February 11, 2015. The judges in the Russian Construction Ministry’s first urban development contest presented their list of finalists in several categories. According to Yekaterinburg Council’s press service, Yekaterinburg competes in three categories: Best Completed Energy-Saving Project on Economy Class Housing (the city’s Academic District), Best Multi-Faceted Area Development Project (Academic District), and Best Completed Low-Rise Construction Housing Project (Michurinsky District). These three projects compete with projects from Vladikavkaz, Megion, Surgut, Tyumen, Moscow, Kirov,

February 11, 2015. Sverdlovsk Railways’ freight turnover rose by 7.3% in January 2015 compared with January 2014 and amounted to 17.05bn ton-kilometers. At the same time, the amount of cargo consisting of building materials dropped by nearly 25% and came to 1m tons, Sverdlovsk Railways’ press service reports. Besides, scrap metal and ferrous metals shipments declined by 16%, industrial raw material and molding material shipments declined by 12%, and coke, chemical and mineral fertilizers, and non-ferrous ore and sulfur stuffs shipments declined by 11.3%, 8.8%, and0.4%, respectively. At the

February 11, 2015. The unemployment rate in Sverdlovsk Region came to 154,200 people in January: this comes to 6.7% of the working-age population in the area, Sverdlovskstat reports. The figure stood at 6.5% (151,300 people) last December. The overall working-age population has remained the same – some 2.3m people.

February 11, 2015. 672 residents of Sverdlovsk Region are now allowed to leave the country because of their debts, which total to 397m RUR, Sverdlovsk Region division of Russia’s Federal Service of Court Officers’ press service reports. ‘217 people are those who failed to pay their criminal fines; their accumulated debts come to over 10m RUR. These debtors are not allowed to go abroad based on Article 15 of the Federal Act on Leaving and Entering the Russian Federation; the 10,000-ruble ‘debt threshold’ does not apply here,’ the press service says. 191 people owe a total of 151.6m RUR to

February 10, 2015. Rosneft and Uralvagonzavod Corporation are starting to work together on scientific research on, production of and introduction of hi tech lubricating materials. According to the corporation’s press service, the oil company representatives attended Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s head plant in order to hold talks on the partnership agreement that was signed by Rosneft President and Chairman of the Board Igor Sechin and Uralvagonzavod Corporation Director-General Oleg Sienko. The talks resulted in a cooperation strategy and in plans to develop, test, and produce lubricating

February 10, 2015. Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s head plant museum is currently running For the Good of the Fatherland, an exhibition dedicated to the plant workers who took part in the local wars in the second half of the 20th century. According to the corporation’s press service, there are materials on over forty people and some 200 exhibits in the exhibition hall. The exhibits and artifacts were provided by the war veterans and their families themselves as well as by Special Operation Unit 12 from Ural Interior Troops, and by Nizhniy Tagil Local War Veterans Museum. ‘Many of these exhibits

February 10, 2015. Sverdlovsk Region Arbitration Court is going to consider the claim laid by Stupinskiy Trading Firm: the plaintiff asks for Sysert-based Energomash-Uralgidromash to be declared insolvent. The claim was placed with the court on February 4, 2015. Now Energomash-Uralgidromash was a successor or Uralelectrotyazhmash-Uralgidromash, which, in its turn, was set up as a result of a merger between Uralelectrotyazhmash and Uralgidromash. The company was registered on March 2, 2009. It primarily focuses on making pumps and liquid-lifting equipment; the company also deals in repair and

February 10, 2015. This year’s first issue of the monthly magazine Technowars came out; the magazine is the product of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation and is supported by the Russian Industry & Trade Ministry’s Military & Industrial Committee and by the Promising Research Fund. According to the corporation’s press service, while working on the issue the editorial board couldn’t but consider the changing geopolitical circumstances and the way this will affect the Russian defense industry. Judging by the key industrial projects under way at the moment, the Russian

February 10, 2015. Head of Yekaterinburg Council Alexander Yakob thanked the coordinators and participants of Russian Ski Track 2015, the All-Russian ski race, the city council’s press service reports. The outcome of the race has proved once again that Yekaterinburg can easily host any large-scale events on a great organizational level. This year, Russian Ski Track gathered together over 20,000 sports lovers, all of whom had to be invited, delivered to their pistes, and protected against any security and safety problems. Thanks to the city council, all the planning had taken place well in

February 9, 2015. Russia’s Federal Tariff Service issued Order 311-t/1 dated January 29, 2015 on changes in and amendments to Price List 10-01 on Freight Forwarding & Infrastructure Services Offered by Russian Railways. Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press service reports that the document gives freight forwarders the right to a discounted empty run rate when its innovative gondola cars 12-196-01 and 12-196-02 are used. ‘These discounts mean companies using gondola cars 12-196-01 and 12-196-02 can reduce their internal costs and improve the efficiency of haulage operations. The Federal

February 9, 2015. The assets of AMUR Car Factory have been put up to auction once again: this information is available on the Unified Federal Insolvency Register’s website. There are 29 lots to bid for (mostly machines and other kinds of industrial equipment, spare parts, and tools), with the consolidated opening bid set at over 5.8m RUR. The auction is to take place on March 13, 2015, and bidders can submit their bids starting from January 26. AMUR was set up in 2003 as the offspring of Ural Car Plant, which, in its turn, was founded as the spare parts subsidiary for MosavtoZIL. Sverdlovsk

February 9, 2015. A portable ice-generating system is now being assembled at Uralvagonzavod stadium in Nizhniy Tagil in preparation for the Russian Classic hockey match. According to Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press service, the system is a necessary back-up in case of warmer temperatures which could be detrimental to the ice coating. ‘Two trucks delivered the necessary equipment to Nizhniy Tagil, namely, a set of ice mats and a Freon refrigerating unit. The unit is in charge of cooling the ethylene glycol that runs inside the ice mat pipes and keeps the ice arena cold. The equipment was

February 9, 2015. The cost of car fuel in Russia declined by 0.2% between January 27 and February 2 and by 0.1% compared with the beginning of the year, Rosstat reports. In Yekaterinburg, gasoline costs, on average, 32.68 RUR per liter; AI 92 is sold for 31.65 RUR, AI 95 for 34.05 RUR, and diesel fuel for 34.74 RUR. The average price of gasoline on the Russian market amounted to 33.17 RUR per liter on February 2 (30.7 RUR for A 76, 32.21 RUR for AI 92, 35.05 RUR of AI 95 and up, and 34.31 RUR for diesel fuel).

February 9, 2015. Yekaterinburg Council Architecture, Urban Development & Land Use Department and the Environment & Nature Management Committee suggested introducing a few more parks and green boulevards to the city, the city council’s press service reports. For one, it was proposed to introduce green areas in Pokhodnaya St next to Culture Palace in order to prevent the existing greenery from being destroyed by a nearby warehouse development, and between 23 and 23A Kosmonavtov St in order to prevent the greenery there from being destroyed by a nearby parking lot. Besides, little parks

February 7, 2015. Magnitogorsk-based MMK METIZ added new types of PSC strands to its range of products: the plant mastered the production of these last year, the company reports. A sample batch of 12.5mm PSC strands (1,860 N/mm2 or 190 kgf/mm2) was manufactured in accordance with the EN 10138-3 standard. Additionally, the plant also made samples of 15.2mm strands in accordance with GOST 53772-2010 from corrugated wire (min rupture strength 1,860 N/mm2). Besides, a sample batch of 43mm and 46.5mm strands was made for Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works furnace department in accordance with the

February 6, 2015. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) supplied over 2,780,000,000 kg of metal goods to pipe manufacturing enterprises last year, which was the all-time high in the company’s post-Soviet era history, MMK reports. In 2013, 2,240,000,000 kg of goods were sold and delivered to pipe-making plants. In 2014, the figure rose by 24.3%, making up for 33.2% of MMK’s home market sales (compared with 29% a year earlier). MMK has always been one of the leading metal goods suppliers for the Russian pipe manufacturers. The company’s production options expanded considerably when the

February 6, 2015. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) supplied over 2,780,000,000 kg of metal goods to pipe manufacturing enterprises last year, which was the all-time high in the company’s post-Soviet era history, MMK reports. In 2013, 2,240,000,000 kg of goods were sold and delivered to pipe-making plants. In 2014, the figure rose by 24.3%, making up for 33.2% of MMK’s home market sales (compared with 29% a year earlier). MMK has always been one of the leading metal goods suppliers for the Russian pipe manufacturers. The company’s production options expanded considerably when the

February 6, 2015. Magnitogorsk-based MMK METIZ added new types of PSC strands to its range of products: the plant mastered the production of these last year, the company reports. A sample batch of 12.5mm PSC strands (1,860 N/mm2 or 190 kgf/mm2) was manufactured in accordance with the EN 10138-3 standard. Additionally, the plant also made samples of 15.2mm strands in accordance with GOST 53772-2010 from corrugated wire (min rupture strength 1,860 N/mm2). Besides, a sample batch of 43mm and 46.5mm strands was made for Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works furnace department in accordance with the

February 6, 2015. Sverdlovsk Region Government set up an ad hoc work team to consider ways in which Lastochka, an electric train designed and produced by Ural Locomotives (a member enterprise of Sinara Group), could be used at Sverdlovsk Railways, the government’s website states. Sinara Group and Sverdlovsk Railways management are now calculating the financial scheme of the service, looking into possible routes, and deciding upon the necessary number of trains and their schedule. The most popular destinations are considered first, including the most heavily used one, from Yekaterinburg to

February 6, 2015. Yekaterinburg Patra Brewery (a member enterprise of Heineken Russia) might have to stop producing non-alcoholic beverages in case the Unified State Automated Information System gets introduced to the brewery industry, Heineken Russia’s Corporate Relations Director Kirill Bolmatov told UrBC. ‘The way this system is described in the legislation means a company isn’t allowed to make alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at the same time. Quite a few breweries produce mineral water, kvass, and lemonade as well as beer, this is a widespread case in Russia. In case the system gets