February 24, 2014. Criminal proceedings with charges based on Article 327 (Part 1) of the Russian Federation Criminal Code (forgery, production, or sale of altered documents, state awards, stamps, seals, or forms) were instituted against a resident of Yekaterinburg recently. Sverdlovsk Region division of the Federal Service of Court Officers reports that the man, who had 500,000 RUR worth of debts in the form of bank loans, provided the enforcement officer with a credit card account statement and a copy of the payment order. According to these documents, a portion of the debt to one of the

February 21, 2014. According to Svyaznoy, 330 smartphones worth 3.3bn RUR and 130,000 tablet computers worth 1.4bn RUR were sold in Yekaterinburg in 2013. The sales of smartphones rose by 51% (in terms of per-item quantity) and by 84% (in terms of money), the sales of tablet computers rose by 90% and 26%, respectively, the retail company's Regional Development Director Denis Sheibal said. The median price of a smartphone in Yekaterinburg came to 10,000 RUR last year (which was 13% less than a year earlier); the figure for Ural Federal District was 9,700 RUR (-10%) and the figure for

February 21, 2014. Ural Airlines recently launched the fourth flight a week to the popular tourist destination from Yekaterinburg to Prague, the air carrier's press service reports. Starting from April 2, 2014, flights to the Czech capital will be offered four times a week. In addition to the traditional Thursday, Friday, and Sunday flights, there will be another one every Wednesday.

February 21, 2014. A new employee training program was launched at Uralvagonzavod Corporation's head plant within the framework of a new, large-scale project relating to he construction of up-to-date production facilities meant for making new generation special vehicles. The implementation of this project will mean the corporation will fully meet the Russian Defense Ministry's requirements relating to the employee qualifications and the technologies applied and therefore requirements relating to the quality of special vehicles, the corporation's press service says. 'This

February 21, 2014. Boris N. Yeltsin Ural Federal University scored 14th in the rating of the most affordable Russian colleges compiled by Interrating. According to the data provided, the national rating of universities accounted, among other things, for the cost of staying in a dormitory. The nominal sum a UFU students spends every year on tuition and dormitory fees is 94,900 RUR. Siberian Federal University, where the figure came to 57,100 RUR, proved the most affordable college in Russia, followed by Tomsk National Research Polytechnic University (59,800 RUR), and Kazan National Research

February 21, 2014. There are currently 412 hotels in Sverdlovsk Region with a total of 14,256 rooms, which means the area is already prepared, in terms of quantity, to host large-scale international competitions, Governor of Sverdlovsk Region's Information Policies Department reports. Under the FIFA requirements, Sverdlovsk Region must be able to provide 7,700 hotel rooms for the Mundial players and supporters, including 1,700 rooms for the accredited representatives. The hotels must be two- to five-star ones, and to make sure the guests get good service, the hotels must have enough

February 20, 2014. United Company RUSAL's enterprises located in the Urals produced less aluminum and alumina in 2013 than a year earlier, the company's press service reports. In 2013, the Urals-based enterprises produced more than 73,000,000 kg of aluminum, 1,733,000,000 kg of alumina, and 2,498,000,000 kg of bauxite. The company does not specify how much the aluminum and alumina production outputs dropped. 'The decrease of aluminum production last year has to do with the implementation of a special program that made it necessary to put a temporary halt on aluminum production

February 20, 2014. The vehicles produced by Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation) contributed significantly to the fact that the sports players, supporters, and visitors to the grand sports show were nice and comfortable at the winter Olympics in Sochi, Uralvagonzavod's press service reports. The tractors helped to complete all the large-scale construction jobs on time and finish up with all the infrastructure that is necessary for holding such high-profile events. All in all, 55 bulldozers of different makes were

February 20, 2014. Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (PNTZ, a member enterprise of ChTPZ Group) had a lime production facility commissioned recently. The enterprise needs the lime for its steel-smelting and ladle treatment production cycle. The section is located on the premises of Iron Ozone 32, a department meant for making steel ingots for weldless pipes, the Group's press service reports. The commissioning of the new production facility will complement a full steel-production cycle where lime and gas are used. The Iron Ozone 32 already has an industrial gas station that meets the

February 20, 2014. Yekaterinburg strategic development plan served as a team-building document for the city council and the local business community, whose joint interests are focused on the development of the social infrastructure, Deputy Mayor of Yekaterinburg Alexander Vysokinsky said in the course of a TV interview at Open Studio. 'The main factor we kept in mind while working on this plan was making sure the general public took part in the development of the plan and that the business community joined in the process as well. The city council is the locomotive here, and science is an

February 20, 2014. Having to meet the consumer lending bill's requirements (the bill is to come into effect on July 1, 2014) might affect the business of Sberbank, its performance results and its prospects badly, a memorandum on Sberbank's Eurobond issue says, according to Prime. The new bill on consumer lending was adopted in December 2013. The document says that the full value of a consumer loan cannot exceed the market's average (as calculated by the Central Bank) by more than one-third. The borrowing party is allowed to give the money back before the end of the loan period

February 19, 2014. Sinara Pipe Plant (SinTZ, a member enterprise of Pipe Metallurgical Company) embarked upon the start-up and commissioning jobs for an upgraded version of AVS 63 tube pointer, Pipe Metallurgical Company’s press service reports. ‘The launch of the updated equipment will signify the completion of Russia’s first coiled tubing production meant for making pipes that are up to 24m long and can be used in the nuclear industry, the machine-building sector, and the fuel and energy sector. This investment project is part of the enterprise’s strategic development program that is

February 19, 2014. Following a yearly analysis of the best deals, experts and representatives of EMEA Finance, an established international magazine, declared the restructuring of ChTPZ Group’s loan book (which was completed in 2013) the winner in the Best restructuring for Central and Eastern Europe/ Best restructuring in CEE category, ChTPZ Group’s press service reports. ChTPZ Group’s loan book was restructured in the form of two syndicated loans with the total volume of 86.464bn RUR with a seven-year repayment period and a bonded loan of 8.225bn RUR with one- to three-year circulation

February 19, 2014. Ural Airlines is announcing a special offer on two flights from Yekaterinburg to Paris and back. On May 20, 2014 only, a one-way ticket to Paris will be available for €120 (plus fees), the airline’s press service reports. Besides, travelers who will find themselves in the French capital on April 22, 2014, will have the benefit of one flight to Yekaterinburg for €120 (plus fees). Ural Airlines will also operate a flight from Yekaterinburg to Paris between April 22, 2014 and May 20, 2014 every Tuesday. ‘If they go to Paris for the spring break, travelers will be in for some

February 19, 2014. An exhibition of state-of-the-art hand-made dolls and tapestries is opened at Uralvagonzavod Exhibition Center for the first time. The exhibition area features works by the best artists from Nizhniy Tagil, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow. The exhibition is coordinated within the framework of the head plant museum’s cultural and educational projects, the corporation’s press service reports. ‘Among the exhibits are realistically-looking, pastiche, and primitive dolls, art dolls, and conceptual dolls by artists who employ different techniques and materials: plush, textiles, ladoll,

February 18, 2014. 40% of all the international retail brands operate their outlets in Yekaterinburg. This makes the Urals' capital Russia's No. 3 in this respect, preceded by Moscow, where 94% of all the international retail brands are available, and Saint Petersburg, with 54%. The list of Russia's Top 5 also comprises Krasnodar (33%) and Rostov-on-Don (32%), Store of Stores reports. This year's rating isn't strikingly different from last year's one, which has to do with a very small increase in the supply of good quality shopping space last year and therefore a

February 18, 2014. Public transport will stop operating temporarily in the central streets of Yekaterinburg on February 28; this has to do with the 11th Paralympics Torch Relay: the games will be held in Sochi on March 7-16, 2014, the city council reports. The local part of the relay will start in Square 1905 at 10 AM. Sportsplayers will go down Lenin Ave to Kommunary Square and then to Moskovskaya St and Furmanov St. Once in Vosmoye Marta St, the sportsplayers will turn left and will go towards Malyshev St, then to the Tsentralny Hotel, then to the right towards Rosa Luxembourg St and then

February 18, 2014. Russia’s Federal Service for Military & Technical Cooperation praised Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation for its contribution to advertising & exhibition activity. Following a recent meeting, the corporation decided to consider making up for some of the expenses relating to international exhibitions that are incurred by local enterprises, the corporation’s press service says. Russia’s Federal Service for Military & Technical Cooperation coordinated a meeting for representatives of interested national executive bodies and military and

February 18, 2014. Ural Federal University is now doing some research on the ‘developmental trajectories’ of its students studying for their master’s degrees. Among other things, the college management is planning to take a look at their homosexuality. UFU post grad students are now being surveyed via an ad hoc portal surveymonkey.com. The links to the website and encouraging invitations to join in the research can be found at UFU student union group in Vkontakte, Politsovet Information Agency reports. ‘The research is targeted at learning about the educational, scientific, professional, and

February 18, 2014. The fact that Ural motorcycles made in Irbit Motorcycle Plant (a member enterprise of OOO Russian Motorcycles) took part in the Olympics opening ceremony in Sochi has not had any impact on sales so far. However, the enterprise reports that quite a few customer queries were made, which allows for hope for more orders, the plant representative told UrBC. Now on February 7, 20 red Ural motorcycles (the make called Tourist) were featured during the opening ceremony of the 22nd winter Sochi Olympics. 'In the retrospective show presented, the motorcycles acted as the symbol