The Russian government is willing to earmark an unprecedented $8 million (250 million rubles) for a website capable of handling only 300 users simultaneously in a move to popularise Russian culture and traditions among young people.
In comparison, launching a good quality website for smart phones or multipads generally costs between three and nine million rubles ($100,000-300,000) in Russia. Officials in charge of the project said they hoped the 250-million-ruble price tag would be reduced as a result of a tender, Fontanka.ru said.
The Culture Ministry said that the website’s creators would have to divide the history of Russia into 25 development stages, each described in around five hundred words, and supply them with “colorful illustrations and photographs,” the Fontanka.ru website said.
The winner of the tender will be announced on December 7. The website is expected to start early next year.