Russian Internet search giant Yandex donates 3.5 million rubles to Wikipedia

With a donation of 3.5 million rubles ($58,300), the Russian Internet giant Yandex has become a sponsor of the nonprofit organization “Wikimedia RU,” which manages the Russian segment of Wikipedia. The funds will support Wikipedia’s Russian projects, including contests organized by Wikinews, Wikivoyage, Wikibooks, Wikidata, Wiktionaries, and other offshoots.

The donation comes from Yandex’s new publishing house, which the company established last year to develop cultural and educational initiatives. The group’s first project was an online historical portal called “1917: Free History,” managed by Mikhail Zygar, the former chief editor of the independent news station Dozhd.