September 16, 2014. Sverdlovsk Region Court supported the ruling pronounced by Yekaterinburg Leninsky District Court regarding the temporary closing of McDonald’s restaurant at 8E Vosmoye Marta St, the court's press service reports. However, McDonald’s now has the legal right to appeal to Leninsky Court asking for the early termination of the administrative punishment (that is, the temporary closing) since all the violations detected have been eliminated. The fast food chain outlet in Vosmoye Marta St was closed on August 26 because Sverdlovsk Region division of Rospotrebnadzor (the

September 16, 2014. In August 2014, the Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development was given the 10th position in the rating of Russia's top fifty retail banks in terms of customers' estimates, the bank's press service reports. Under Prime Information Agency's methods, how much a bank is talked about in the social media is the most important criterion that indicates an interest customers have in this bank. The UBRD was on top of the list in terms of how many times it was referred to, since it was mentioned in the social media 2.5 times more often in August than in the

September 15, 2014. Sverdlovsk Region Government’s debt remained at 32.7bn RUR on September 1, 2014, the documents uploaded on the local Finance Ministry’s website indicate. The figure is actually the same as the one recorded on August 1, 2014. Incidentally, Sverdlovsk Region Finance Minister Galina Kulachenko announced recently that the constituency’s debt might grow bigger by the end of the year, while the budget deficit in 2015 will ‘reach its utmost limits’.

September 15, 2014. Polymetal bought a 100% stake in Severo-Kaluginskoye deposit in Sverdlovsk Region in the course of reorganizing Ural-Polymetal, a joint venture, the company’s official statement goes. Prior to the deal, Polymetal used to own a 49.99% shareholding in the JV. The company’s financial report stated that the asset had zero balance sheet value after it was written off in 2013 following a downfall in metal prices. ‘Under the terms of the reorganization agreement, Ural-Polymetal was divided and stopped operating, while its assets and liabilities were distributed among the

September 15, 2014. Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation presented its produce at First Azerbaijan International Defense Industry Exhibition ADEX 2014 in Baku. According to the corporation’s press service, the Director-General Oleg Sienko presented Terminator 2, BMPT 72 fire support vehicle for tanks, to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilkham Aliev, who paid a visit to the exhibition. The vehicle is meant for all-aspect ballistic protection. The B10M bulldozer made by ChTZ-Uraltrac was also displayed at the exhibition. This machine is meant for a wide range of tasks

September 15, 2014. 17,000 taxpayers submitted tax declarations in 2014 that stated a personal income of over 1m RUR; this is 4% more than a year earlier, Sverdlovsk Region division of Russia’s Federal Tax Service’s press service reports. ’16,000 private individuals stated their income was between 1m RUR and 10m RUR (up 4% on last year), 612 people stated their income was between 10m RUR and 100m RUR (down 9% on last year), 92 taxpayers stated their income was between 100m RUR and 500m RUR (15% more than a year earlier), and 27 private individuals stated their income was over 500m RUR

September 15, 2014. United Machine-Building Plants (OMZ) raised its holding in Uralmashzavod’s capital from 2.8% to 46.65% of shares, Prime reports. The transaction was processed on September 1, the day when Gazprombank Asset Management, which used to own a 43.86% stake in the business, ceased being a shareholder in Uralmashzavod. Thus Gazprombank handed its shareholding in its entirety over to United Machine-Building Plants. Now Uralmashzavod’s net loss amounted to 854.391m RUR in the first half of 2014, the issuer’s official statement goes. The company’s revenues dropped from 2,646,333,000

September 12, 2014. Experts from Bank Koltso Urala’s plastic card commission-based services department announced the statistics on the card use during the vacation season. The analysis of customers’ plastic card transactions indicates that July proved the ‘busiest’ month for travelers, the bank’s press service says. ‘The number and sums of commission-based transactions of Bank Koltso Urala’s cardholders rose by nearly a quarter (23%) in July 2014 compared with June. There was a certain decline in August, yet the figure still stood at the impressive 18%,’ says the department’s head Irina

September 12, 2014. Burevestnik Central Scientific Research Institute (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) presented Nizhniy Novgorod Machines & Defense Industry Museum with three samples of artillery armament and new standers with information on the samples’ performance characteristics, the corporation’s press service says. ‘We gave our Victory Park three samples of artillery armament: the 120mm self-propelled artillery piece 2S23 Nona-SVK (Burevestnik took part in the creation and development of the piece), the 120mm mortar 2B11 devised by our designers, and the 122m

September 12, 2014. Sinara Development (a member enterprise of Sinara Group) announced it starts selling apartments in Bukatin Lug, a new residential area in Krasnoslobodsk, a satellite town of Volgograd. Sinara Group’s press service reports the project is actually a public-private partnership that is supported by Volgograd Region Government and the Housing Development Fund. The construction permit was issued to developer on August 11, 2014. All the building jobs are being completed in strict accordance with the schedule, and by now, the ground work for six apartment buildings has been done.

September 12, 2014. The introduction of new transport fare discount schemes for residents on social benefits packages will not affect the regular cost of a public transport ride for the rest of the passengers, Yekaterinburg Council’s press service refers to Chairman of Transport, Traffic, and Road Network Development Committee Alexei Kurlykov as saying. Kurlykov conducted a Q&A session where local residents could ask their questions over the phone; the questions were related to how they could vote for the discount scheme they like. Yekaterinburg residents also suggested that the discount

September 12, 2014. Head of Yekaterinburg Council Alexander Yakob took part in the reopening ceremony of Yekaterinburg Dairy Plant 1 on August 11. The plant specializes in baby food production. Yakob pointed out that the renovated plant will be able to rely on its own resources when making dairy foods for babies and children. Thanks to this, it will be possible to go on with the import replacement program. ‘Following a reconstruction, Yekaterinburg Dairy Plant 1 turned into a modern baby food-producing facility that meets all the highest international quality standards. It is also unique in

September 11, 2014. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will become available for purchase at MegaFon’s offices on September 26, the telecommunications provider reports. Starting from September 19, the carrier’s customers can pre-order their iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones via shop.megafon.ru. MegaFon will make sure the new phones support the 4G+/LTE networks. ‘iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus represent the most prominent upgrade in the history of iPhone. The two new models have outstanding high resolution displays (4.7 and 5.5 inches, respectively),’MegaFon says. In addition to the innovative

September 11, 2014. A sportsman from Sputnik Club and world class master of sports Yegor Klimonov won in the Russian Federation President Cup International Weightlifting Tournament, Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press service reports. The tournament was held in Noyabrsk, Khanty-Mansiysky Autonomous Region, on September 6-7. This year, the championship was given the status of a qualification-based selection of sports players for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016. Teams from fifteen different countries took part in the tournament. The sportsman from Nizhniy Tagil competed as part of the Russian

September 11, 2014. Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant/PNTZ (a member enterprise of ChTPZ Group) set up a special boxing gym for the students of ChTPZ Group’s Training Center who are currently studying on the Future of White Metallurgy program. ‘The gym is fitted with all the necessary modern equipment. All the workouts are free of charge. The new boxing section of the gym was opened in the course of a solemn ceremony at Water Sports Palace,’ the plant’s press service says. According to ChTPZ Group’s Social Infrastructure Facilities Management Director Tatiana Darenskikh, most of the future so-called

September 11, 2014. A monument to Chelyabinsk tractors was erected next to the new Tractor Sports Palace that was recently commissioned in Chelyabinsk. The local tractor industry was actually the reason Tractor hockey school was set up to raise renowned Russian, world, and Olympic champions. According to Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press service, Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, its member enterprise now known as ChTZ Uraltrac, became home to an amateur team of South Urals’ hockey players in the forties. This was also the place to host the first puck games clubs. ‘The plant’s Director-General

September 11, 2014. Ural Airlines is offering special rates on flights operated from non-capital Russian cities to the Black Sea resorts, the air carrier’s press service reports. Special prices are offered on one-way tickets from Yekaterinburg to Anapa (6,500 RUR), from Yekaterinburg to Gelendzhik (6,500 RUR), from Chelyabinsk to Anapa (6,500 RUR), and from Nizhniy Novgorod (5,500 RUR). ‘These rates are valid for flights to be operated through October 2014. Fees and charges are not included,’ the company says. The flights from Yekaterinburg to Anapa are operated daily, those bound for

September 10, 2014. The member enterprises of Uralvagonzavod Corporation are going to present their produce at Unknown Tankprom, a tank industry exhibition, the corporation’s press service reports. Six makes of tractors by ChTZ Uraltrac and a model of one of the world’s first combine machine meant for coal mining as well as the parts of a special beater/coal pulverizing mill made by Omsktransmash have already been handed over to the workers of Uralvagonzavod Corporation Exhibition Center. ‘These exhibits, as well as many other ones manufactured by the corporation member enterprises, will be

September 10, 2014. SKB-Bank carried its semiannual consolidated financial report for the first half of 2014 that was drawn up in accordance with the IAS. Based on the report data, the bank’s assets amounted to more than 108bn RUR as of June 30, 2014, the bank’s press service announces. SKB-Bank’s interest earnings exceeded 10.7bn RUR, while its interest costs came to 4.1bn RUR. Thus the bank’s net interest income stood at over 6.6bn RUR. ‘We consider the amount of profit to be the most significant performance indicator in the IAS-based report for the first half of 2014. Not only is our bank

September 10, 2014. About 3,500 employees of ChTPZ Group and their family members benefited from the company’s Corporate Vacation program, the company’s press service reports. ‘ChTPZ Group operates its own social infrastructure facilities: Forest Fairy Tale and Pine Woods (vacation resorts), Elanchik and Gagarinsky (children’s camps), and Emerald (a sanatorium), which makes it possible to offer comfortable and affordable vacations to plant’s employees and their children as well as the former, long-service workers. Quite a few of the plant’s workers and their families prefer to spend their