December 17, 2013. The official unemployment rate in Sverdlovsk Region dropped by 0.13% as December 1, 2013 compared with December 1, 2012 and amounted to 1.14%, the press service of Sverdlovsk Region Economics Ministry reports. As of December 1, 2013, the number of the unemployed officially registered with the employment agencies was 26,242 people in Sverdlovsk Region. The number of vacancies posted by the local employers was 37,635 people, which was 2,911 more than in the eleven months of 2012.

December 17, 2013. Officers from Division K of Sverdlovsk Region division of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry detained the members of an organized crime group that stole cash from ATMs using the copies of bank card details that had been obtained with special devices,’ Sverdlovsk Region division of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry’s press service reports. The two suspects were detained at 11:50 PM on December 5. A search of their car detected they had some white plastic cards without any details on them, with a magnetic strip and some digits put there with a marker. Over 700,000 RUR

December 17, 2013. The Chief Federal Inspector in Yamalo-Nenetsky Autonomous Region Alexander Kaliberda was appointed Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Ural Federal District, the Plenipotentiary Representative’s press service reports. ‘Under the decree of Head of the Russian Federation President Administration Sergey Ivanov, Alexander M. Kaliberda was appointed Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Ural Federal District,’ the Plenipotentiary Representative’s press service says. The position became vacant on November 19,

December 17, 2013. Ural Airlines is offering special prices on two Europe-bound flights, Yekaterinburg-Paris and Yekaterinburg-Barcelona; these will be operated on January 8 and 11, respectively. The tickets are available for ?99 (one way, fees and charges not included). ‘At the start of the year, Paris and Barcelona will appeal to the travelers who enjoy relaxed and slow-paced vacations, as January is a low season for tourist. On the other hand, the first month of the year is the time of the traditional winter sales, when all the European brands sell their goods virtually for nothing,’ the

December 17, 2013. 300 people took part in the Olympic Torch relay in Yekaterinburg; the relay was 54 km long. On Sunday, several hundred people gathered to meet the symbol of the Olympics in Square 1905 downtown. The Olympics of 1976 ski race champion and world champion of 1978, deserved master of sports of the USSR Zinaida Amosova was the first person to carry the torch. The route was cleared off vehicles, and over 300 street signs forbidding parking were installed along the roads. Yekaterinburg Council employed a lot of snow-removing vehicles to prepare the route and to control the

December 16, 2013. A group of delegates from Burevestnik Central Scientific Research Institute (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation) took part in the 48th military & scientific conference in Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy in Saint Petersburg. According to the corporation’s press service, the event was dedicated to the possibilities of making the combat employment of missile and artillery troops more efficient and of integrating with various kinds of precision weapons in combat. The conference was attended by representatives of key

December 16, 2013. METCOMBANK keeps expanding its geographical network: a new branch in Sochi was opened at the AZIMUT Hotel Sochi Resort on December 13. The bank’s press service reports that the new lending and cash services branch, called Sochi, offers its services to both private individuals and corporates. Customers can arrange for various transactions here: have their currency exchanged, make money transfers and money orders, get advice on banking and adjacent products and services, and use the ATM and the self-service terminals. Corporates can use the cash services, too. ‘An office

December 16, 2013. Ural Airlines announced the launch of its new online booking service called Amadeus e-Retail, the carrier’s press service reports. ‘The service allows customers to book and buy tickets via the company’s airline and plan connecting flights with the benefits of all the partner and interline agreements with other air carriers. The launch of the new module is another step within the company’s policy of introducing all the options of the new Amadeus Altea platform,’ the message states. Amadeus e-Retail is a ready technological platform that is both easy and user-friendly to

December 16, 2013. Yekaterinburg is ready for the Olympic Torch Relay – the torch was delivered to the Urals’ capital on Friday. The Olympic Torch was taken from the railway station to the Russian Railways Museum and then to Nizhniy Tagil. Yekaterinburg actually only welcomed the Torch on Friday, the relay itself was scheduled for December 14. During the relay, roads were cleared off vehicles, special marks were made on the roads and about 300 signs forbidding parking were located along the route. What is more, a lot of snow-cleaning vehicles were employed to prepare the route for the relay

December 16, 2013. Bitcoin, the virtual money, can now serve as the official legal tender in Yekaterinburg. The discount bar chain Killfish (with HQ in Saint Petersburg) now officially allows one to pay the check with bitcoins in all of its cafes, including the ones in the Urals’ capital. The chain announced the check could be paid with the help of a customer card, and the bitcoins get transferred into this card account via one’s electronic account on the bar chain’s website. Killfish is the first registered organization in Russia to accept bitcoins as legal tender. In late November, the

December 13, 2013. The assembly of the 65А90F1-11 mill-drill-bore machine is about to be completed at Foundry Department 3 of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation's head plant. The machine costs 11m RUR, the corporation's press service reports. 'The 65А90F1-11 machine was manufactured in Russia and is meant for the primary processing of die tooling and for repair and manufacturing of new parts for the press-forging plant. Uralvagonzavod's Foundry Department 3 makes spare parts and joints for the carriage-making and mechanical assembly facilities, and 95%

December 13, 2013. A new city council-run kindergarten fit for 135 children will very soon appear in Novy Svet, a residential district that Sinara Development is putting up in Soviet District of Volgograd. The construction of a kindergarten will solve the problem of local kindergarten shortage, the company's press service says. The new kindergarten is expected to be put up next to the first section of a housing block in Malinovsky St that was commissioned in July 2013. By the end of 2014, four more nine-storey apartment buildings with apartments for 600 Volgograd families will be

December 13, 2013. The shareholders of EVRAZ Kachkanar Ore Mining & Processing Enterprise (EVRAZ KGOK) are going to consider terminating the authority of the company's BOD before the end of the term on February 21, 2014, the issuer's official statement goes. On the same day, the company owners will have to decide on the number of new BOD members and elect the members.

December 13, 2013. Transport Machine-Building Design Office (KBTM, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) took part in the 15th International Forum Cement, Concrete, and Dry Mix 2013 (ExpoCem). The forum was held in Moscow on November 26-28, 2013, Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation's press service reports. 'KBTM presented its foundry department's produce, as it is this produce that is particularly interesting for the cement-making plants. The company makes a wide range of metallurgical goods for quite a few industrial sectors. Every month, KBTM

December 13, 2013. VSMPO-Electro, controlled by VSMPO-Avisma Corporation, got liquidated, the issuer's official statement says. An entry to this extent was made in the United State Register of Legal Entities. VSMPO-Electro was registered on March 20, 2006 and dealt in wholesale trading of electric and heating power though agents.

December 12, 2013. Over 250 upgraded T-72B3 tanks have been delivered to the Armed Forces of Western and Eastern Military Districts, and 20 more tanks will be delivered before the end of the year, Interfax –AVN refers to Russian Defense Ministry Press Service Representative for Ground Forces Major Kirill Kiselev as saying, Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press officer reports. ‘Some of the new vehicles have already been put in operation and assigned to certain crews. Prior to the start of the operation, the tank divisions teams were retrained to operate the new types of vehicles at Omsk division

December 12, 2013. Austria’s law-enforcement authorities are going to extradite a banker named Alexander Gitelison, who is on the international ‘wanted’ list, upon the demand of the Russian Federation General Prosecutor’s Office. The man was placed on this list because of charges relating to nearly 2bn RUR embezzlement of Leningrad Region Government’s funds, the spokesperson for the authorities reports. Gitelson was BOD Chairman of Inkasbank (a member enterprise of East European Financial Corporation (VEFK)). He was also BOD Chairman of Bank VEFK-Ural that went bankrupt in 2009. The man is

December 12, 2013. Ural Airlines is celebrating the upcoming New Year 2014 by launching a prize-winning lottery called ‘Moscow as New Year Present!’ The winner will be given two round trip tickets from a Russian city to Moscow and back, the airline’s press service reports. Anyone willing to do so can fly with Ural Airlines and be treated to a nice New Year gift for two: one only needs to book a plane ticket to any destination using the air carrier’s website www.uralairlines.com on December 11-25, 2013. For more details on the rules of the lottery, go to the special section at the company

December 12, 2013. The construction of the first launch system at Akademicheskaya Power Station in Yekaterinburg is now complete. This system will provide the city’s central heating system with a new unit with the capacity of 120 gigacalories per hour, TGK-9’s press service reports. The boiler house underwent all the tests and trials successfully. The facility produced 7,500 gigacalories in the test mode, and the official launch will take place before the end of the year. The new unit will ensure the necessary hydraulic controls, will enhance the reliability of heat supply in the

December 12, 2013. Russia’s Transport Ministry drew up some amendments to the Federal Special Purpose Program (FTsP) called ‘Russia’s Transportation System Development in 2010-2020’; under these amendments, an additional 51m RUR will be allocated from the federal budget to help Yekaterinburg prepare for the FIFA World Football Championship of 2018, Izvestiya reports. The ministry also explains that the amendments to the program are based on the Budget Plan 2014 that was adopted in December, and on the plans for 2014-2016 as well as on the Government’s decree on preparation for the World Cup.