UrBC, Magnitogorsk, February 8, 2018. Metallurg Charity Foundation (mostly sponsored by Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works/MMK) adopted their budget proposal for the year 2018, MMK Information, PR & Advertising Department reports. ‘As always, the fund will focus on social support for people in retirement, people with disabilities, multiple-children families, and children with disabilities. This year, we’ll keep all the charity programs such as Care, Ray of Hope, 21st Century for the Southern Urals’ Children, Magnitka’s Talented Children, Maternity Care, Close-Knit Family, and others. The

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, February 8, 2018. South Urals Chamber of Commerce & Industry recently coordinated a trial English language class for beginners. A special language course was designed for Chelyabinsk Oblast’s businessmen and women upon the CCI members’ request, the Chamber’s press service reports. According to Head of Translations Department Anastasia Kovaleva, part of the course will be delivered by a native English speaker teacher from Great Britain, who actually taught the first class. Students went over some basic Business English vocabulary and rules of business letter writing and

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 7, 2018. RSG Akademicheskoye is looking for bidders interested in doing the design and survey work for a tram line linking Akademicheskiy District to the rest of Yekaterinburg. The tram line is to go from Wilhelm de Gennin St to Serafima Deryabina St to Tokarey St to Akademik Sakharov St to Tatischev St. The lot’s starting price is set at RUR 40.1m. The project is seen as two-fold, with the first stage to be completed in May 2018 and the second one in February 2019. Companies can submit their applications and proposals by February 16, 2018.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 7, 2018. Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (PNTZ) invested over RUR 70m in environmental projects last year, the plant’s Managing Director Alexei Dronov said at a recent meeting of Sverdlovsk Oblast Union of Industrialists & Entrepreneurs. ‘I see this environmentally-oriented partnership between the city of Pervouralsk and the plant as a very positive one. We did more than RUR 70m worth of projects last year alone. For one, a new emission monitoring unit got installed in town; also, we purchased additional equipment to do soil and discharge tests. We know exactly if

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 7, 2018. U.S. Consulate-General in Yekaterinburg will have to cut down on the number of visas to be issued in 2018 due to staff shortage, Consul General Dr. Paul M. Carter, Jr. told RIA Novosti in his recent interview. According to the official, they had to limit the scope of their consular activity (including the processing of visa applications) following the Russian Government’s rather ungrounded decision to lay off some of the diplomatic mission’s staff. As a matter of fact, the consulate did keep working on visa proceedings, renewing applicants’ visas where

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 7, 2018. 967 people had to go through personal bankruptcy proceedings in 2017, which exceeded the figures for one year previously by 44%, United Federal Bankruptcy Register’s report states. The number of legal entities declared insolvent last year was 447, which was 8% less than in 2016. In Russia on the whole, 29,876 private individuals and 13,577 businesses were declared bankrupt. This was, respectively, 52% and 8% more than one year previously.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 7, 2018. Yekaterinburg Customs and Ural Customs officers and law-enforcement officials inspected a number of local stores to find out that a wholesale children’s products shop was selling pirated FIFA merchandise. According to Yekaterinburg Customs’ press service, the shop was offering two kinds of Football. World Cup board games featuring a football trophy cup. Switzerland-based FIFA is the owner of this registered and protected trademark. It is against the law to make and sell goods with the logo without the trademark owner’s permission. Police officers did the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg. February 6, 2018. Governor of Sverdlovsk Oblast Evgeny Kuivashev decided to appoint former Dean of Sverdlovsk Oblast Clinical Hospital 1 Felix Badayev for the position of Counselor. The Governor’s new Counselor will be in charge of setting up a medical cluster in Yekaterinburg’s Akademicheskiy District, Mid-Urals Information Policy Department reports. ‘Thank you for the many years of hard work. The time has come to embark on a new, very important project that we are working on together with Renova Group: a medical cluster. You also stay responsible for another socially

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 6, 2018. Applications for the concept of EXPO Park in Yekaterinburg are now closed in Sverdlovsk Oblast. Applications have been submitted by architects from ten different countries, including Great Britain, Italy, the United States, France, Japan, Belarus, and Poland. ‘For one, architects who contributed to designing some parts of EXPO Park in Astana, the person who designed Europe’s second tallest building Akhmat Tower in Grozny, and the Architecture & Design Fund (a consortium of over forty Russian companies) all placed their applications with us,’ says

UrBC, Yekaterinburg. February 6, 2018. MMK Group’s trade union came up with a continuous professional development report for 2017. Last year, over 4,000 employees took part in various training courses, the company press service reports. ‘Leaders of all levels, from department chairs to members of production site shift meetings, all joined the trade union’s training programs. The training was given by professionals from Chelyabinsk Trade Union Teacher Resource Center and PERSONAL Corporate Personnel Training Center and by the local trade union experts,’ the press service says. A course on job

UrBC, Yekaterinburg. February 6, 2018. Pervouralsk recently held public hearings on prospective changes in the Federal Youth & Government’s Youth Policy in the Russian Federation Act. The hearings got attended by representatives of the city’s youth groups, youth self-government bodies, members of youth organizations, and deputies of Pervouralsk Duma and Sverdlovsk Oblast Legislative Assembly. At the end of the hearings, Head of Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (PNTZ) GR & PR Department Alexander Khanin said the bill in question would play a major role in achieving equality in the field of

UrBC, Yekaterinburg. February 6, 2018. Travel agents and tour operators all expect both domestic and international trips to grow more expensive this year, NTK Intourist Deputy DG and Sales Director Sergey Tolchin said at a press conference in Yekaterinburg. ‘Packaged tours grew slightly more expensive for trips around Russia. This mainly has to do with the increase in jet fuel prices last fall. Also, meal options at hotels grew 4% to 5% costlier. At the same time, tour operators working in Turkey report the price of their tours rose by as much as 10% to 15%,’ Tolchin said. Director of Ural

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 5, 2018. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development (UBRD) issued RUR 1bn worth of mortgages to its customers altogether, the bank’s press service reports. The majority of mortgage loans (over 50%) got issued in Sverdlovsk Oblast (namely, in Yekaterinburg and Nizhniy Tagil), with Chelyabinsk and Ufa second and third most portage-proactive locations. 70% of mortgages were meant for buying existing homes; 20% were part of a debt refinancing program; 5% were meant for buying new homes; and 5% were meant for buying a place with the help of a government

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 5, 2018. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development (UBRD) keeps expanding its SME-oriented branch network. The bank set up an outlet in Saratov (Samson Business Center at 145a Rabochaya St) at the end of January, as well as another one in Kemerovo (Mayak Plaza at 2b Oktyabrsky Ave). ‘These are ‘mini-versions’ of our full-service branches without a cash desk. We only offer our services to small and medium enterprises there. A business person can open a settlement account, sign an acquiring contract, put some money onto a deposit account, and apply for a

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 5, 2018. Ural Airlines are launching a summer flights sale for Wings Club members on February 3-11, 2018. Every day, tickets for a new destination will be available at a discount (up to 30%), the air carrier’s press service says. ‘On February 3-11, 2018, Wings Club members will take part in a summer flights sale. Reduced price tickets will be offered on a specific new destination every day. This could be Georgia or the Black Sea locations, China, or Europe’s tourist destinations,’ the press service says. You can get more updates on what flights will be offered on

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 5, 2018. Governor of Chelyabinsk Oblast Boris Dubrovsky held a meeting with M.I. Glinka Chelyabinsk State Opera & Ballet Theater’s Board of Trustees at the theater building. ChTPZ Group shareholders Andrei Komarov and Alexander Fedorov, who are both on the board, attended this meeting among other members, the Group’s press service reports. The meeting participants looked into the Board of Trustees’ performance in 2017, with a focus on facilities and supplies upgrades and investments (for one, the theater got new, up-to-date lighting and sound fixtures). It

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 5, 2018. Sverdlovsk Oblast-based companies active in all the basic economic sectors brought in 84.2% of tax revenues the federal constituency transferred to the national budget, Russia’s Federal Tax Service’s Sverdlovsk Oblast division reports. RUR 262.8bn got paid in taxes in January-December 2017, which exceeded the figures for a year earlier by RUR 36.7bn, or 16.2%. Companies operating in the processing sector paid RUR 94.9bn in taxes, those operating in retail and wholesale trade paid RUR 56.7bn, those operating in the real estate sector, rental services, and

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 2, 2018. MegaFon is now launching a new digital service offer for its business customers: a solution to boost their sales and expand their customer base that is part of the telecommunications provider’s SME support program, the company press service reports. This is the first time a solution such as this hits the Russian market. ‘We are offering our partners new customer attraction channels and new sales management techniques. Thanks to our ‘smart texting’ option (aka MegaFon.Target), stores can text potential shoppers around public holidays such as February 23

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, February 2, 2018. The international rating agency Moody’s promoted Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) credit rating from Ba1 to Baa3, with Positive rating outlook, MMK Information, PR & Advertising Department reports. ‘The company is quite satisfied with the rating improvement, since this proves MMK chose the right strategic development priorities and relied on actually working solutions to implement its strategy. We are focussed on addressing our key markets, staying efficient, ensuring regular ROI for our shareholders, and being investor-attractive,’ says MMK

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 2, 2018. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction & Development (UBRD) Visa Maximum holders can save money when buying sports appliances, beauty and skincare products, and pharmaceutical produce starting February 1, 2018. The bank season-adjusted the categories of goods that produce an increased cash-back bonus of 10%, the UBRD press service reports. Under the terms of their Visa Maximum debit card contract, customers get 1% off every purchase back and can get as much as 10% back when shopping for one of the seasonal categories. Starting February 1, 2018, the 10%