Number of web surfers up 350,000 per month in Russia

Russians are flocking to the Web like never before, with more than 350,000 new surfers venturing into cyberspace each month. The number of adults who have used the Internet at least once in the last six months has jumped from 8.8 million in September to nearly 12 million now, according to the author of a new survey, Russkiye Fondy (Russian Funds), a shareholder in the Rambler Internet holding. And Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Andrey Sharonov predicted that the number could hit 20 million by 2005.

With roughly 11 percent of the adult population having experienced the Web, Russia would have ranked No. 22 in the world in terms of Internet penetration, just above Argentina and Brazil, but behind Spain and Italy, as of September 2002, according to a Public Opinion Fund survey, the St. Petersburg Times reported.