UrBC, Yekaterinburg, October 5, 2015. Metcombank's Academic District Membership Card Project has been around for exactly three years now, the bank's press service reports. The project was launched on September 30, the date when Yekaterinburg's new district was founded. 'We thought a socially beneficial project that can help save time and money would prove the best present for all the locals,' says Metcombank Deputy Chair of the Board Nina Batalova. Over 5,000 have got themselves a card so far. The card offers discounts on housing and telecommunications bills and

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, October 5, 2015. Employees of UVZ Corporation's member enterprises met in Zvezdny Camp for their Literary Weekend last week, the company press service reports. First, there was the Eight Elegant Presents Contest, where eight teams had to act out extracts from well-known literary works. The next day, there was a sports competition and an educational workshop held by UVZ Corporate University faculty members. The weekend's agenda also featured a Literary Quarters section, where teams had to feature a character from a book or some authors. Finally, there was a round

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, October 5, 2015. ChTPZ Group Training Center hosted one of the first rounds of WorldSkills Hi-Tech, a hi tech blue-collar jobs contest, the company press service reports. 22 young workers competed for the prizes; the contestants work at the three enterprises that are part of the Group's pipe-manufacturing and O&G divisions. There were six competition categories all in all: Mechatronics, Mobile Robotics, NP Milling, NP Turning, Welding, and Wiring. The judges' panel decided on the following winners: Alexander Ilynykh won the first prize in Mobile Robotics,

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, October 5, 2015. SOT, a member enterprise of Rimera Group, delivered a set of 1.5DN pressed bends to its key customer for the first time. The first batch of this new product type was complemented with six 530mm stamp-welded bends (turn angle 90°) made of K52 steel in compliance with the TU 1469-027-74238272-2011 standards. According to the company press service, the bends are meant for Transneft Prikamye, which will use them to build excess pressure protectors at Lopatino oil pumping station in Samara Region. SOT was able to manufacture the necessary 1.5DN pressed bends due

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, October 5, 2015. The Russian national currency is expected to grow a bit stronger in October, says Bank Koltso Urala's Foreign Currency Transactions Director Igor Nesterovitch. According to Nesterovitch, stable oil prices and not having to make large foreign debt repayments will serve as supporting factors. 'Oil prices might get stabilized at $50 to $55 for a while, which will make a positive impact on our national currency. If prices stop at over $50, the ruble exchange rate is likely to fluctuate between 62 and 66 RUR per US dollar and between 69 and 74 RUR