The first 2 websites with Cyrillic domain names are up and running as of last night. The websites are www.президент.рф (the President.rf) and www.правительство.рф (the Government.rf). Both websites have their English analogues (although the layout of the President's one does not even remotely look like the Russian version).

The news were even more surprising to this blogger who did not expect such efficiency, especially in the light of the yesterday's official announcement that the first Cyrillic domain would start working only by the beginning of June. Note that the original provisional date for the .рф websites was set for autumn 2010.

As was reported earlier, the first websites to become available to public are those of the official governmental bodies. Companies and other commercial organisations have had their registration period extended until 16 September 2010.