MOSCOW - Reformer Boris Nemtsov Monday became the first Russian government official to launch a personal Internet site, allowing Web surfers to read about the deputy prime minister and ask him questions.
"Now I can communicate with the many thousands of Internet users. ... I believe that Internet users are the most progressive class of the Russian society," Nemtsov says in a recorded voice greeting for his visitors.
"I am convinced that the government should not be afraid of speaking directly to its citizens," he writes on the site. "I hope our communication will be interesting not only for me but for you as well."
In much of the world, governments, bureaucrats, and politicians have already gone online in a big, aggressive way. In Russia, the phenomenon is still new, but rapidly accelerating. As personal computer sales jump and more users get connected, many state and nongovernment institutions, including the Kremlin, the Defense Ministry, and the Russian Orthodox Church have their own sites.
Nemtsov's site is remarkable, though, in giving a personal platform for a politician viewed as a leading candidate for the Russian presidency in 2000. The "official" portion of the site brings together important statements, political views, a biography, and a forum for comment. Nemtsov makes a daring promise on the site: replies to all email messages.
The site also features pages that allow visitors to glimpse Nemtsov the tennis player and family man.
"Sport is my main hobby. I started playing tennis about 20 years ago. If I had been told then that all the bosses would be playing tennis I would have chosen something else, say roller skating," he says in a section called "No, I'm not a bureaucrat."
Most pages on the site are in Russian only. Some English translations are planned.
