December 20, 2013. 27% of Russians feel that their financial situation got worse over the last year. Only 11% of residents said their life grew better, and the majority of those surveyed (60%) believe that their financial situation remained the same, Levada Center's statistical research says. The Russian citizens' plans for next year look pretty much the same. 11% of those surveyed expect their life to get better, another 20% think their incomes will shrink, and 57% do not think anything is going to change in financial terms. Another 12% are not sure what changes might occur. The

December 20, 2013. Bank Koltso Urala was featured in a reputed rating compiled by RBC.Rating. It got the 30th position on the list of Russia's top 30 largest banks, the bank's press service reports. 'Their net asset volume as of October 1, 2013 was the primary criterion for assessing the banks. The figure was calculated on the basis of the rating agency's own method. The final list featured 402 lending institutions that are registered outside Moscow,' the rating experts say. According to the agency's data, Bank Koltso Urala, with its 35.6bn RUR worth of net asset

December 20, 2013. In November 2013, 126,000 sq m worth of housing were commissioned in Sverdlovsk Region, which was 24.4% less than in October 2013, Sverdlovskstat reports. All in all, 1,022,400 sq m worth of housing were put up in eleven months of 2013, which is 65% less than in the eleven months of 2012. The index of the actual volume of construction jobs went down by 5.8% in November 2013 compared with October 2013 and by 9.5% compared with January-November 2012.

December 19, 2013. Sverdlovsk Region’s industrial production index decreased by 4% in November 2013 compared with October 2013 and by 0.01% compared with January-November 2012, Sverdlovskstat’s papers state. The production index for mineral resources went down by 4.2% in November 2013 against October 2013 and increased by 3.3% against the eleven months of 2012. In the processing sector, the index declined by 2.3% in November 2013 compared with October 2013 and rose by 0.1% compared with January-November 2012. The index for the production and distribution of electric power, natural gas and

December 19, 2013. The special economic zone Titanium Valley, located in Sverdlovsk Region, will be allocated 4.8bn RUR from the federal budget in 2015-2017. The zone will also be given at least 4.7bn RUR from Sverdlovsk Region’s budget and non-budget sources, the Titanium Valley’s press release says. The decree that confirms the allocation of funds has not been published on the government website yet. The 4.8bn RUR worth of federal budget funds will be allocated to the construction of the infrastructure facilities in the Titanium Valley in 2015-2017 under the Russian Federation Government

December 19, 2013. Transport Machine-Building Design Office (KBTM, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) completely fulfilled the government defense order for 2013, Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press service reports. The company produced three times more goods and offered its customers three time more services than last year within the framework of the government defense order. Also, capital repairs and upgrade of T72 tanks were completed under the contract of co-fulfilling a defense order with Uralvagonzavod (the corporation’s head plant). The repaired and upgraded tanks were

December 19, 2013. Two employees of UEKhK (a member enterprise of Rosatom’s TVEL based in Novouralsk, Sverdlovsk Region) – master of sports in mountain skiing Tatiana Burdina and deserved Russia’s master of sports and world champion in power lifting Sergey Knyazev took part in the Olympic Torch relay in Yekaterinburg on December 14, the company’s press service reports. The nuclear industry workers from Novouralsk were among 300 relay participants who carried the future fire of the Sochi Olympics along the streets of Yekaterinburg. The radar operator of the plant’s Central Lab Tatiana

December 19, 2013. In 2013, Sverdlovsk Region’s position in the living standards rating for Russian Federation constituencies became worse, dropping down from the 10th to the 11th position. The population’s income declined last year, housing conditions deteriorated, as did the environmental and the demographic situations. At the same time, the safety of neighborhoods and the economic development improve a little, says research on the living standards in the federal constituencies compiled by RIA Rating. The quality of Sverdlovsk Region residents’ life went down on the whole: a year ago, the

December 18, 2013. Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) won a tender conducted by the Federal Agency for Special Construction, whose subdivision deals in putting up special purpose and defense facilities. Under the terms of the tender, the plant will deliver 12 B11medium traction bulldozers to Spetsstroy RF 12, the corporation’s press service reports. ‘The tender was organized to purchase different kinds of machinery the military builders will need in 2014. ChTZ competed with other manufacturers of road building vehicles, and not only in this

December 18, 2013. The public prosecution authorities of Tagilstroyevsky District of Nizhniy Tagil conducted a scheduled on-site inspection of how Iron Goods Plant complied with the labor legislation. The spokesperson for the public prosecution authorities of Sverdlovsk Region reports that it has been detected the company did not have all of its work places certified for compliance with the legal norms, and the people in charge of labor protection were not tested for expertise in this area. No schemes were set out for the movement of vehicles or for the employee routes. No information was

December 18, 2013. Ural Airlines is opening a new flight from Chelyabinsk to Prague. The air carrier will operate these flights during the winter vacation (December 27, January 2, and January 9), and starting on April 5, 2014, the flight will be operated every Saturday, the airline’s press service reports. ‘The first passengers on this new flight will be able to enjoy the beauty and charm of wintertime Prague very soon! And travelers going to the Czech Republic in the spring will feel like artists – Prague’s picturesque landscapes will remind them of water color paintings,’ the airline says.

December 18, 2013. 1,022,400 sq m worth of housing was commissioned in Sverdlovsk Region in January-November 2013, which came to 93.5% of the figure for 2012. All in all, 11,864 apartments were built (compared with 13,479 apartments in January-November 2012). Local residents put up 531,400 sq m worth of housing using their own and borrowed funds, which is 14.8% more than a year earlier. 52% of this is made up of private houses (compared with 42.3% in January-November 2012).

December 18, 2013. Members of Yekaterinburg Land Committee decided in the course of their meeting to allocate extra land allotments to build a new road junction at the intersection of Amundsen St and Onufriev St, Yekaterinburg Council’s press service reports. ‘The construction of the junction with an overhead road in Amundsen St and Onufriev St will only begin if financing is provided from the region’s budget. We are fully aware of the significance of this junction and understand that this project cannot be halted. At the moment, the project documentation is nearly ready, and it will undergo

December 17, 2013. The official unemployment rate in Sverdlovsk Region dropped by 0.13% as December 1, 2013 compared with December 1, 2012 and amounted to 1.14%, the press service of Sverdlovsk Region Economics Ministry reports. As of December 1, 2013, the number of the unemployed officially registered with the employment agencies was 26,242 people in Sverdlovsk Region. The number of vacancies posted by the local employers was 37,635 people, which was 2,911 more than in the eleven months of 2012.

December 17, 2013. Officers from Division K of Sverdlovsk Region division of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry detained the members of an organized crime group that stole cash from ATMs using the copies of bank card details that had been obtained with special devices,’ Sverdlovsk Region division of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry’s press service reports. The two suspects were detained at 11:50 PM on December 5. A search of their car detected they had some white plastic cards without any details on them, with a magnetic strip and some digits put there with a marker. Over 700,000 RUR

December 17, 2013. The Chief Federal Inspector in Yamalo-Nenetsky Autonomous Region Alexander Kaliberda was appointed Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Ural Federal District, the Plenipotentiary Representative’s press service reports. ‘Under the decree of Head of the Russian Federation President Administration Sergey Ivanov, Alexander M. Kaliberda was appointed Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Ural Federal District,’ the Plenipotentiary Representative’s press service says. The position became vacant on November 19,

December 17, 2013. Ural Airlines is offering special prices on two Europe-bound flights, Yekaterinburg-Paris and Yekaterinburg-Barcelona; these will be operated on January 8 and 11, respectively. The tickets are available for ?99 (one way, fees and charges not included). ‘At the start of the year, Paris and Barcelona will appeal to the travelers who enjoy relaxed and slow-paced vacations, as January is a low season for tourist. On the other hand, the first month of the year is the time of the traditional winter sales, when all the European brands sell their goods virtually for nothing,’ the

December 17, 2013. 300 people took part in the Olympic Torch relay in Yekaterinburg; the relay was 54 km long. On Sunday, several hundred people gathered to meet the symbol of the Olympics in Square 1905 downtown. The Olympics of 1976 ski race champion and world champion of 1978, deserved master of sports of the USSR Zinaida Amosova was the first person to carry the torch. The route was cleared off vehicles, and over 300 street signs forbidding parking were installed along the roads. Yekaterinburg Council employed a lot of snow-removing vehicles to prepare the route and to control the

December 16, 2013. A group of delegates from Burevestnik Central Scientific Research Institute (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation) took part in the 48th military & scientific conference in Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy in Saint Petersburg. According to the corporation’s press service, the event was dedicated to the possibilities of making the combat employment of missile and artillery troops more efficient and of integrating with various kinds of precision weapons in combat. The conference was attended by representatives of key

December 16, 2013. METCOMBANK keeps expanding its geographical network: a new branch in Sochi was opened at the AZIMUT Hotel Sochi Resort on December 13. The bank’s press service reports that the new lending and cash services branch, called Sochi, offers its services to both private individuals and corporates. Customers can arrange for various transactions here: have their currency exchanged, make money transfers and money orders, get advice on banking and adjacent products and services, and use the ATM and the self-service terminals. Corporates can use the cash services, too. ‘An office