According to the company’s spokesperson Oleg Vlasov, no consumption limits have yet been introduced as the weather is still freezing; however, Uralsevergaz CJSC did ask the consumers to use less natural gas for industrial purposes whenever possible and switch to other types of fuel such as coal and black oil instead. Power plants, for instance, have been using those already. Explains Mr Vlasov: ‘Since it is really cold now in virtually all of Russia, we have had to ask our clients to use their gas supplies wisely. The top priority in gas provision is given to population and socially important

On January 20, 2006, the Board of Directors of Sinara Group CJSC decided to appoint Alexander Shiryaev General Director starting February 1, 2006. The former GD Yuriy Sokolov was appointed the company’s Chair of the Board. Alexander Shiryaev had been Deputy GD of TMK JSC throughout 2002-2005. He’s been Vice Chairman of Sinara Group CJSC since 2005. Sinara Group is a conglomerate of metallurgical, machine building and investment enterprises varying in scale and spheres of entrepreneurial activities.

Siberia Airlines summed up its entrepreneurial achievements in 2005. According to the company’s spokesperson, the carrier performed 32,672 flights in 2005, with the total number of passengers being 4,204 000 people. 63.6% of the passengers were carried on internal flights and 36.4% traveled internationally. The annual passenger turnover comprised 10,949 million passenger/kilometers, while the turnover of goods and mail reached a point of 25,788 tons. The company also took some foreign aircrafts on lease last year, namely, eight Boeing 737-500 models and four Airbus A310 ones.

According to the data presented by Sverdlovsk Region Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the output of vodka and liquors produced by Tagilvodka JSC comprised 341400 decalitres in 2005, which makes up 89% of the previous year’s output (38,3600 decalitres). The winery produced 55,060 decalitres of vodka and liquors in December 2005, which signifies a 14.9% percent increase compared to the previous December (47,900 decalitres), of which 18,510 decalitres had not been sold by January 1, 2006.

The extremely cold weather in Tyumen Region, and Autonomous Regions of Yamalo-Nenetsk and Khanty-Mansiysk makes power plants work at the maximum load, reports the spokesperson for Tyumenenergo JSC. The frost has already caused a 200-megawatt increase in power consumption in Tyumen Region (compared to December 2005), which brought the figures to a record of 10,068 megawatt on January 11, 2006, given that there weren’t any limits set as to how much consumers could actually use. The current temperatures make it somewhat difficult to make sure the equipment is functioning properly and thus impose

Chelyabenergosbyt JSC has been shopping at the wholesale market since January 1. 2006. As the company’s spokesperson said to UrBC representative, the distributor had up to then been buying electricity in equal parts at the electricity wholesale market and from the generating company of Chelyabinsk and Yuzhnouralskaya water power plant. It has been decided, however, that the regional dealers should first deliver electricity onto the market, with distributors consequently acquiring the needed amount there. The data presented by ATS non-profit partnership indicate that 54 new players joined the

11 hotels fit for 647 people were introduced in Yekaterinburg in 2005 within the framework of Hotels of Yekaterinburg project and 10 more are to start operating in 2006, reports the Yekaterinburg Public Administration Commodities Market Committee. According to Deputy Mayor Viktor Konteev, the city is currently facing a real hotel boom. Yekaterinburg was the fourth city to be given the international Park Inn hotel chain in 2005. 7 hotels, including Bolshoy Ural, Iset, Zelenaya Rosha and Uktus Hotels were renovated and some of them (Grand Avenue Hotel, to name only one) are going to welcome

‘The primary intent of selling our 26% share holding in Uralagrotorg plc to Agrostar (Pyaterochka Holding) is to increase profits,’ claimed shareholder of Pyaterochka-Chelyabinsk Yelena Krasnikova while commenting for UrBC upon signing of the share purchase agreement. ‘Our efforts to enter into an alliance with the biggest Russian retailer are determined by hopes to increase not only profits but also our market share’ Ms Krasnikova says. While commenting on the Agrostar expectations to increase its share in Pyaterochka-Ural up to 100%, Ms Krasnikova indicated that this is not to affect the

Procurement sugar prices went up by 7% at the beginning of 2006, the spokesperson for Kupets Shopping Center said to UrBC representative. ‘The prime costs have been rising even though the store charge has remained the same; we’ve already run out of the supplies so the new ones will have to be bought at these new prices,’ the company’s spokesperson explained. It appears that the further rise is going to depend on the global raw prices.

Talitskiy Spirtoviy Zavod (Distillery of Talitsa) PLC produced 452600 decalitres of rectified alcohol, which makes up 90.6% of the previous year’s output (499700 decalitres). According to the data presented by Sverdlovsk Region Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the distillery produced 81,400 decalitres of alcohol in December 2005, which signifies a 17.8% increase compared to December 2004, of which 6,280 decalitres had not been sold by January 1, 2006.