UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 29, 2017. Power suppliers report Sverdlovsk Region’s buildings are poorly prepared for the upcoming heating season, EnergosbyT Plus’s local division reports. Local management company only managed to prepare 15% of Sverdlovsk Region’s housing fund for winter by the end of summer. 2,246 apartment buildings were issued technical compliance certificates by EnergosbyT Plus. ‘The buildings with the certificates carried out all the necessary technological procedures such as pneumatic rinsing and hydraulic pressure tests of the building’s internal heating system and

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 29, 2017. Acting Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Evgeny Kuivashev set up an ad hoc committee to look into local authorities’ proposals on how to handle inter-budgetary transfers from the constituency’s budget funds, Governor of Sverdlovsk Region’s Information Policy Department reports. Local town councils must submit their inter-budgetary transfer data to the committee by September 5, 2017; Sverdlovsk Region’s Finance Ministry will then coordinate a number budget drafting sessions (to be attended by town council and Sverdlovsk Region Government officials and local

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 28, 2017. Acting Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Evgeny Kuivashev presented state awards to nine of EVRAZ Nizhniy Tagil Integrated Metallurgical Works (NTMK) employees. The awarding ceremony took place at Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg, EVRAZ Holding’s press service reports. EVRAZ Oxygen Compressor Department’s technician Vyacheslav Andreyev, Beam-Rolling Department’s Senior Expert Vladimir Karnidov, Converter Shop’s refractory operator Andrei Kuzmin, Coke Processing Department’s electric technician Sergey Prischepov, and Wheel Tread Department’s Forewoman Nadezhda

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 28, 2017. Yekaterinburg’s Akademicheskiy District ran one of the country’s largest construction sites with summer jobs for students this year. The site closes on August 28, 2017, RSG Abademicheskoye’s press service reports. This summer, the All-Russian Student Construction Site coordinated a contest to distinguish the best-performing builders’ teams. The winning teams will get valuable prizes, memorial banners, and certificates. The team that wins the greatest number of titles will get the All-Russian Student Construction Site Banner 2017. This is the 8th time a

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, August 28, 2017. Russian Copper Company is currently coordinating the selection rounds of its workout championship in Chelyabinsk, the company press service reports. The selection rounds will be held at a number of new workout sites in Chelyabinsk Region-based cities of Karabash, Korkino, Pervomayskiy, Kyshtym, and Chelyabinsk. All the sites were set up by Russian Copper Company this year. There will be eight selection rounds and the finals in Chelyabinsk on Town Day (September 10). There will be prize-winning contests and workshops for all those who attend the event. ‘The

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, August 28, 2017. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) directed 2.5m RUR to have I.V. Romazan Sports Palace renovated, MMK Information & PR Administration reports. The palace serves as the primary practice arena for Magnitogorsk’s basketball team Dinamo. The floor coating needs repairing, so the basketball club’s board of trustees, chaired by Sergey Laskov, applied to MMK management for help. ‘The company allocated 2.5m RUR this year to make sure MMK United Service Company can restore the site. There were holes in the parquet floor, and the entire structure was

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 28, 2017. The number of flowers imported to Yekaterinburg nearly tripled in time for September 1, the start of the school year, Deputy Head of V.A. Sorokin Koltsovo Customs Viktor Shatalov says. ‘Flowers get imported on a regular basis, wth two to three flights a week. The imports usually tripled around public holidays. We check both the cargo and the accompanying documents and only let the goods in after the Federal Veterinary and Quarantine Surveillance Service’s approval,’ he explained. For one, two planes arrived to Koltsovo Airport from Amsterdam today, with

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, August 25, 2017. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) invested 1.64bn RUR in construction and reconstruction of environmental facilities this year, MMK Information & PR Administration reports. This is part of the plant’s annual environmental program designed to reduce the enterprise’s man-made impact; the program involves all of the plant’s production divisions and departments. Most of the steps taken result in achievements comparable with the best international environmental success stories and meet all the requirements for the best green technologies available

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 25, 2017. The number of the Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development’s customers applying for loans online (e-banking and m-banking apps and the company website) rose by 75% compared with the start of the year. 1,100 applications were submitted in July 2017 against only 630 in January, the bank’s press service reports. According to the bank’s Internet Sales Director Denis Tur, the popularity of remote banking services keeps growing, which results in faster development of online banking technologies; these grow increasingly more advanced, customer-friendly,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 25, 2017. Rosset’s Federal Grid Company United Energy System is about to complete preparing all of its electric mains and power facilities in Western Siberia for the upcoming fall/winter season’s maximum workload. The company’s PR & Media Communication Group in Western Siberia reports 924 commutation units have been repaired since the start of the year, as have been 161 km of 110- to 500-kilowatt electric mains; also, 2,300 hectares of line routes. 32 mobile rescue teams were set up to attend to possible emergencies, equipped with 101 special-purpose vehicles.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 25, 2017. EVRAZ Holding’s employees are going to get state, constituency, corporate, and ministerial awards on Miner’s Day. Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with the country’s best miners today. Nineteen workers of EVRAZ Raspadskaya Coal Company represent Kemerovo Region at this meeting. According to the company press service, their miners will attend a Governor’s reception in Mezhdurechensk on August 25. Awards will be given out to winners of Kemerovo Region contest - Vadim Volkov’s team from Osinnikovskaya Mine and Kuzbass’s Best Director Alexei

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 25, 2017. Ural Airlines are launching a new, scheduled flight from Yekaterinburg to Verona starting December 30. The flight will be operated every Saturday. Prices start from 14,200 RUR (one way, all fees included) for Promo tickets and from 15,900 RUR (one way, including 1 piece of luggage (up to 23 kg) and 1 set of sports equipment) for Economy tickets. ‘This will be a great destination for winter skiing fans. Some of Italy’s most popular ski resorts with all kinds of pistes as well as good restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues are located just within a few

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 24, 2017. Sinara Group and Siemens’s joint venture Ural Locomotives are going to present their new interregional Lastochka Premium ES2GP electric train at the 6th EXPO 1520 Show on August 30. According to Sinara Group’s press service, the event will be attended by Russian Railways and Federal Passenger Company representatives and Ural Locomotives’ top managers. This enhanced-comfort electric train was designed by Ural Locomotives for intercity travel (200 km or farther). 90% of Lastochka Premium’s components are Russian-made.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 24, 2017. The telecommunications provider MegaFon presents Veterinaria, its new mobile platform aimed at state-run vet clinics; the system is currently unique to Russia, the company press service reports. ‘Starting January 1, 2018, Russia’s vet services will have to switch to Mercury, an electronic veterinary certification system. The solution MegaFon offers will help them comply with the new legislative requirements,’ the press service says. According to the state agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, 25% out of Sverdlovsk Region’s 70,000 vet clinics have

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 24, 2017. Russian Copper Company’s ORMET (Orsk, Orenburg Region) had its processing plant upgraded and renovated recently. According to the company press service, a new conic mill was installed on the ore dressing site. The mill’s capacity comes to 85 m3 to 140 m3 per hour. This upgrade cost 14.5m RUR to go through with. ‘The new conic mill provides the granulated stuff the plant needs for production purposes as well as reduces the noise and dust levels on the ore dressing site. The old conic mill got pulled down and the new one installed during scheduled repairs,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 24, 2017. 68% of Yekaterinburg residents are prepared for a career change if this brings them better pay, zarplata.ru’s recent survey findings indicate. 47% of those surveyed say they would be willing to move to a different city, 34% of respondents would forego their vacation, and 27% of respondents are ready to do something they have no interest in. ‘About a third of those surveyed are prepared to emigrate for a better-paying job, and every one in four is willing to work seven days a week. Every one in ten respondents would agree to see very little of their

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 24, 2017. Fifty-six hostels fit for up to 1,000 guests currently operate in Yekaterinburg, the city council’s website states. ‘The number is expected to exceed one hundred by 2018, which is important in view of upcoming large-scale national and international events Yekaterinburg is to host,’ the website says. In the meantime, the Russian Government has been considering a ban on hostels in regular apartment buildings for a few years now. A draft bill was heard at the State Duma as early as 2015. However, the market players managed to have the adoption of the bill

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2017. Sinara Group’s Sinara Development, the general contractor for the reconstruction of Yekaterinburg Stadium in time for the World Cup 2018, is now working to get spectator seats installed in the arena, Sinara Group’s PR Center reports. ‘The stadium will be fitted with vandalism-proof ergonomic plastic seats made from ultraviolet-resistant, corrosion-resistant, cold- and heat-resistant, fireproof materials. All seats got certified for compliance with fire safety, sanitary safety, and overall security requirements. There will be various seat types in the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2017. The final round of the 6th Corporate International EVRAZ Cup Football Championship took place in Kachkanar last week. The annual event was held on August 13-20. EVRAZ Kachkanar Ore Mining & Processing Enterprise (KGOK) team won the cup for the first time in history. The company press service reports nine teams from the Urals, Siberia, Nakhodka, Moscow, and Ukraine competed for the cup. EVRAZ NTMK beat EVRAZ ZSMK 2:1 to win the third prize, and EVRAZ Ukraine and EVRAZ KGOK competed in the finals (1:1 during the game and 5:4 during penalty kicks). EVRAZ

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2017. Russian Copper Company’s Novgorod Metallurgical Plant in Velikiy Novgorod completed repairs of its Maerz furnace, the company press service reports. ‘The furnace had to be shut down for scheduled repairs at the end of July. Everything was completed by our own staff ahead of schedule; no outsource contractors were used. We took care of power and mechanical equipment maintenance and checked all the measuring devices and automated appliances. The furnace was fitted with new water jackets and slag valves; additionally, the slag chamber, the exhaust heat