Russian street scenes, paintings of the American West, colorful abstracts, and emotive portraits are all part of an international exhibition exploring early 20th-century Russian immigrant art debuting in October at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

Squeezed between Poland and Lithuania, Kaliningrad region has no major power generating facilities of its own capable of meeting its growing demand for electricity. One-third of electricity consumed by the region’s fast-developing economy comes from the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania.

Russia is prepared to offer foreign investors participation in profitable economic projects. This is what the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Businessmen Alexander Shokhin said during an international investment conference held in London. He spoke on the strategy of the development of Russian business.

Next year Russia’s “GAZPOM” concern will strengthen its positions on the world stock markets, and its shares will rise in price. This forecast was made by Europe’s largest bank UBS. This year “GAZPROM” bonds, as well as the bonds of the other big companies, have suffered as a result of the global financial crisis.

The ground-breaking decision adopted at the 3rd Congress to abolish article 6 of the Constitution, which proclaimed the CPSU the “leading and guiding force of Soviet society, the nucleus of its political system” set in motion the forces that led up to the disintegration of the CPSU, the Soviet state and society.

The head of the Economic Safety Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Lieutenant General of the Russian Militia Yuri Shalakov talks about the effects of the financial crisis on economic crimes committed in the country.

The impact of the crisis worldwide is proving far deeper and broader than previously thought.The impact on Russia has been accentuated by its structural vulnerabilities: dependence on the oil and gas sector, a narrow industrial base, and limited small and medium-size enterprise sector.

Russia’s Rosneft oil giant will pay more than USD 160 million to be a sponsor of the 2104 Winter Olympics in Sochi. In exchange for discount supplies of fuel and lubricants for the games, the company will enjoy easier access to land in the southern Krasnodar region where it plans to build a network of gasoline and car service stations.

Vladimir Putin told the Russian parliament that the agreed-upon customs union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan can be launched in 2010, which is a year earlier than planned. The union should boost development through unimpeded trade with a common border.

Under the renewed anti-crisis program for 2009, the Russian government aims to keep inflation at the rate of 13.3% like it was in 2008. In 2010 and in 2011 inflation growth may slow down by 10 and 11 percent respectively. Russia’s Central Bank is expected to play a crucial role.

Two Sukhoi SuperJet-100 medium-haul airliners have landed at Zhukovsky airport outside of Moscow for subsequent test flights there. Earlier, the planes took off the Far East-based Komsomolsk-on-Amur airport, covering thousands of kilometers to take part in certification test flights in the Moscow region.

Russian politicians offer comments on the first anniversary of military operations in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, balancing the positive and the negative factors that have become more clearly discernible with the passage of time.

Polyus Gold (Open Joint Stock Company, OJSC) is the leading gold producer in Russia and Kazakhstan and the only Russian company among the world’s largest gold producers. In late August, the biggest producer of gold in Russia Polyus Gold completed the acquisition of Kazakhstan’s KazakhGold company.

Arkady Dvorkovich, a top aide to President Dmitriy Medvedev, stated that the rise in the price of oil to nearly USD 60 a barrel will result in greater revenues for the state budget. Extra income could be as high as RUR 500 billion in the current year.

Dmitriy Medvedev said that he may decide to seek reelection in 2012. “Provided that I work well and am successful in everything, why should I not run? If I have the trust and support of the Russian people, this decision would be absolutely normal,” said the incumbent President of Russia.

Officials of the Russian Federal Customs Service have discovered the operations of an organized group that was bringing luxury yachts from Italy and England without paying import tariffs. The smuggling business was active from 2007 to 2009.

Multiregional TransitTelecom, a provider of long-distance telephone services, began its venture into the high-speed internet market when it launched commercial broadband operations in the city of Yaroslavl early in September of 2009. 

Production at Russia’s gold mines was up in the first half of the year by 27 percent on year-on-year basis, according the Union of Gold Producers. The total quantity of gold mined in the first six months of 2009 was 66.94 tons.

The largest Russian oil company Rosneft has completed the buyout of 847 954 shares of stock from minority owners of the company. The company paid out more than RUR 133 million to facilitate the buyout.

The company’s bottom-line profit fell to approximately RUR 609.7 million. Last year, profits for the first half of the year were RUR 708.7 million. Profit from sales decreased from RUR 270.7 million to RUR 191.9 million. Profits before taxes dropped significantly to RUR 38.3 million from RUR 177.4 million.

The Federal Court of Arbitrazh for the Moscow District refused to reconsider the complaint for RUR 1.318 billion that was filed by Energotrade against oil major Rosneft. Energotrade is a little-known energy trader.

Gunvor, the global fuel trader based in Switzerland, entered into a contract to purchase 30 percent of the Lagansky oil and gas block in the Caspian Sea. The company bought the block from Lundin Petroleum. Before the purchase, Lundin controlled 100 percent of the project.   

On August 21, 2009, the Vankor oilfield located in the Krasnoyarsk territory officially entered production. Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony celebrating the oilfield’s launch.

In accordance with Offshore Vigilant’s contract with Gazprom in Venezuela, Gazprom informed Scorpion that the 550 hours the company spent working on the well in May 2009 have been lost as a consequence of a “fishing job.” The payment of USD 3.8 million for the work rendered is now in dispute.

Workers at the Ashalchinskoye bitumen field in Almatyevsky region of Tatarstan are now using advanced heavy oil rigs for recovering hydrocarbons. The Ashalchinskoye field belongs to Russia’s oil company Tatneft. 

VEB’s board voted to affirm the issuance of a USD 545 million loan to Rosneftebunker for exploring and developing the Ust-Luga venture. The loan will mature in 8 years, according to the chief executive officer of VEB Mr. Vladimir Dmitriyev.

The largest oil pipeline company in Russia Transneft made a decision to offer for sale a 10-year bond valued at RUR 65 billion. The bond was offered to 14 banks. The bond was released for sale in September based on the decision of Transneft’s boards of directors.

Nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk will be the first among the seven vessels constructed within the framework of Project Yasen. The submarine will be placed into service a year earlier than initially expected - not in 2011, but in 2010.   

According to the Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko, the Russian government allocated close to RUR 80 billion for investing in the aviation industry in the current year. Anti-crisis measures taken by Russian authorities have contributed to the growth in levels of investment.

Three modernized passenger airplanes Tu-204SM will be produced in Russia in 2010, according to deputy director of the United Aircraft Company Sergei Gaplerin. Mr. Gaplerin also serves as the deputy general designer of the Tupolev bureau.

In the foreseeable future, Russia may come to dominate in the nuclear power engineering market in the world, taking more than 25 percent of the market. Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev commented that he fully appreciates these prospects.   

For the 2008 fiscal year Alrosa, the largest Russian diamond producer,  reported a loss of more than RUR 32.5 billion. The shortfall is blamed on the international economic crisis and the devaluation of the Russian currency. The company’s profit for the year stood at RUR 16 billion.

Shell intends to commence the production of lubricants and motor oil at a plant in the town of Torzhok, Tver region. The plant’s director Inna Lobanova confirmed that production is planned to start at the end of 2010.

Oil and gas projects in Sakhalin are expected to produce over 24 million tons of oil and 61 billion cubic meters of gas by the year 2020, according to the Governor of Khabarovsk region Alexander Khoroshavin.

The Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolay Patrushev noted that the countries of U.S., Norway, Denmark, and Canada are mounting a coordinated effort to block Russia’s exploration of the Arctic shelf.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and other top officials discussed a universal ID-payments card that will be issued from January 1, 2012 at an estimated cost of 135 billion – 165 billion roubles and will enable their users to pay for goods and services in Russia and abroad and possibly even vote.

The State Duma has passed on first reading a government-proposed bill aimed at improving the state regulation of the production and turnover of ethyl alcohol, alcohol, and alcohol-containing products, and also beer and alcohol-containing drinks.

Boeing and Aeroflot Russian Airlines have announced an order for six Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft and two Boeing 777-200ERs. The order was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s orders and deliveries website.

General Motors has inked an agreement of intent with Russia’s Economic Development Ministry to set up expanded industrial vehicle assemblage on new terms, GM said in a statement.

Russia and France should sign a contract for the sale of the Mistral helicopter carriers in 2011, Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin told reporters. The contract will be signed after the parties reach an agreement on the price, he said.

Russia and the European Union have started expert negotiations for Russia’s possible participation in a comprehensive E.U. directive on roaming, Communications Minister Igor Shchegolev said following a meeting with his E.U. counterparts in mid March.

In addition, state-owned Russian Agricultural Bank, or Rosselkhozbank, plans to provide over 100 billion roubles of loans for seasonal agricultural works, while state-controlled Sberbank is to provide over 50 billion roubles in other agricultural loans, Putin said.

Russia has the capacity of producing from 85 to 87 million tons of grain this year, Deputy Agriculture Minister Sergei Korolev said at a selector meeting in Moscow devoted to the development of animal husbandry and preparations for spring fieldwork in Russia.

The Ministry suggests updating the list by adding equipment and technologies meant for energy-efficient oil extraction, equipment for the reduction of oil consumption for technical needs, optimizing the operation of wells, advancing oil metering, facilities for oil refining, and for transporting oil and oil products.

Currently, there are over 6 000 officially recognized internal structural subdivisions of credit institutions in the Moscow region that have licenses authorizing them to carry out operations in foreign currency.

The State Duma on February 25 passed on second reading the bill “On Electronic Signature” and the appropriate amendments to the Russian law. The electronic signature bills were submitted to the State Duma by a group of Russian legislators led by State Duma First Deputy Speaker Oleg Morozov.

The State Duma Property Committee on February 22 advised the lower house of parliament to pass in the first reading a bill that will allow banks partly or fully owned by the state to acquire privatized state or municipal property for their branches.

Pursuant to the statute, off-market deals with an exchange commodity from the government-approved list shall be registered in the course of trading for the commodity in question at commodity exchanges that meet the requirements of Russian legislation on commodity exchanges.

The Central Bank of Russia predicts inflation for this year will be 6-7 percent. “We figure 0.6 percent in March, but in general we think it is possible to keep within our range of 6-7  percent,” Central Bank of Russia Chairman Sergei Ignatyev said at a government presidium meeting.

The Bank of Moscow has announced the launch of a banking iPhone application equipped with a range of functions enabling its users to gain access to banking details and data. The application is equipped with four primary functions: about the bank; home banking; currency converter; organizer.

Chairman of Sberbank of Russia German Gref expects the Russian economy to grow rapidly. “I think that Russia has a unique opportunity for rapid growth in the middle and long term range,” Gref said at a Troika Dialog forum.

OAO Sberbank’s Deputy Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Anton Karamzin said the bank, Russia’s biggest, now expects higher profits this year than it had been forecasting, as it maintains its margins and grows corporate loans.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed visa-free travel between Russia and the United States.“If Russia and the United States agree on visa-free travel before Russia and the European Union make a similar decision, that would be an historic step,” he told U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden.

Talks between Russia and NATO on European missile defense will take two or perhaps three years, a Western military diplomatic source disclosed.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has named terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as the main threats of the 21st century and mentioned Iran and Hezbollah.

Russia and the E.U. are becoming connected to each other more and more, Barroso said, commenting on the results of a visit to Brussels by a delegation of the Russian government led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

All parties to the dialogue on Russia’s accession to the WTO share the view that Russia is absolutely entitled to become a new member of the organization and are working on the technical aspect of the agreement on Russia, Webb said.

Confidential messages by U.S. diplomats working in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, were recently leaked by WikiLeaks. They showed that the United States was concerned about Moscow’s mounting influence in Tajikistan.

TGK-9, a Russian power generation company and an affiliate of Integrated Energy Systems, or IES, has selected advanced gas turbine technology from GE for a combined-cycle plant that will supply heat and electricity for the residents of Berezniki.

“I emphasized the very high priority that President Obama attaches to doing everything that the U.S. can to help Russia achieve accession to the WTO and the graduation from Jackson-Vanik this year, 2011,” U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns told Interfax.

Russia is re-addressing the USD 6.5-billion Khabarovsk – Sakhalin – Japan energy bridge project, which involves laying an underwater cable, in view of the fact that Japan’s energy sector has suffered major damage due to the earthquake and the tsunami.

The possibility of the involvement of Germany’s Wintershall AG in the South Stream gas pipeline raises the chances for gaining E.U. support for the project, the CEO of Italy’s Eni, Paolo Scaroni, told the Wall Street Journal.

The Russian coal mining industry is gradually recovering after the 2008-2009 economic slowdown and a major disaster at the Raspadskaya mine in 2010. The sector is likely to reach the pre-crisis level of development already this year, according to analysts.

TNK-BP has announced plans to build a second line and the railway terminal on the Zaykinskom gas-processing plants with an investment of USD 200 million.The commissioning of the facility is scheduled for May 2012.

OAO Gazprom’s deputy chairman of the Management Committee Alexander Medvedev and Hans Engel, board member of BASF responsible for the Oil & Gas Division, have signed a memorandum in St. Petersburg for Achimov deposits development at the Urengoy field.

Russian Prime Minsiter Vladimir Putin has given instructions to speed up all decision-making activities for starting the construction of a modern oil refinery in the Primorsk krai, which will be able to produce up to 10 million tons of product annually.

TNK-BP, a Russia-based vertically-integrated oil company, has announced plans to build an integrated installation of oil and gas, or UKPNG, on Zagorsk group of fields in Novosergievskom area within the framework of the integrated Orenburg project.

Rosatom is conducting a check of all Russian nuclear power plants as to how well they would be able to withstand natural and man-made disasters. “We have begun this work,” Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko said at a session of the Russian Security Council.

“Please look into the construction of a gas liquefaction enterprise in southern Russia on the Black Sea coast as a potential element in the implementation of the South Stream project,” Putin said at a meeting with Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko.

Analysts believe the current turbulence on the stock market is a short-term phenomenon and the IPO delays have been caused primarily by the companies’ desire to sell shares at a higher price than they can count on at the moment.

The dairy farm located in the village of Kalikino in the Lipetsk region will be completely modernized in the fall of 2011, according to the director of the regional enterprise Lipetskoye Mr. Sergei Muzalev. The 1 000-cow farm now belongs to a commercial entity Avangard, which is controlled by Lipetskoye.

According to Governor Valery Serduykov of the Leningrad region, the quality of paved roads in the districts surrounding St. Petersburg will soon improve, as more funds ensure the continuation of upkeep activities for the transportation industry. 

Russian regulatory and supervisory agencies assigned a “guaranteed transparency” designation of “++” in the National Ranking of Procurement Transparency to the republic of Tatarstan in the Volga Federal District.   

The government of the Arkhangel’sk region has directed companies working in the northern Russian province to concentrate their efforts on developing diamond production, as well as the innovative processing of basalt and peat.

This summer, wine making enterprise Fanagoria from the Kuban province in southern Russia commenced the production of organic wine.

Russian and foreign researchers conducted additional investigations and dated a skull of a canine located in a cave at Razboinichya in the Altai Mountains lying in Southern Siberia. The skull was first discovered in the 1970s.

The two educational establishments won a grant to carry out a project on Capacity Building Partnership to Improve Tourism Education, Research, and Industry Outreach. The three-year project envisions conducting student exchange programs.

TUI Russia and C.I.S., the first major international operator to get into the Russian and Ukrainian travel services markets, entered into a transaction to purchase VKO Group. In its turn, VKO Group consists of VKO travel that provides tours outside of Russia, as well as of the VKO Club network of tour agencies. 

Taking into account the multiplier effect, the Russian travel sector now comprises 6.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The net share of the travel sector now stands at 3 percent. The number of tourists in Russia in 2010 was 32 million, only 1 percent over the figure for 2009.

The governmental agency instituted the import band amidst suspicions that the minced turkey produced by Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. in Arkansas is responsible for the outbreak of salmonella, with at least 79 reported cases of the illness (including one death).

The project received media attention for the first time when the regional Governor Mr. Alexey Gordeyev met with Geoff Verhoff of the Akin Gump law firm that is representing the Anderson Cattle Company Ltd. in the negotiations with local officials.

. Last year, Russia took around 25 percent of shopping center development in Europe, with more than 1.3 million square meters, or 14 million square feet, of commercial real estate built.

Standard and Poor’s gave a “BBB-” long-term corporate credit rating to Sovcomflot. The national scale rating for the sea carrier was “ruAAA”. The company’s outlook has been designated as stable.

In early August it was announced that members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation are in the near future expected to hold a meeting in the Nenets autonomous district in order to address the subject of creating transportation infrastructure for the Arctic zone. 

The biggest manufacturer of trucks in Russia Kamaz based in Naberezhnye Chelny began intensifying its production schedules and increasing the numbers of vehicles it makes. The company is planning to hire 4 000 extra workers.

The Russian car producer GAZ Group entered into an agreement with the Terex Corporation for venturing together to produce machinery and equipment for road construction. Under the agreement, the assembly line will be built in Russia.

Imports of cars increased by 82 percent to stand at USD 13.5 billion, and the sales of Russian cars increased by 52 percent to reach USD 3.5 billion. Sales of foreign-brand vehicles assembled in Russia increased by more than two times to reach USD 10.2 billion.

In mid-July, the third biggest steel producer in Russia, the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, also known as MMK, began the operation of Mill 2000, which constitutes the first block of the new cold roll production complex. 

The metallurgical company Metallist based in the Kaluga region in southern Russia plans to erect a USD 15.1 million multi-purpose facility to produce metal products in the Leningrad region in northwest Moscow. In total, the company is making plans to produce 30 000 tons of metal products per year.

Russian company Evraz Group S.A. is making preparations to increase its output of pipe at U.S. production facilities to 250 thousand tons by August 2012. The company will begin the production of pipe meeting the API (American Petroleum Institute) in the near future.

From January to July, metalworking enterprises from Russia shipped 1.268 million tons of steel to consumers and clients in Europe. This volume of supplies constitutes 38.9 percent of the quota established by the European Commission for the current year.

The Administration of Barack Obama has agreed to provide a loan in the amount of USD 730 million for renovating a Michigan factory operated by the Russian steel group Severstal. The factory is supplying parts to American car makers.

From July 31 to August 8, 2011, a Tupolev Tu-154-M Lk-1 plane with a group of Russian inspectors flew over the United States in accordance with the Treaty on Open Skies.  The airplane departed from the Travis Air Force Base in California.

The Russian Air Force and NORAD conducted Vigilant Eagle 2011 exercises in the Russian Far East from August 8 to 11, in an effort to simulate a military operation for the release of a hijacked airliner.   

The Russian-based software company EPAM systems is preparing to make an initial public offering. The company has already submitted its registration documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  

Company RusNano is making plans to provide funds for the development of the electronic components for microelectromechanical systems that can be utilized in sensors, computing, and telecommunications equipment.

In mid-June, the U.S.-based pharmaceutical and consumer products company Johnson and Johnson entered into an agreement with the Skolkovo Foundation to participate in the development of the Skolkovo research hub near Moscow.

The National Rating Agency in Russia designated the individual reliability score for VTB Capital, the investment arm of VTB Group, as “AAA”. In making its decision, the agency took into account both the company’s financial reports made under Russian Accounting Standards, as well as other non-financial data.    

Sberbank intends to list 5 396 737 thousand shares in the form of ADRs on stock exchanges in London and Frankfurt. Four common shares of Sberbank will be equivalent to one ADR. 

Experts say that the new policy of issuing guarantees to power market companies can solve debt issues, but not the main problems associated with non-payment by end users. Non-payments and arrearages have always been considered significant issues for the Russian electric power industry.

At the conclusion of the Atomexpo-2011 international nuclear energy convention, representatives of Russia and the United States announced they were ready to work together on nuclear energy.

The exportation of oil through the Kozmino terminal, which is a part of the Port of Vostochny on the Sea of Japan, increased by as much as 5 percent from January to June of 2011. The total volume of fuel exported totaled 7 498 thousand metric tons, or 55.11 million barrels. 

From January to June of 2011, the profits of Gazprom Neft rose by an impressive 74 percent on a year-on-year bases. Computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the profit figure stood at USD 2 604 million.

The European Union and Russia expect to enter into an agreement on easing the visa regime before the end of the year. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Russia has reached an agreement with the European Union on simplifying the visa regime.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that there are signs the six-nation talks on the subject of the North Korean nuclear program may be revived in the near future. The talks involve the countries of North Korea, South Korea, the U.S., Russia, China, and Japan.

Officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed surprise over the U.S. Senate’s resolution where the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were described as Russian-occupied territories.

During a visit to the United States, on July 12, 2011, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov came to the Washington, D.C. studio of the Voice of Russia radio station that opened in May 2011 and gave an interview covering a range of issues in Russian-American and international relations.

The Reserve Fund of the Russian Federation totaled RUR 734.98 billion, or USD 26.55 billion, on the last day of July 2011, according to the Ministry of Finance. The balance of the fund’s accounts stood at USD 11.08 billion, or EUR 9.04 billion.

According to Boris Gryzlov, the Speaker of the Russian State Duma and the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party, Russia needs to create social and economic mechanisms that would allow it to develop steadily in the future.