UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 28, 2017. EVRAZ Holding’s Nizhniy Tagil Integrated Metallurgical Works (NTMK) had its foundry department retooled and upgraded, EVRAZ Holding Ural’s press office reports. The new equipment installed at the department will result in a 10% drop in natural gas consumption and a 6% drop in metal spending. ‘The department operates under a new scheme now, with a preparatory section with an up-to-date semi-automatic belt saw and an upgraded boring machine for making center holes. It now takes just one operator to supervise the process. The operator’s job is to load the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 28, 2017. The overall amount of Sverdlovsk Region-based enterprises’ accounts payable amounted to 916.6bn RUR in late December 2016, of which 70.9bn RUR (7.7%) were overdue, Sverdlovskstat reports. The amount of accounts payable increased by 1.7% in the course of one year, that of overdue A/P rose by 6.2%. 86.7% of these payments stem from debts to suppliers and contractors for their respective goods and services. 13% of these debts (61.4bn RUR) are already past-due. The accumulated amount of Russian companies’ accounts payable and loan debt exceeded 2 trillion

UrBC, Moscow, February 28, 2017. Russia’s Finance Ministry is planning to go through with a bond issue aimed at private customers this year, with face value at 1,000 RUR per bond, Rossiyskaya Gazeta refers to a draft bill carried by the ministry as stating. The idea is to make it easier for Russians to invest in state bonds and to come up with a special, reduced-risk and easier-to-buy federal bond issue. Under the terms of the bond issue and circulation, these are not meant to be resold; however, the holders will be able to get their money back any time before the redemption deadline at no

UrBC, Moscow, February 28, 2017. Russia’s Central Bank will keep working on the national banking sector’s financial recovery and some 10% of banks and other lending institutions are likely to get their licenses annulled, banki.ru refer to the Analytical Credit Rating Agency’s report on the Russian banking sector in 2017-2020 as stating. Under the Bank of Russia’s Head Elvira Nabiullina, who assumed office in the summer of 2013, the number of Russian banks has dropped by nearly a third in the last three years. There are around some 600 banks operating in the country at the moment. Nabiullina

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 27, 2017. New steam boilers got launched at Ural Vagon Zavod Corporation’s Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (ChTZ), the company press service reports. ‘The boilers provide all the steam necessary for the plant’s moulding department and help take the entire production process to a new level. This is really important, as the parts made at the department are then used for making engines for civilian and military vehicles,’ the press service says. According to the plant’s Diesel Engine Department’s Senior Engineer Sergey Kalashnikov, steam used to be provided centrally

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 27, 2017. Workers of Ural Vagon Zavod Corporation’s head plant who’ve been with the company for over a year are going to get an end-of-year bonus for 2016, the plant’s press service reports. This was made possible due to the plant meeting all the target production figures for last year. In fact, this is the first time since 2013 that an end-of-year bonus can be paid. The bonus will amount to an employee’s regular monthly salary depending on the number of days a person actually worked in 2016. Length of service and possible disciplinary problems (or their absence)

UrBC, Moscow, February 27, 2017. A new sculpture will be unveiled in Yekaterinburg’s Akademicheskiy District on Defender of the Fatherland’s Day, RSG-Akademicheskoye’s press service reports. A monument depicting different branches of the Russian Armed Forces - five men representing the Navy, the Airborne Forces, the Aerospace Forces, the Strategic Missile Forces, and the Army - will be opened to the public in Victory Alley. The idea was put forth by Akademicheskiy Management Company and RSG-Akademicheskoye and supported enthusiastically by the local public. ‘The city’s newest section,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 27, 2017. Ural Airlines Wings Club members will now be able to get reduced-price tickets for their Moscow flights, the air carrier’s press service reports. Customers based in Chita, Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul, and Irkutsk can get 10% off their Moscow flights, while those booking Novosibirsk-Moscow flights can get a 20% discount. The offer holds through March 10, 2017, with flights to be operated between now and April 30, 2017. In addition, Wings Club members also get discounts on other flights as well as special offers from the airline’s partner companies. ‘If you’re

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 27, 2017. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development (UBRD) keeps adding new branches to its Saint Petersburg network, the bank’s press service reports. The bank’s third St. Petersburg-based branch Ozerki, a so-called street retail one, opened on Monday, February 20. The office is primarily meant to offer services to private customers. There are no cash/settlement options available, and everything needs to be done with the help of an ATM or a payment terminal. However, there are a number of clerks ready to help, who can open a deposit account you, process

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 22, 2017. Ural Vagon Zavod Corporation is taking part in the 13th International Defense Industry Exhibition in Abu Dhabi on February 19-23, 2017, the company press service reports. ‘The company stand features our promising developments, including a full-size model of our 30-mm remotely controlled weapon station. The station is meant for searching for, detecting, and attacking single and group targets at any time of the day. This is the primary weapon used on armored combat vehicles. The unit is fitted with a 30-mm automated gun 2A42 and a 7.63-mm tank gun 6P7K,’

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 22, 2017. EVRAZ Holding’s West-Siberian Integrated Metallurgical Works (ZSMK) embarked on the Year of Environment in Kemerovo Region in the course of a special solemn ceremony, EVRAZ Holding Ural’s press office reports. The event was attended by representatives of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources, Kemerovo Region Administration, Novokuznetsk Council, environmental organizations, and large industrial enterprises based in Kuzbass. ‘To celebrate the occasion, two hose-filter gas and dust removal facilities got launched at ZSMK’s sintering

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 22, 2017. Over 265,000,000 kg of pipes made at ChTPZ Group’s Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant and Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant were sold from the Group’s warehouse last year; the company’s share of the spot market thus came to 32%, the Group’s press service reports. The company opened its 14th warehouse in Bataysk, Rostov Region, in May 2016, selling some 4,000,000 kg of pipes from there in the following seven months. A special focus was also made on customer service improvement last year. ‘My Account’ option was introduced for freight forwarders on the company’s

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 22, 2017. Sverdlovsk Region is no longer on the list of Russia’s top ten federal constituencies with highest living standards; the region is now in the 12th position in the rating for 2016, RIA Novosti states. Just like in the previous years, Moscow and Saint Petersburg are the top two places to live, followed by Moscow Region, Tatarstan, Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod Region, Voronezh Region, Khanty-Mansiysky Autonomous Region, and Lipetsk Region. Tyumen Region is No. 10 for the year 2016 (one position higher than before), and Kaliningrad Region is No. 11

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 22, 2017. The Russian Government will soon be empowered to put a ban on import and sale of sanctioned foods in Russia arriving from the Eurasian Economic Union member states (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan), Kommersant reports. According to the Finance Ministry, the document to this effect was approved by the government’s legal drafting committee on February 13. Banned could be goods imported to the Union member states from a third country under the procedures that differ from those accepted within Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. The goal is

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 21, 2017. Rosset's Federal Grid Company United Energy Systems completed rebuilding its 220-kilowatt Beloyarskaya-Mramornaya electric main that ensures power supply for Beloyarskaya Nuclear Power Station in Yekaterinburg, the company press service reports. Four new supporting beams were installed on the line, some of the worn-out parts of the iron/concrete structures were also replaced with new ones. The obstructing trees were also put down to clear the way and prevent power outages. The 220-kilowatt Beloyarskaya-Mramornaya electric main has been in use since

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 21, 2017. Over 2,000 locals took part in the recent amateur ski race in Nizhniy Tagil; the race was part of the all-Russian skiing competition called Russian Ski Race 2017. The event was coordinated by Ural Vagon Zavod Corporation, the company press service reports. Every contestant had to ski along an 8,000-meter race; 171 amateur sportsmen and women also raced against the clock. ‘Bad weather conditions prevented us from taking off on February 12. However, one week later everyone who came to Ural Vagon Zavod’s ski camp could really enjoy themselves.’ On February

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 21, 2017. GT1h 002 gas turbine locomotive, a new model by Sinara Transport Machines’ Lyudinovsky Locomotive Plant, went on its first shift from Yegorshino Station to Serov Sortirovochny, Sinara Group’s PR Center reports. The 6,112,000-kg freight train was operated by the experienced professional Ilya Skorik. ‘A pilot sample was presented at the 4th International Expo 1520 Exhibition in September 2013. The loco was then tested throughout 2014 and 2015 and went on a field performance program in Sverdlovsk Railways’ Tyumen section between October 2015 and May 2016;

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 21, 2017. ChTPZ Group’s Future of White Metallurgy Corporate Training Program’s students and alumni competed successfully in the 5th WorldSkills Russia Championship’s Sverdlovsk Region round, the company press service reports. Multiple winner of local and national contests, fourth-year student Dmitri Shmarlovsky won gold in NC Turning. The Future of White Metallurgy alumnus and NC mill operator at ChTPZ Group’s Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant Alexei Rasulov also won the first prize in NC Milling. ‘Thanks to my work experience at the plant and the training I underwent

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 21, 2017. Malyshev 73 Society, a charity fund, provided the funding necessary for hockey-playing children from a foster home to travel to Vladislav Tretyak Tournament, the fund’s press service reports. ‘A non-profit hockey championship will be held at Kurganovo Sports Palace on the eve of Defender of the Fatherland’s Day; the event is hosed by a famous former hockey player Vladislav Tretyak. Thanks to the fund’s support, children from Kamyshlov-based Clift Foster Home will be able to come to the championship and play there,’ the press service says. The young

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 20, 2017. Ural Football Club’s entire team, managers, and coaching staff all subscribed to the telecommunications provider MegaFon’s service shortly before the start of this season’s first official game, MegaFon’s press service reports. MegaFon and Ural announced they are going to work more closely together in 2017; the footballers will now enjoy 4G mobile connection and HD quality sound on their smartphones. ‘Our team needs to always stay in touch and be available, regardless of how far from home they are; it’s important for work issues as well as for making