On October 13, 2021, the TASS press center hosted a news conference to announce this year’s categories for the Runet Prize, the oldest and one of the most prestigious awards in the Russian segment of the internet. The speakers included RAEC Director Sergei Plugotarenko, RAEC Deputy Director Sergei Grebennikov, Deputy Director General of Dialogue Regions Vadim Nikishin, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism Yevgenia Chukhnova, Director of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ Andrey Vorobyev and others. They shared key features of the 2021 Prize, the categories and voting stages.
As is traditional, the Runet Prize is awarded to companies and organizations that have made a significant contribution to the development of the Russian internet industry over the past year. This year, the prize will be awarded in nine main and four special categories, as well as the popular vote category.
The Coordination Center has established a special category, SME Development, which will be awarded to the best small and medium-sized businesses that have registered a domain name in.RU or .РФ and launched a website in 2020 or 2021.
According to Coordination Center Director Andrey Vorobyev, it is important to continue to increase the number of registrations on Runet, and this is one of the goals of the Prize.
“The purpose of our special category is to identify and recognize successful projects that prove that small and medium-sized businesses have a place on the Russian internet and that the full potential of Russian ccTLDs has not yet been reached. We expect that young business leaders, startups, and SME owners will participate, and the best will be awarded the coveted statuette. Apply, win and infect others through your example,” Mr Vorobyev added.
RAEC Director Sergei Plugotarenko presented the main categories of the award:
- State and Society
- Economics and Business
- Medicine and Healthcare
- Science, Technology and Innovation
- Education and Personnel
- Mass Media and Communications
- Cultural Projects Online
- Gaming Industry and Cybersport
- Creative Industries
“This year, Creative Industries have been added to the traditional categories. More and more people and organizations are joining these industries today, developing them and bringing them up to world levels. Government agencies strongly support the development of creative industries.
The government plans to create a support system for the creative sector. The Concept for the Development of Creative Industries has been developed and approved by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. We expect everyone who is active in the Russian IT market to participate in Runet Prize 2021. This is an excellent opportunity to have your achievements over the past year be recognized and for you to become a significant player in the industry,” Sergei Plugotarenko said.
Special categories:
- Development of domestic tourism
- SME Development
- Open communications
- #HappinessIsReal
The winners of the popular vote will be recognized in three categories: Who, What and Where. This category differs from the others in that a candidate can apply free of charge, and the winners will be determined by users.
Applications for the Runet Prize will be accepted until November 20, 2021. The filing fee one application in the main or special categories is 15,000 rubles before November 1 and 20,000 rubles after November 1. Applications can be filed on the official website at premiaruneta.ru.
