April 30, 2014. Two high-precision lathes manufactured by the Russian-Czech JV МТЕ-KOVOSVIT and fitted with Siemens numeric program control and software were installed at Mechanical Assembly Department 1 of Uralvagonzavod Corporation's head plant, the corporation's press service reports. 'The launch of up-to-date equipment is the first stage of a large-scale technical upgrades program for the department. The upgrades became necessary because of a major increase in the target production figures,' the message says. Two MTE-KOVOSVIT machines will replace as many as six old,

April 29, 2014. In order to expand its range of products and to be able to fulfill the customers’ orders, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) mastered the technology of making metal goods with zinc/iron coating (galvanil) last year. This development was part of the company’s annual program on innovative products. ‘Applying this kind of coating became possible after the launch of the second extension to the cold-roll facility at Rolling Mill 11. The beauty of this zinc/iron coating lies in the fact that it ensures great anti-corrosion properties, improves welding property, and enhances

April 29, 2014. Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK), one of the world's major OCTG manufacturers, signed an agreement with Gazpromneft regarding the formula for calculating the price of its pipe products. According to TMK press service, the price formula is calculated in accordance with the market prices for raw materials and the materials needed for making pipes. This agreement is the first document of such nature that Gazpromneft has signed with this Russian pipe manufacturer. Since 2012, a similar agreement has been working between Gazprom and a number of major Russian pipe

April 29, 2014. 2GIS analysts found out which Russian cities are most suited for getting by without money in cash. Their research involved 220 cities of Russia that were analyzed in terms of how many local organizations accept international bank cards. Among the factors considered was not the number of such companies per se but their share in the total number of local businesses, SKB-Bank’s press service reports. As a result, the analysts came with a list of several top cities where life is quite manageable without cash, as a lot of POS actually accept bank cards. Interestingly enough, not

April 29, 2014. Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation looked up into the results of its social partnership with the educational establishments of Dzerzhinsky District of Nizhniy Tagil in 2012, the corporation’s press service says. The two parties looked at the promising fields in which they could cooperate in the future. In 2014, the corporation’s head plant is planning to allocate 22.25m RUR for the purpose. ‘Five best schools in the district were selected last year. They were assessed along such criteria as children taking part in Uralvagonzavod’s sports and educational

In 2014, Uralvagonzavod is going to allocate 4m RUR to thirty kindergartens located in Dzerzhinsky District of Nizhniy Tagil. The teachers and nurses of these kindergartens will be able to undergo professional development training at the plant’s Personnel Training Center, Uralvagonzavod’s press service reports. ‘This is the second year in a row that Uralvagonzavod has been supporting the kindergartens in the neighborhood. This year, 2m RUR are expected to be spent on repairs and 2m RUR will be directed to buying supplies such as special-purpose uniforms, tools, household equipment, and

MegaFon completed all the key processes relating to the company’s integration with Scartel and Yota (the telecommunications provider bought 100% of the latter’s shares in October 2013), the company’s press service reports. It took the parties seven months to get all their assets integrated; the process went through the following stages: first, Scartel and Yota were united into a single legal entity called OOO Scartel which operated under the brand ofYota. Then, all of Scartel’s telecommunications equipment was handed over to MegaFon under a purchase and sale agreement. Upon this, all the key

In the first quarter of 2014, Bank Koltso Urala was 121st on the list of Russia’s largest banks in terms of net asset volume. The bank’s net assets exceeded 34.2bn RUR on April 1, 2014. This makes the bank one of Russia’s Top150 and one of Yekaterinburg’s Top 3 in this respect, the bank’s press officer reports. What is more, according to the quarterly ranking carried by Interfax 100 recently, Koltso Urala is 158th in terms of own funds volume (nearly 2.9bn RUR as of the balance sheet date). 853 Russian banks were featured in this rating altogether, 15 of which are based in Sverdlovsk Region.

Ural Airlines announced they are now selling tickets at subsidized prices for Moscow-Kaliningrad flights. The offer is available for Russian citizens between May 15, 2014 and October 15, 2014. The price of a one-way ticket will come to 3,800 RUR, the air carrier’s press service says. ‘Tickets can be booked via Ural Airlines’ authorized agents and booking offices all over Russia. For more information on this special offer terms and conditions, please call 8 800 2000 262 (toll-free within the Russian Federation),’ the company explains. ‘Ural Airlines are among Russia’s top five air carriers in

Under the current Federal Act 44 FZ, an organization that is taking part in state-run and local government-run tenders must place a deposit within the e-trading floor amounting to 5% of the contract amount, SKB-Bank’s press service says. ‘On the face of it, 5% does not look like a very significant sum, yet this could be quite a burden for a business, especially if the company is applying for several tenders simultaneously. The funds directed to securing the application will be unavailable for about two months – this is how ling it takes to move from submitting an application to signing a

Ural Airlines offer special prices on Montenegro-bound flights from Moscow and back. If you fly before May 31, 2014, a ticket for Moscow-Podgorica-Moscow flight will cost €202 (if you fly there and back within one week), the air carrier's press service says. 'For travelers going back from Podgorica and Tivat to Moscow, a special price (€108) is offered on flights operated on May 31 and June 4, 2014. You can book now at www.uralairlines.com,' the company says. 'Montenegro is a true paradise washed by the Adriatic Sea. In May, the tourist season begins at all of its resorts,

MegaFon is now offering landline international and long-distance call services to subscribers of any local landline operators. According to the carrier's press service, regardless of what local operator one is subscribed to, it is possible to use MegaFon's international and long-distance call service to call other cities and countries. The Russian Federation Mass Communications Ministry's Order 420 dated December 18, 2013, MegaFon was given the status of Telecom Network End Cap 7. Thanks to this, MegaFon can now connect subscribers directly to international and long-distance

The Director-General of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation Oleg Sienko met coaches and sports players from Armada Para-Cycling Club; the corporation is the club's primary partner. 'Three sports players were awarded corporation prizes; one of them was Alexei Obydennov, prize-winner at World Championship 2013 in Canada, two-time world champion Mexico 2014, and bronze prize winner in team sprint. Obydennov was Russia's first world champion in para-cycling; he actually set the world record as well. Prizes were also given to Sergey Ustinov, bronze prize winner in

Children from five Sverdlovsk Region-based orphanages are going to take part in Back to USSR, an amateur sports championship coordinated by the volunteer group Dorogami Dobra and Bank Koltso Urala. For three days (April 25-27), children will play Red Rover, dodgeball, Cowboys and Indians, Chinese jump rope, hopscotch, hide-and-seek, and other nearly-forgotten children's games. More than 80 children will come to the event; they won't be allowed to use the Internet, mobile phones, tablet computers, and other gadgets, the bank's press service reports. Children from orphanages of

A creative session with writer Alexei Ivanov will take place at Titanic Cinema at Greenwich Shopping Mall at 7PM on April 28. The writer's producer Yulia Zaitseva told UrBC that the event was dedicated to the release of his new book Yeburg; the work has already received a number of very different reviews and proved quite popular. 'The book was originally printed in 15,000 copies, yet 10,000 more copies are being urgently printed now, as the book sells very quickly,' Zaitseva said. On April 28, all those willing to do so can talk to Alexei Ivanov about the book and voice their

April 24, 2014. Russian car dealers are going to go bust, while the home market on the whole is going to consolidate due to a drop in sales, RBC refers to Avtostat's research findings as claiming. Last year's decrease in sales resulted in 502 companies losing their franchises or giving up on their dealer status, yet 508 new dealers emerged at the same time, the research states. According to the data published by the European Business Association in early April, some 602,500 automobiles were sold in Russia in the first quarter of 2014, which was 2% less than in the first quarter of

April 24, 2014. Sverdlovsk Region Government signed a cooperation agreement with Deutsche Messe RUS and RTE Group in order to work together on coordination of the International Industrial Technologies for Metal Treatment, Machine-Building, and Mining Forum WIN RUSSIA URAL. This decision to organize the forum together was voiced by President of Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry Andrei Besedin, Governor of Sverdlovsk Region's Information Policies Department reports. Exhibitions are a kind of business in themselves. By inviting such a powerful operator as Deutsche Messe, we both get

April 24, 2014. Tomsk Region Administration, headed by Deputy Governor of Tomsk Region for Agricultural Policies and Nature Management Andrei Knorr paid a visit to Rubtzov subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation, the corporation's press service says. Deputy Head of Tomsk Region Forestry Department Vladimir Zabolotsky, Deputy Director of Tomsk Forestry Management Yuri Valuyev, and Head of Tomsk Aviation Forest Protection Base Konstantin Abashev were among the delegates as well. The agenda of the visit included a discussion on how Rubtzov caterpillar track

April 24, 2014. Tverskoy Court of Moscow extended eco-activist Igor Zhitenev's detention until July 22, 2014, In Protection of Khoper, a website, states. Igor Zhitenev is accused of extorting money from Ural Mining & Mountain Company representative (the charge is based on Article 163 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code). The claim against him and Mikhail Bezmensky was laid by UMMC Counselor to Director-General Petr Yamov. Eco-activists pointed out that Zhitenev's lawyer was not actually present at the court hearing where it was decided to extend the detention period.

April 24, 2014. LEPSE (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) came up with a performance report on the efficiency of the company collective agreement in 2013. According to the corporation's press service, 137 different steps relating to reconstruction, and technical and social development of the company were taken last year. The tentative annual economic effect was estimated at 55.5m RUR. 126.3m RUR were spent on buying equipment; ten compliance certificates were issued for 14 types of goods, and inspection control of two products took place. The median paycheck rose by