectCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-s3"; import { getSignedUrl } from "@aws-sdk/s3-request-presigner"; const s3 = new S3Client({ region: "ru-1", endpoint: "https://s3.ru-1.storage.selcloud.ru", forcePathStyle: true, credentials: { accessKeyId: process.env.SELECTEL_KEY!, secretAccessKey: process.env.SELECTEL_SECRET!, }, }); // Upload await s3.send(new PutObjectCommand({ Bucket: "myapp-uploads", Key: `uploads/${Date.now()}-${filename}`, Body: fileBuffer, ContentType: mimeType, })); // Presigned URL for download const url = await getSignedUrl(s3, new GetObjectCommand({ Bucket: "myapp-uploads", Key: fileKey, }), { expiresIn: 3600 }); 

How to set up CDN?

Selectel provides a built-in CDN — simply enable the option in the control panel and configure a CNAME record. For static assets (css, js, images), load time decreases by 40-60%. For dynamic files, use presigned URLs. Ensure the bucket is open for reading (public) or set up a bucket policy with public access. Also configure CORS rules for the bucket if using a frontend.

Bucket access policy

Bucket policies function similarly to IAM policies in AWS. For public static file distribution (e.g., avatars):

{ "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Sid": "PublicReadAvatars", "Effect": "Allow", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:GetObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::myapp-uploads/avatars/*" } ] } 

Apply the policy using AWS CLI with a custom endpoint:

aws s3api put-bucket-policy --bucket myapp-uploads --policy file://bucket-policy.json --endpoint-url https://s3.ru-1.storage.selcloud.ru 

Synchronization and backup

# Sync local folder to Selectel aws s3 sync ./backups/ s3://myapp-backups/database/ --endpoint-url https://s3.ru-1.storage.selcloud.ru --exclude "*.tmp" # Copy between buckets (cross-region backup) aws s3 sync s3://myapp-uploads s3://myapp-uploads-backup --endpoint-url https://s3.ru-1.storage.selcloud.ru --source-region ru-1 

Comparison: Selectel vs traditional VPS storage

Typical integration mistakes

• CORS errors — don't forget to configure CORS rules for the bucket if using a frontend.
• Endpoint path style — Selectel requires path-style, so set use_path_style_endpoint: true.
• File size — for files > 5 GB, use multipart upload.

What our work includes

• Documentation of the configuration and access credentials.
• Audit of your current storage architecture.
• Creation and configuration of buckets, access policies.
• Integration with Laravel / Node.js / Python (Django) — code and documentation.
• CDN and presigned URL setup.
• Organization of automatic backups (scheduling, cross-region).
• Load testing and performance optimization.
• Handover of access and team training.

Contact us for a free audit of your storage.

Timeline and cost

Integration of this cloud storage integration into a typical project takes 1 to 3 days. The exact timeline depends on data volume and migration requirements. Cost is calculated individually — we will estimate your project for free after a brief. Order integration and get a ready-made solution with documentation.