Author: Alex Freedmann

Economy

IGSO experts see the world on the brink of an imminent energy revolution

One of these central issues is energy, ranging from its generation, sources diversification, preservation and transportation to the possibilities of guaranteeing its hitch-free supply in adequate volumes, and at prices that are affordable by all...

Interviews

Expert's view on Russian foreign language courses industry

Viktor Votinov, CEO of Sliding Language Center, comments on the Russian foreign language courses industry and existing teaching methods...

Interviews

Expert's view on Russian foreign language courses industry

Micael Timonen, a key account manager at EF Corporate Language Training, shares his views on the Russian foreign language courses industry...

Deceuninck Rus CEO bags best manager award and inclusion in president’s staff reserve

The honor, granted by the Russian Public Commission, is meant to show public recognition of the moral and business authority of Russia's best CEOs...

Kaspersky Lab CEO receives China’s highest honor for foreigners

According to the official citation, Kaspersky was granted the Chinese highest award for foreigners for his outstanding contribution to the country's information security industry...

Bank of Moscow unveils new products and new lending terms

Specifically, these changes include improved terms of consumer credits for urgent needs and car purchases, consumer credits, consumer credit collateralized with a vehicle, etc...

Advanced production technologies protect Russia’s ecology

Such a positive scenario, according to experts, is only possible on the condition that comprehensive eco-friendly measures are taken to protect the environment...

Choron Diamond marks its 10th anniversary in Russia among partners, friends and clients

In attendance to mark the occasion and congratulate the people behind the company’s flying successes, especially, its CEO, Rajesh Gandhi, were prominent figures from the Russian business and political establishments...

Tatneft extracts the first barrels of Libyan oil

Russian oil major Tatneft has made significantly progress in Libya as it drilled its first oil, totaling 400 barrels, from its A1-82/04 plot in the Gedames last month, making it the first Russian oil corporation to get a foothold in the North African Arab nation’s energy industry...

Tatneft launches the construction of a major oil-trunk pipeline project

Tatneft has started the realization of its NPS Kaleykino-Nizhnekamsk Oil Refinery Co. oil trunk pipeline project, a vital part of the company’s major refineries and petrochemical plants complex in the city of Nizhnekamsk...

RusHydo searches for aid to revamp its Sayano-Shushensk hydrostation

Financial aid is on the way for RusHydro, the owner of the devastated Sayano-Shushensk Hydropower Station, the Russian and world’s largest source of hydropower energy, as Sberbank and the Russian government pledge to help...

Business & Finance

Avalanches of mega deals at MAKS-09 as companies defy global crisis on unparalleled shopping spree

Record deals were signed at MAKS-09 as several public and private companies went on a spending spree that did not only defy the current crisis, but also raised the salon into the top elite multibillion dollar aviation exhibitions league...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Marriott Courtyard Hotel hosts exhibition of modern paintings of Moscow

The Marriott Courtyard Hotel has diversified its services portfolio to include an exposition of modern paintings dedicated to Moscow, making it a new default hangout for the city’s army of arts connoisseurs...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Mirax Group owners may lose their Turkish Sungate Port Royal Hotel

Sungate Port Royal Hotel, one of Turkey's largest hospitality assets, is on the verge of changing hands again following its current owners’ default on repayments of the loan used to clinch its acquisition...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

AZIMUT Hotels Company acquires a stake in Nizhni Novgorod hotel complex

The management of AZIMUT Hotels Company says its acquisition of the stake in the hotel complex is fully compliant with its overall strategy for the development of its hotel chain in Russia...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

The Ukraina Hotel to become a flagman Radisson Royal brand in Russia

The revamped Ukraina Hotel is expected to be rechristened into Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow, which will be managed by the Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the most famous brands in global hospitality management...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Istra Holiday cottage hotel gains a four-star status

The Istra Holiday cottage hotel, which is being run by RosEuroHotel management company, has received a four-star status following its successful completion of the voluntary certification procedures...

Economy

Highlights of St. Petersburg's 2009 economic forum

Unlike in the past, the key focus in this year’s forum shifts from the traditional investment issues to ‘intellectual brainstorming’ on crisis and various strategies for exiting the economic slump...

Interviews

Expert's view on Russia-India ties: Prema CEO highlights role of tourism in bilateral relations

Sergei Behn, CEO, Prema, a Moscow-based tours operator firm, speaks about how tourism has helped and continued to boost Indian-Russian relationships at grassroots levels...

Interviews

Expert's view on Russia-India ties: Choron Diamond CEO calls for expanding bilateral ties beyond mostly government-to-government affairs to business-to-business levels

Rajesh Gandhi, CEO, Choron Diamond, underscores the importance of tapping the huge expertise accumulated in the pharmaceuticals, textiles, jewellery, services industries, etc. for the Russian and Indian economies...

Interviews

Expert's view on Russia-India ties: VTB Bank New Delhi Branch director on the role of financial institutions in propping up trade and investment flows

Sergei Bulaenko, director of the VTB Bank Branch Office in New Delhi, speaks on how boosting financial services can help raise economic cooperation between Russia and India...

Interviews

Expert's view on Russia-India ties: IBA President speaks on the role of business organizations in boosting economic cooperation

Sammy Kotwani, CEO, The Imperial Tailoring Co. and president, Indian Business Alliance, highlights the current state of the Indian-Russian economic cooperation and key problems begging for urgent resolutions...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel lands a new general manager

Hospitality management guru Nicolas Kipper — who had previously worked as director of operations at Moscow’s Marriott Grand and general manager of Marriott Tverskaya — returned to Marriott Grand in June in a new capacity as the five-star hotel’s general manager...

Hotels & Restaurants Guide

Hilton plans to develop regional network of economy-class hotels in Russia

Vladimir Ilyichev, Hilton Hotels’ director for operations development in Russia and CIS, has disclosed Hilton Corp.’s interest in developing an extensive regional network of low-price, economy-class category hotels in Russia...

Home Credit Bank opens a special services Cabinet for VIP clients

Commenting on the new service, Home Credit Bank Managing Director Ivan Svitek said the project will enable the bank to occupy a unique niche by offering full banking services to the upper median representatives...

PROMT opens a Corporate Sales Department

Konstantin Presnyakov, the company’s director for corporate sales, has noted that corporate translation system will enable users to raise the overall performance of personnel that work with information in foreign languages on average by 40-60%...

Deceuninck's Russian subsidiary posts strong operations report for 2008

The achievement of such strong positive performance growth by the Russian subdivision has been attributed in parts to the increase in investments into the company’s plant in the Moscow Region...

BTA Bank raises interest rates on private clients’ deposits

BTA Bank also plans to introduce new deposit service for private clients that will reflect the current trends on the financial market, such as providing for preterm payments of the accrued interests...

Kravtsov rejoins PBN from Basic Element and AmCham as vice president

The appointment marks a return engagement for Kravtsov, who held senior positions in PBN’s U.S., Russia and Ukraine offices from 1994 to 1998...

Markets Reviews

The Russian equities market: April market performance roundup

The promising signs of recovery registered at the end of March on the Russian equities market gained more strength at the end April, as the local stocks market closed the month on positive moods, with all major market performance indicators gaining more grounds...

Interviews

The Russian IT and telecom services market through the eye of an industry expert

Yuri Prokhorov, the country director and deputy CEO of Linxtelecom CIS and Svyaz VSD LLC, shared his views on the prevailing situations on the local telecoms market and the industry’s future prospects in view of the impacts of the current global economic crisis...

Major Events of the Month

Kremlin sacks several governors over poor crisis management

Four regional governors have found themselves on the labor market after the Kremlin made true its promise to fight lack of talents and management expertise...

Major Events of the Month

Russia hopes for full membership role in G8’s economic affairs

Alexei Kudrin, the Russian deputy prime minister, who also doubles as the finance minister, says it is time for Russia to gain full membership role in G8's economic affairs...

Major Events of the Month

Forensic auditing reduces Sochi Olympic construction expenditures by 300bln.rubs

Independent forensic auditing carried out by the state on the estimated Sochi Olympic construction expenditures has revealed that the figures were bloated by 300bln.rubs...

Major Events of the Month

Titans of Russian oil industry fall afoul of antirust laws

The Russian Antitrust Agency has filed suits against titans of the Russian oil market in an effort to rein in systematic violations of antirust legislations...

Major Events of the Month

Kremlin holds official secular reception for the new Russian Patriarch

President Medvedev toasted the new Patriarch to a historic Kremlin reception in February, indicating the readiness of both the secular and religious authorities to deepen ties...

Major Events of the Month

Matviyenko to support SMEs by creating business incubation ventures

St. Petersburg Gov. Matviyenko will aggressively support the development of more SMEs as a measure to fight rising unemployment in the city...

OPK to complete the production of steam generators for the world’s first floating nuclear power station by 2009

The station is being designed in form of a non-self-propelled vessel, measuring 144m in length, 30m in width and has water displacement of 21,500metric tons, and will be powered by two nuclear power plants capable of generating up to 70 megawatts...