February 20, 2014. Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (PNTZ, a member enterprise of ChTPZ Group) had a lime production facility commissioned recently. The enterprise needs the lime for its steel-smelting and ladle treatment production cycle. The section is located on the premises of Iron Ozone 32, a department meant for making steel ingots for weldless pipes, the Group's press service reports. The commissioning of the new production facility will complement a full steel-production cycle where lime and gas are used. The Iron Ozone 32 already has an industrial gas station that meets the

February 20, 2014. Yekaterinburg strategic development plan served as a team-building document for the city council and the local business community, whose joint interests are focused on the development of the social infrastructure, Deputy Mayor of Yekaterinburg Alexander Vysokinsky said in the course of a TV interview at Open Studio. 'The main factor we kept in mind while working on this plan was making sure the general public took part in the development of the plan and that the business community joined in the process as well. The city council is the locomotive here, and science is an

February 20, 2014. Having to meet the consumer lending bill's requirements (the bill is to come into effect on July 1, 2014) might affect the business of Sberbank, its performance results and its prospects badly, a memorandum on Sberbank's Eurobond issue says, according to Prime. The new bill on consumer lending was adopted in December 2013. The document says that the full value of a consumer loan cannot exceed the market's average (as calculated by the Central Bank) by more than one-third. The borrowing party is allowed to give the money back before the end of the loan period

February 19, 2014. Sinara Pipe Plant (SinTZ, a member enterprise of Pipe Metallurgical Company) embarked upon the start-up and commissioning jobs for an upgraded version of AVS 63 tube pointer, Pipe Metallurgical Company’s press service reports. ‘The launch of the updated equipment will signify the completion of Russia’s first coiled tubing production meant for making pipes that are up to 24m long and can be used in the nuclear industry, the machine-building sector, and the fuel and energy sector. This investment project is part of the enterprise’s strategic development program that is

February 19, 2014. Following a yearly analysis of the best deals, experts and representatives of EMEA Finance, an established international magazine, declared the restructuring of ChTPZ Group’s loan book (which was completed in 2013) the winner in the Best restructuring for Central and Eastern Europe/ Best restructuring in CEE category, ChTPZ Group’s press service reports. ChTPZ Group’s loan book was restructured in the form of two syndicated loans with the total volume of 86.464bn RUR with a seven-year repayment period and a bonded loan of 8.225bn RUR with one- to three-year circulation

February 19, 2014. Ural Airlines is announcing a special offer on two flights from Yekaterinburg to Paris and back. On May 20, 2014 only, a one-way ticket to Paris will be available for €120 (plus fees), the airline’s press service reports. Besides, travelers who will find themselves in the French capital on April 22, 2014, will have the benefit of one flight to Yekaterinburg for €120 (plus fees). Ural Airlines will also operate a flight from Yekaterinburg to Paris between April 22, 2014 and May 20, 2014 every Tuesday. ‘If they go to Paris for the spring break, travelers will be in for some

February 19, 2014. An exhibition of state-of-the-art hand-made dolls and tapestries is opened at Uralvagonzavod Exhibition Center for the first time. The exhibition area features works by the best artists from Nizhniy Tagil, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow. The exhibition is coordinated within the framework of the head plant museum’s cultural and educational projects, the corporation’s press service reports. ‘Among the exhibits are realistically-looking, pastiche, and primitive dolls, art dolls, and conceptual dolls by artists who employ different techniques and materials: plush, textiles, ladoll,

February 18, 2014. 40% of all the international retail brands operate their outlets in Yekaterinburg. This makes the Urals' capital Russia's No. 3 in this respect, preceded by Moscow, where 94% of all the international retail brands are available, and Saint Petersburg, with 54%. The list of Russia's Top 5 also comprises Krasnodar (33%) and Rostov-on-Don (32%), Store of Stores reports. This year's rating isn't strikingly different from last year's one, which has to do with a very small increase in the supply of good quality shopping space last year and therefore a

February 18, 2014. Public transport will stop operating temporarily in the central streets of Yekaterinburg on February 28; this has to do with the 11th Paralympics Torch Relay: the games will be held in Sochi on March 7-16, 2014, the city council reports. The local part of the relay will start in Square 1905 at 10 AM. Sportsplayers will go down Lenin Ave to Kommunary Square and then to Moskovskaya St and Furmanov St. Once in Vosmoye Marta St, the sportsplayers will turn left and will go towards Malyshev St, then to the Tsentralny Hotel, then to the right towards Rosa Luxembourg St and then

February 18, 2014. Russia’s Federal Service for Military & Technical Cooperation praised Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation for its contribution to advertising & exhibition activity. Following a recent meeting, the corporation decided to consider making up for some of the expenses relating to international exhibitions that are incurred by local enterprises, the corporation’s press service says. Russia’s Federal Service for Military & Technical Cooperation coordinated a meeting for representatives of interested national executive bodies and military and

February 18, 2014. Ural Federal University is now doing some research on the ‘developmental trajectories’ of its students studying for their master’s degrees. Among other things, the college management is planning to take a look at their homosexuality. UFU post grad students are now being surveyed via an ad hoc portal surveymonkey.com. The links to the website and encouraging invitations to join in the research can be found at UFU student union group in Vkontakte, Politsovet Information Agency reports. ‘The research is targeted at learning about the educational, scientific, professional, and

February 18, 2014. The fact that Ural motorcycles made in Irbit Motorcycle Plant (a member enterprise of OOO Russian Motorcycles) took part in the Olympics opening ceremony in Sochi has not had any impact on sales so far. However, the enterprise reports that quite a few customer queries were made, which allows for hope for more orders, the plant representative told UrBC. Now on February 7, 20 red Ural motorcycles (the make called Tourist) were featured during the opening ceremony of the 22nd winter Sochi Olympics. 'In the retrospective show presented, the motorcycles acted as the symbol

February 17, 2014. WATCH+, an application developed by MegaLabs, proved one of the top apps at Apple AppStore and Google Play. Over 200,000 people installed the app within three days of the launch. The total volume of traffic downloaded via the app was more than 100 terabytes, the company’s press service says. ‘MegaFon took its customers’ needs into account, so now one does not have to have a registration to keep track of the Olympic events: the service is available right after installation. The app is available to subscribers of all operators, and the video traffic is free for all of MegaFon

February 17, 2014. The losses of AvtoVAZ, a car making factory, might reach 7bn RUR for the year 2013, Kommersant reports. The figure was calculated by analysts after Renault published its annual report and stated €34m worth of losses from joining in AvtoVAZ in the year 2013 against €186m worth of profits in 2012. This was the actual result of the factory’s performance without the discounting of non-interest bearing charges issued by Rostech. AvtoVAZ management is now looking into ways to cut down on losses. In 2014, the company will lay off 7,500 workers (including 2,500 managers and

February 17, 2014. In 2013, Russian citizens owed their communal housing services suppliers 259bn RUR. In the first month of 2014, this figure rose by another 3% and came to 267.25bn RUR on February 1, 2014. The federal constituencies that owe most in terms of housing bills are Central Federal District (22.5% of all debts are concentrated there), the Volga Federal District, and Ural Federal District (18.1% and 16.5%, respectively), Izvestiya refers to Sequoia Credit Consolidation (a debt-collecting agency) as reporting. Last year, the Russian citizens’ communal housing services debts rose by

February 17, 2014. Rostransnadzor determined the reasons behind a railway accident that occurred at Kamensk-Uralsky Station of Sverdlovsk Railways. Three carriages got derailed and some cargo caught on fire because of the violations during the commissioning and maintenance of pointwork, the agency’s press service reports. ‘As a result, the wheel flange ran over the right point and then over the stock rail, which resulted in derailing of carriages. The accident will be classified following an expert examination of the carriage,’ the message states. Besides, the agency will keep looking into a

February 17, 2014. 3,375 fake Bank of Russia banknotes were found in Ural Federal District in 2013. All in all, 71,433 fake bills were found in the entire country last year, the bank’s press service reports. 50% of fake bills are 5,000-ruble ones (35,565 units), followed by 1,000-ruble bills (27,693 units), 500-ruble ones (7,494 units), 100-ruble ones (422 units). 50-ruble ones (104 units), and ten-ruble ones (17 units). Besides, 137 fake five-ruble coins and one ten-ruble coin were found. The greatest number of fake bills (41,353 units) was found in Central Federal District and in

February 14, 2014. The top managers of ChTPZ Group, headed by the company Director-General Yaroslav Zhdan, worked a shift at the departments of Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (a member of ChTPZ Group) and took part in a clean-up day in the streets of Pervouralsk,' the company's press service reports. 'ChTPZ Group's strategic session involved nearly 100 top managers changing their jobs for a day and mastering blue-collar skills: they became maintenance technicians, mill operators, heat-treaters, diagnosticians, and sling operators at Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant's

February 14, 2014. MRSK Urala experts detected some 13,000 cases of unauthorized use of electric power (without any contract and without any control) in Sverdlovsk Region, Chelyabinsk Region, and Perm Territory. The damage that was uncovered during the inspection raids and later compensated for was estimated by the company at 163m RUR, the organization's press service says. 349 offenders had to face administrative liability in 2013, which was 50% more than in 2012. For one, an illegally hooked-up cable was found in the attic of a semi-detached house in Pokrovskoye, Artemovsky District.

February 14, 2014. A resident of Yekaterinburg who is suspected of deceiving 15 victims (damage is estimated at over 50m RUR) is now on the federal 'wanted' list, says Main Administration of Sverdlovsk Region division of the Internal Affairs Ministry. According to the Economic Crime Department of Yekaterinburg division of Russia's Internal Affairs Ministry, the woman, who was part of an organized crime group, stole the money of customers who were planning to buy an apartment, luring them into a fake deal by offering apartments at prices below market rates. The fraudster would