MOSCOW - The InoSMI Internet project (www.inosmi.ru), which publishes foreign media articles translated into Russian, won an award at Runet Award-2007 on Tuesday.

The competition, which acknowledges contributions to the development of Russia's Web segment, was created by the Federal Agency for Print and Mass Media. InoSMI gained an award in the culture and mass media category.

The project's Website, launched by the RIA Novosti news agency in February 2004, has visitors from Russia, the former Soviet republics and other countries.

In comments made after the awards ceremony, InoSMI Editor in Chief Yaroslav Ognev said that the idea initially seemed risky, as it had been decided that the site should translate and publish materials that are interesting and not banal. Strictly speaking, such material is not predominant in international media.

However, due to hard work and dedication, the site has become very popular with Russian readers and also with visitors from foreign countries. Today, InoSmi is getting between 70,000 and 90,000 visitors every day - a very high figure for a serious Russian news site.

InoSMI had previously received the "Information web-site of the year award" from the EZhE International Union of Internet Professionals. Now its role in the development of the Russian Internet has been officially certified with the prestigious Runet Award, Ognev said.