Author: Inga Friedelhaus

Major Events of the Month

False start leads to registration and deregistration of the ‘Putin2012.rf’ domain

The Federal Protection Service has withdrawn the applications for the registrations of nine domain names in the .rf zone, which can be seen as pre-election campaign programs...

Major Events of the Month

The price of stabilization of the North Caucasus estimated at 600 bln rubles

The estimated cost, in addition with private investments, is about 600bln rubles and realization of these projects is expected to begin soon...

Major Events of the Month

The state should become the object and not the tool for modernization

Speaking at the World Political Forum in September in Yaroslavl, Sberbank CEO German Gref said the success of reforms in Russia calls for, first and foremost, modernization of the Russian government...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Historic hotels go on sale in Russian capitals as authorities privatize state assets

Moscow and St. Petersburg city governments have announced plans to sell historic hotels and other assets under their jurisdictions...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

EBRD and IFC to invest millions into small hotels developments in Russian regions

According to EBRD, the investment plans envisage building five medium-sized hotels with a total stock of 750 rooms in next two years...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Golden Ring Hotel completes reconstruction of its largest conference hall

During the renovation, a major emphasis was placed on the technical re-equipment of the hall, which now boasts the best equipment from the leading international audio- and video brands...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Elena Baturina’s Inteko opens an upscale hotel-and-residential complex in Peterhof

The hotel branded, ‘The New Peterhof,’ comprises six, three-floor corpuses with an aggregated stock of 150 rooms with all the modern conveniences...

Major Events of the Month

Russia extends the effective period of its Black Sea fleet base agreement by 25 years to 2042

Commenting on the landmark agreement, the Russian president noted that the accord will bring certainty to the fleet’s operations and normalize the situations in the Black Sea region...

Major Events of the Month

State Duma and Senate comes under Kremlin’s criticism for truancy among undisciplined legislators

President Medvedev has called rampant truancy among legislators in the State Duma and Federation Council 'unacceptable'...

Major Events of the Month

Sobyanin to coordinate state policy and efforts against corruption in Russia

The Russian president has appointed Sergei Sobyanin, the Russian Cabinet chief of staff, the coordinator of state efforts aimed at fighting corruption in the country...

Major Events of the Month

Zyuganov tells comrades to activate recruitment of young people into party

The Communist Party leader has called on comrades to be more actively involved in the rejuvenation of the party membership via exemplary actions and behaviors in their areas...

Major Events of the Month

Mironov calls for a legal base to counteract heroization of Nazism collaborators

Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov has called for the adoption of a legal base to counteract attempts to legalize Nazism collaborators and rewrite WWII history...

Major Events of the Month

Khloponin calls on Kremlin to share sensitive national security data with governors

The envoy specifically noted that such information exchange will be of particular importance in the Russian North Caucasus which is most frequently targeted by the country's enemies...

Interviews

Complementarity of economies is a key to success of strategic partnership

Vittorio C. Surdo, Italy’s ambassador to Russia, speaks about long-term nature of the strategic cooperation between Moscow and Rome in solving issues of bilateral and geopolitical importance...

Interviews

Building a legal connective bridge between Russian and Italian businesses

Sergio Forelli — an attorney and partner, at the legal firm, SALT — talks about his company’s operations, protection for foreign investors’ rights and other issues...

Tycoon Vekselberg to oversee the creation of Russia’s Silicon Valley dream project

The Russian president said the decision to appoint the multibillionaire business tycoon to oversee the realization of the country's Silicon Valley project followed relevant consultations on the right candidacy for the job...

GEA WestfaliaSurge participates in the VIII International Forum in Moscow

Commenting on the forum, GEA WestfaliaSurge CEO Bjoerne Drechsler noted that participation of his company in the Russian dairy industry forum has become a special tradition since 2003...

Major Events of the Month

Kremlin calls for the adoption of Russian exports protection scheme

President Medvedev has ordered the government to draw up mechanisms for protecting Russian exports on the global markets...

Major Events of the Month

Revival of Russian Olympic spirit at the Vancouver Paralympics Games

The Paralympians’ superlative feat was a consolation after the shocking performance of the able-bodied Olympic team at the Vancouver Games, the worst result in the nation's history....

Major Events of the Month

The government to create special conditions for innovative companies

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government has announced its readiness to offer cost-saving incentives to innovative enterprises...

Major Events of the Month

Government to start drafting three-year plans for state properties privatization

Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina has said the government plans to turn to a three-year planning policy on privatization of state assets...

Major Events of the Month

Shoigu and business lobbyist group square off over mandatory fire-prevention insurance

The emergency siutations minister has called on the RSPP to more soberly reevaluate its negative position on the initiative to introduce obligatory anti-fire insurance for businesses...

Major Events of the Month

The Currency Union to be the next logic stage of integration troika’s economies

First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov called for the creation of the Currency Union as the next logic step in the integration of economic integration...

Major Events of the Month

State to pressure bailed-out-of-crisis companies to participate in modernization

The president noted that the government has the all rights to count on the companies it helped during the crisis to play more active parts in the economy modernization programs...

Major Events of the Month

Calls for creation of legislative base for a ‘national company’ concept

LUKoil president has defined a national company as 'a large corporation, which is registered in Russia and is an official tax resident in the country'...

Major Events of the Month

Antitrust agency again targeting the ‘Big Troika’ in price-policy collusion

The term, ‘Big Troika,’ is used to refer to MTS, VimpelCom and Megafon, as their aggregated market share, currently standing at 85%, far exceeds the threshold required for monopolistic domination of an industry...

Major Events of the Month

DIA reviewing ways to extend bank deposits insurance protection to companies

Deposit Insurance Agency is currently studying the possibilities of extending the state’s obligatory bank deposits insurance policy for individuals to companies...

Major Events of the Month

Government to liquidate all barriers to facilitate inflow of foreign investments

Putin plans to create favorable conditions for the inflow of foreign investments and activation of innovative activities in a move to turn Russia into one of the new global financial centers in the post-crisis era...

Major Events of the Month

Business executives searching for the best innovative projects among youth

Delovaya Russia chairman said the goal of the competition, labeled, “Modernization,” is to seek the most talented youth in science, business, education, cultural innovations...

Renova to execute Kamchatka Gold IPO at the Hong Kong Exchange by yearend

According to the management, Kamchatka Gold, the largest manufacturer of precious metals in the Kamchatka Region, will sell up to a blocking stake of its assets via IPO...

Record-high daily sales turnover enriches anywayanyday presentation

The highlight of the event, however, was the news that just a day before the presentation, the company posted a record daily sales turnover of $100,000...

A ‘prodigal’ oligarch returns home to focus on investment activities across Russia

Specifically, the oligarch is targeting the Chechen Republic and several other key cities, notably, in Moscow and Sochi, the 2014 Olympics host city, for investments...

Paris-based NYSE Euronext waiting for leading Russian companies’ stocks

NYSE Euronext Vice President Ronald Kent said the Paris-based exchange is ready to receive Russian companies interested in listing their stocks on the exchange...