UrBC, Moscow, January 26, 2016. Whereas Russians used to try to spend less money on clothes and food items six years ago, now they are forced to opt for less expensive vacations and entertainment, National Bureau of Financial Research (NAFI) states. People are apparently not prepared to cut their education investments or try to save money on housing bills. The number of those who can afford not to cut back on their spending has remained at 11% to 12% over the last six years. Nadezhda Khvylya-Olinter of Moscow State University and Sulakshin Center says people’s general feelings about the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, January 26, 2016. The overall number of new mortgages issued in Sverdlovsk Region came to 34,847 last year, which was 23.1% less than one year earlier (45,322), deputy head of Rosreyestr local division Larisa Gashkova said at a press conference. ‘Also, the number of contracts in the private building cooperatives sector declined by 11.7%, from 14,471 in 2014 down to 12,775 in 2015. This was brought about by the country’s general economic downfall,’ she said. According to Gashkova, the number of people who registered their property rights over housing within building

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, January 26, 2016. Prices went down by 2.6% on Sverdlovsk Region new homes market in the last quarter of 2015 compared with the third quarter; prices on the existing homes market declined by 1.5%, Sverdlovskstat reports. New medium-range and higher quality homes grew 5.4% and 1.4% less expensive, respectively, while apartments in the premium class segments grew 1.4% costlier. As for the existing homes market, lower quality and higher quality apartments grew 1.3% and 2.9% less pricey, respectively, while prices of medium-range and premium class homes rose by 0.5% and1.4%,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, January 26, 2016. Sverdlovsk Region’s industrial production index (IPI) declined by 3.7% in 2015 compared with the year 2014, Sverdlovskstat reports. The figure dropped by 9.1% in the fossil development sector, by 2.9% in the processing industries, and by 0.8% in the sector for production and distribution of electric power, natural gas, and water.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, January 26, 2016. Ural Vagon Zavod Corporation’s design office developed a special emblem to mark its head plant’s 80th anniversary, the company press service reports. ‘The emblem was inspired by the logos the company has used in the past. It is a symbol of generational continuity and the past years’ experience that laid the foundation for the development of a hi tech, modern production,’ the press service says. The emblem represents a protruded internal screw with ‘80’ in the center, the company’s 1936 logo on the left and its current logo on the right. ‘The corporation