UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 25, 2018. Yekaterinburg heating, power, and water supply services carried out the first stage of their annual hydraulic tests on water pipes to find thirty-five defects in the pipelines, ETK’s press service reports. The tests were carried out between 11 PM on May 21 and 7 AM on May 24, with limited hot water supply to end users. The hydraulic pressure tests necessitated bringing the overall pipe pressure to above average to ensure compliance with the technical requirements. Damage spots were detected in Lenin Ave-Khokhryakov St, Vainer St-Popov St, Onufriev St,

UrBC, Moscow, May 25, 2018. The World Bank adjusted its forecast for Russia’s GDP for the year 2018 from 1.7% down to 1.5%, Prime refers to the bank’s recent report as stating. It is explained that the forecast had to be adjusted due to the country’s unimpressive economic growth in the second half of 2017 and the uncertainty that recent economic sanctions bring. The forecast for 2019-2020 has remained at around 1.8%. The forecast for Russia’s GDP growth in 2018 had to get decreased somewhat (down to 1.5% a year) because of the economic effects of the poor performance in the second half of

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 24, 2018. MegaFon is now offering its business customers a new set of payment schemes, MegaFon Ural’s press service reports. The company’s corporate customers can choose among four different packages (for top managers, middle-level managers, office workforce, and those working from home). The new thing about these packages is the availability of zero-traffic Internet services, no-expiry-date bonus points, customized payment schemes, and personalized budget options. ‘Based on our big data analysis, that is, a large-scale research on the mobile behavior of over a

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 24, 2018. Ural Airlines are now running three special offers on their Sochi-Tel Aviv flights, the air carrier’s press service reports. ‘Tel Aviv is one of the Mediterranean’s most popular resorts. The city is perfect in any season; you only need to decide if you want to go there with your family or with a group of friends, in the summer or in the fall. Ural Airlines are offering you three reduced-price slots for our Sochi-Tel Aviv flights,’ the press service says. The first reduced-price time slot takes off in the early summer. Prices start from $185 (all fees and

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, May 24, 2018. The 18th International Young Workers’ Science & Technology Conference is now over in Magnitogorsk, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) Information, PR & Advertising Department reports. Delegates from metallurgical enterprises based in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus all came to the conference. Over 120 young workers presented their research papers in multiple-track sessions streamlined along sintering, metallurgy, metal-rolling, energy, transportation, logistics, coke-making, and (for the first time) IT as well as a number of other fields. ‘Winners

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 24, 2018. Some 17,000 Sverdlovsk Region locals had no electric power supply due to a storm on May 22, 2018. According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies’ Sverdlovsk Region division’s press service, the storm was over by 10PM local time, so MRSK Urala’s engineers managed to restore the power supply in the homes of roughly 10,000 people by then. ‘We are done with all the repair jobs in the south, north, and east of Sverdlovsk Region. For one, everything is in order in Sysert, Irbit, Artemovsky, and Serov, as well as in Revda,’ the press service says. The storm also

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 24, 2018. Nineteen Yekaterinburg streets will be a no-parking area during the World Football Championship days, the city council’s website states. The prohibiting signs will get installed in their places in June 2018. Most of the streets are centered around Yekaterinburg Arena Stadium. ‘No waiting!’ signs will also get installed in Lenin Ave (from Repin St to Vosmoye Marta St), Kuibyshev St (from Moskovskaya St to Sheinkman St), Radishchev St (from Gurzufskaya St to Khokhryakov St), Malyshev St (from Moskovskaya St to Vosmoye Marta St), Popov St (from Repin St to

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 23, 2018. Sverdlovsk Region-based boiler houses owe their suppliers RUR 1.3bn in unpaid heating bills for the winter of 2017/2018, which is RUR 452m more than before the start of the heating season, EnergosbyT Plus’s Sverdlovsk Region branch’s press service reports. 1,125 local boiler businesses have unpaid bills at the moment. For some of them, their debt doubled against the previous winter: Alapayevskaya TGK’s debt increased from RUR 17m to RUR 31m. A number of town council-run enterprises and housing management companies in Artemovsky, Kamyshlov, Asbest,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 23, 2018. Yekaterinburg’s Shopping Index Watcom (an online indicator of how many people come to shopping malls every week) went down by 8.7% during the May break, Watcom Group’s research indicates. ‘The traffic decrease is typical of many large cities this year. In Moscow, for one, the shopping index dropped by 9% against last May. The customer behavior patterns were mainly affected by good, sunny weather, primarily. Yekaterinburg’s locals all wanted to see a bit of the countryside after a long, cold winter,’ says Watcom Group’s President Roman Skorokhodov.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 23, 2018. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) renewed Ural Airlines’ IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate through 2020, the air carrier’s press service reports. ‘Ural Airlines have been undergoing IOSA audit procedures since 2008 in order to enforce their high-level production and operation safety standards that are modeled on the existing intonational norms. Aviation Quality Services GmbH (Germany) conducted the audit procedures on the company site in December 2017. Six authorized international auditors from Czechia, Italy, Switzerland,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 23, 2018. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development (UBRD) is offering a 0.35% discount on its mortgage interest rates starting May 22, 2018, the bank’s press service reports. The offer is available to recent mortgage applicants (the ones who reached a deal within thirty days) whose loan amount comes to RUR 3m or more (for Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Ufa, and Tyumen) or RUR 2m or more (for Kirov, Perm, Nizhniy Tagil, and Chelyabinsk). The offer holds through the end of the year. ‘You can use this discount on mortgages that you took out to buy an

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 23, 2018. ChelPipe Group is going to take part in Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum on May 24-26, 2018. The company’s primary shareholder Andrei Komarov, ChelPipe Group’s Director-General Boris Kovalenkov, and Finance & Budgeting Director Valeriy Borissov are all going to be representing the Group at the forum. ‘Andrei Komarov will contribute to a discussion on the education and human capital in the digital economy; the goal is to find new ways for businesses and the education sector to interact under current socioeconomic circumstances. The discussion

UrBC, Moscow, May 22, 2018. To ensure maximum air security for Russian cities hosting the World Football Championship 2018 games, as well as for the teams’ accommodation and training facilities, extra limits were set on air travel by Rosaviation for the period between June 1 and June 17, 2018, Rosaviation’s press service reports. ‘In case an air carrier does need to use the restricted-area air space on June 1-July 17, 2018, a permission needs to be obtained from the local interdepartmental operation headquarters in charge of security at the FIFA 2018 World Football Championship in Russia,’

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 22, 2018. Some 30,000 Sverdlovsk Region locals had to face a power cut due to a hurricane that raged in eleven Mid-Ural towns; the wind speed was as high as 22-27 m/sec at certain points, Sverdlovsk Region division of Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies reports. ‘The roof of a shopping mall was partially destroyed in Aramil, as was a secondary school in Sukhoi Log and Culture Palace in Sysert. Damage assessment committees are now at work on sites, with repairs being planned,’ the division says. 55 rescue teams, a hundred professionals, and 53 special-purpose vehicles are

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, May 22, 2018. The workers of MMK Group’s member enterprise United Service Company (OSK) signed their new three-year Collective Agreement, MMK Information, PR & Advertising Department reports. OSK Director Sergey Leskov also reported on how the terms and conditions of the Agreement 2015-2017 had been met. Within the last three years, the company’s sales (both in terms of goods and services) rose by 7.9% and amounted to over RUR 12.5bn in 2017. OSK’s sales profits were estimated at RUR 267 in 2017, which exceeded last year’s target figures by RUR 40m; this was also

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 22, 2018. Ural Airlines are launching a new flight from Rostov-on-Don to Tashkent and back. According to the air carrier, the flights will be operated every Wednesday starting July 4, 2018. Departure from Rostov-on-Don: 6:20 AM; arrival in Tashkent: 11:40; Departure from Tashkent: 1:20 PM; arrival in Rostov-on-Don: 3:10 PM. Prices start from RUR 10,000 (all fees and charges included). ‘The airline’s new flight will appeal both to business travelers and tourists who are interested in ancient cities. Tashkent is Uzbekistan’s capital, packed with places of religious

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 22, 2018. The corporate round of the blue-collar job championship WorldSkills Hi Tech rounded up in ChelPipe Group’s Training Center; thirty-four workers from the Group’s pipe-manufacturing and oilfield service divisions competed in the contest, the Group’s press service reports. ‘ChelPipe Group’s employees in the 18-28 age group competed in seven different categories on May 15-17, 2018. All the corporate round challenges met the international WorldSkills standards. Twenty-nine contestants came from the company’s pipe manufacturing department and five more - from the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 21, 2018. Ural Airlines are launching a weekend sale on May 19-20, 2018, the air carrier’s press service reports. You can book your flights on the company website www.uralairlines.com and through Ural Airlines app. ‘The offer holds for flights operated from Novosibirsk to Moscow and back (prices start from RUR 6,000); from Tomsk to Moscow and back (prices start from RUR 6,000); from Irkutsk to Moscow and back (prices start from RUR 6,000); from Omsk to Moscow and back (prices start from RUR 6,000); and from Moscow to Chita (prices start from RUR 10,000). The flights

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, May 21, 2018. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development (UBRD) set up a new branch in Tyumen that is specifically targeted at small businesses. According to the bank’s press service, the outlet can be found in Mendeleev House at 22 Nemtsov St (3d floor). This limited-range-of-services branch in Tyumen is the sixth one the bank has opened this year so far. According to the UBRD, these branches represent a symbiosis of an online bank and a brick-and-mortar one in a low-cost format. The new, small-businesses-only outlets can be used to set up a settlement account,

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, May 21, 2018. MMK Group is starting on a large-scale environmental project: the plant intends to switch to a new format of cooling off its blast-furnace slag that requires no water. The project’s cost is estimated at RUR 3bn, the company press service reports. The Waterless Cooling-Off Project is being worked on by MMK Group’s member enterprise OOO Shlakservis. The goal is to reduce as much as possible the harmful impact the plant’s slag-processing production facilities have on the environment. Once everything has been completed, the overall amount of air emissions will go