January 16, 2013. Burevestnik, a scientific research institute that is part of Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) Scientific & Production Corporation, designed an improved, 100-mm automatic gun mount А190-01 for the shipboard artillery. The first mass produced sample has already passed the qualification tests successfully and has been shipped to the warship-builders, the corporation’s press service reports. The 100-mm automatic single-barrel tower-type gun mount is meant for the ships with tonnage of 500 tons and up. It is to be included into the Russian Navy’s weaponry and to hit a wide range of

January 16, 2013. The designers of Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) Scientific & Production Corporation’s head plant created a special flat car meant for the technological haulage on the premises of Novovoronezhskaya Nuclear Power Plant 2. This item is currently unique to Russia and was produced under a strict deadline by the order of OAO Yugelectro, the corporation’s press service reports. Only one copy of this 23-5166 flat car exists at the moment. The vehicle is meant to be used as the load-bearing part of an intra-station platform that is used at Novovoronezhskaya Nuclear Power Plant 2 for moving

January 16, 2013. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) implemented 39 conservation projects within the framework of its Environmental Program for 2012; this helped the company reduce its environmental impact, the company’s press office reports. In 2012, the specific water pollutants discharge was reduced by 28% (down to 10.4 kg per ton of metal goods), while the specific air pollutants discharge went down by 2.3% (down to 19.96 kg per ton of metal goods). What is more, MMK keeps on implementing its depleted pits reclamation program: last year, 10.2m tons of worth of waste was recycled.

January 16, 2013. Sverdlovsk Region Arbitration Court ruled that Russian Magnesium should undergo bankruptcy proceedings. The court’s statement of reasons is to be published within five working days, the Russian Agency for Legal & Court Information (RAPSI) refers to a court representative as saying. Russian Magnesium filed for bankruptcy on September 5, 2012. The company owed its creditors 70.14m RUR as of August 30, 2012. The enterprise’s key stockholder, the Switzerland-based Minmet Financing Company S.A., stopped financing the project altogether in November 2011, and no other investors

January 15, 2013. A Russian citizen arriving to Yekaterinburg from Bangkok tried to smuggle more than 27 kilos of precious stones worth 9.17m RUR into the country. He did not manage to pass the customs unheeded, so the unpaid customs duty was estimated at 2.421m RUR and criminal action was taken, with charges based on Avoidance of customs duties payment, the spokesperson for Ural Customs Administration reports. The Russian citizen in question arrived at Koltsovo Airport with a suitcase full of diamonds, topazes, sapphires, and ready pieces of jewelry (27 kilos altogether) as early as on

January 15, 2013. The 40th professional skills contest for young electricians was held at Seversky Pipe Plant (STZ), a member of Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK). The first such competition was coordinated in December 1972. Under the terms of the competition, the contestants had to answer a theoretical quiz and to fulfill some practical tasks with the electric equipment. Their performance was evaluated on the basis of whether the assembled devices complied with their layout and design, whether the controlling tools and the measurements were right, and whether the wiremen complied with the

January 15, 2013. Ural Airlines came up with a performance report for 2012. The company flew 3,525,066 passengers last year, which was 40% more than in 2011. On December 30, Ural Airlines’ record-setting 3,500,000th passenger of the year checked in for his flight, the air carrier’s press office reports. In 2012, Ural Airlines operated 26,960 flights (up 30% on a year earlier), including 10,926 international flights, 10,221 domestic flights, and 5,813 flights around the CIS. Last year, the air carrier launched 45 new destinations and now offers its customers flights to over 170 different

January 15, 2013. Pervouralsk household solid waste recycling plant was declared bankrupt after a corresponding claim laid by the Federal Tax Service. The company will now have to undergo bankruptcy proceedings; Nikolai Kaiky was appointed the enterprise’s trustee in bankruptcy; this information is available from the case files available via Sverdlovsk Region Arbitration Court’s website. The court determined that the following creditors had their claims: Ural Transport Bank (2.839m RUR worth of debt plus 791,000 RUR worth of penalties) and the Interregional Tax Inspectorate (on behalf of

January 15, 2013. Bank Koltso Urala keeps on expanding its ATM network in the federal constituencies where the bank’s branches are run. For one, a new ATM was installed on the premises of Verkhnyaya Pyshma’s largest sports facility: UMMC Sports Palace. This means there are currently 13 cash machines in this town, the bank reports. The new ATM, located in the sports facility at 15 Ordzhonikidze St, will let the bank’s Visa and MasterCard cardholders take some cash out of their accounts, get a bank statement, pay their mobile phone or Internet bills, transfer money from one card account to

January 14, 2013. The Byelorussian Cabinet is planning to take part in the international exhibition Innoprom 2013, Governor of Sverdlovsk Region’s Information Policies Department reports. According to the Head of the Byelorussian Embassy in Russia’s Yekaterinburg branch Viktor Polyanin, this will facilitate the Republic of Byelorussia and Sverdlovsk Region’s further socioeconomic cooperation. Last year, Byelorussia created and presented its national stand at Innoprom for the very first time; the stand featured its economic, scientific, and hi tech developments. The display was over 560 sq m

January 14, 2013. Bank Koltso Urala keeps on improving its financial position. For one, its balance sheet total exceeded the 50bn RUR mark today. In August 2012, this figure was 41bn RUR, the bank reports. This dynamic increase in the bank’s balance sheet total had to do with the active business development, expanded product range, and a growing number of branches. This year, the bank’s plans are not any less ambitious. ‘The dynamic development of our business in the provincial federal constituencies, an increase in the number of customers, and improved offers for both private individuals and

January 14, 2013. The ice playground built by Sinara Pipe Plan/SinTZ (part of Pipe Metallurgical Company/TMK) was declared the best in town in the course of a municipal contest in Kamensk-Uralsky. SinTZ’s victory was made more noticeable due to a valuable prize and a thank-you letter from the mayor, TMK’s press office reports. The ice playground’s theme was Caramel Fairy Tale. The ice-covered area on the premises of the plant park was increased considerably this year and came to 8,500 sq m, which is 1,000 sq m more than a year earlier. The central New Year tree, with its safe and sturdy metal

January 14, 2013. The 3d power generating unit of Beloyarskaya Power Station will operate at reduced capacity until April 2013, Interfax refers to the station’s press center as reporting. The capacity of the power generating unit and its BN600 reactor was reduced on December 27, 2012 down to 76% of the projected one in order to work on some equipment issues. Following the station’s experts’ estimates, it was decided that these issues are best dealt with during the scheduled shut-down of the unit. The upcoming shut-down needed for fuel recharging and maintenance is expected to take place in

January 14, 2013. A German visa center will be set up in Yekaterinburg that will cut down on the visa applicants’ waiting time. The center is expected to open in February, the Association of Tour Operators in Russia’s press service reports. The German party feels this will help to get rid of a long wait before an available appointment at the consulate: on average, those applying for German visas have to wait for about two weeks before they have their appointment. According to the attache for cultural relations and press of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic Germany in Yekaterinburg

January 11, 2013. Over 670,000 automobiles are registered in Yekaterinburg as of the beginning of the year 2013; this means there are 450 cars per every 1,000 residents, which is one of Russia’s greatest figures. Last year, over 15bn RUR worth of cars were sold in the local motor shows, Yekaterinburg Council’s press office reports. The number of car owners proved actually higher in Yekaterinburg than in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, where there are no more than 400 cars per every 1,000 people. According to the experts’ estimates, the number of 900 to 950 cars per every 1,000 residents signals

January 11, 2013. The first round of SKB-Bank’s special monthly competition dubbed, ‘Discover New Element & Win an iPad was completed on January 10. The special offer was launched in October 2012, at the same time as the bank’s new advertising campaign, The Periodical Table of SKB-Bank Elements, took off. SKB-Bank gave everyone a chance to ‘discover’ his or her very own element that could become a part of the advertising campaign. The element can be created via a special webpage: one needs to think of the symbol to designate the element as well as its name, and choose a product that this

January 11, 2013. Sverdlovsk Region scored 7.5 points in the sustainability rating compiled by Peterburgskaya Politika Foundation and REGNUM Information Agency in December 2012. This result was actually 0.1 points lower than before. Nevertheless, this rating means the region can be classed as a Highly Stable one. The following factors made a positive impact on the rating: -the business community’s favorable reaction to the Governor’s calling for lowering the administrative barriers for businesses; -Yekaterinburg’s leading position on the Russian Pillars, a list of big cities with population

January 11, 2013. More than 3bn RUR was invested in the upgrades in Sverdlovsk Region’s chemical industry last year. For one, Ural Rubber Goods Plant completed the first stage of its ten-year modernization project, which required 400m RUR worth of investments, Sverdlovsk Region Government Press Service & Information Administration reports. The plant launched a hi tech calendar production line for making conveyor belts; the introduction of a new technological process allowed the company to reduce its materials spending and to halve its process losses. In 2012, the renovated biological

January 11, 2013. Sverdlovsk Region started issuing all-purpose e-cards on January 1, 2013. The cards can be obtained from the outlets in the following locations: Karpinsk, Krasnoufimsk, Irbit, Serov, Kamyshlov, Alapayevsk, Kamensk-Uralsky, Asbest, Pervouralsk, Nizhniy Tagil, and Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Region Government Press Service & Information Administration reports. In the future, these e-cards are supposed to replace printed documents, so one could check into a hospital without a paper insurance policy. This will be possible due to the special equipment that will be installed at

January 10, 2013. Ural Airlines flew 3.5m passengers last year; the airline’s record-setting passenger used its services on the company’s U6 262 (Yekaterinburg-Moscow flight) around New Year’s Eve on December 30. The lucky customer’s name was Yekaterinburg resident Vladimir Georgiyev, the air carrier’s press office reports. Now in 2011 the airline offered its services to 2.5m passengers. It’s worth noting that Ural Airlines’ passenger traffic increases year on year, but last year was special in that, for the first time in the airline’s history, the traffic rose by over 1m people in just one