02
Business
RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES
BOOKVMARKS www.readrussia.com Russia! magazine
SECTION SPONSORED BY ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
www.prgroup.info Press Release Group
www.russianindexes.com Russian Industrial Leaders Index
www.russiainnumbers.com Russia in Numbers
Russian Industrial Leaders Index (RUXX) Sector Breakdown of
companies traded on US
and UK exchanges
RUSSIANINDEXES.COM
Large Cap Russian companies traded in the US and UK
NAME MARKET CAP NAME MARKET CAP NAME MARKET CAP
Gazprom ADS 59,365,112,476 Novatek GDR 12,120,933,552 Sistema JSFC 5,047,143,000
Lukoil Holdings ADS 50,897,689,920 X5 Retail Group N.V. GDR 11,790,374,999 Mosenergo JSC ADS 3,189,373,615
Surgutneftegaz JSC ADS 29,425,736,974 Mobile Telesystems ADS 10,646,347,533 Rostelecom ADS 3,188,449,732
Unified Energy System of Russia GDR 19,952,694,950 TMK GDR 7,529,633,625 Norilsk Nickel Mining & Metallurgical Co. 2,867,815,257
Novolipetsk Iron & Steel Corp. GDR 15,522,458,552 VTB Bank 6,739,920,000 Sistema-Hals JSC GDR 2,822,220,850
Rosneft GDR 12,910,064,326 Tatneft GDR 6,280,388,585 Integra Group GDR 2,817,253,500
Evraz Group S.A. 12,799,744,409 Vimpel Communications ADS 6,267,477,895 Severstal JSC GDR 2,183,890,377
RUSSIANINDEXES.COM
Prominent graphic and typeface designers call for all to accept the A sad doll, a cat house and a keyboard
new Russian currency symbol. Most people think it’s about time
Designers offer twists
The Ruble
on everyday objects
Ask any Russian designer over ly as you type away. Discount-
the age of 40, and he or she will ing some Swarovski-encrusted
tell you about a time when an abomination sure to be on sale
American magazine or book somewhere, the Optimus Max-
of prints was a treasure to be imus is currently the most ex-
coveted. Not so much because pensive keyboard in the world
of the text, but because of the at $1,564. The initial batch of
After years of scrutiny, Russian
typeface, the pictures, the 200, however, sold out in twelve
cover. These gave a tantalizing hours. Early next year, the Art
glimpse at design trends Lebedev Studio will ship anoth-
outside the Soviet Union. er 600 units.
Currency Gets its Own Symbol
www.artlebedev.com
The cat house by Chapurin
ANDREW BILITER Mooqla Dolls
RUSSIA! MAGAZINE These silicone-encased plastic
dolls are nothing like their famed can enjoy Rublyovka-style sur-
The deprivation lasted so long Mattel counterpart, physically or roundings in a luxury dwell-
Russia’s Central Bank has that when the floodgates finally emotionally. The six beauties ing created by ChapurinCasa.
declared the necessity of opened in the 1990s, many Rus- in this collection have moving Prominent Russian fashion de-
a symbol for the ruble, one sians could only gape at the new signer Igor Chapurin has also
that would eventually be in styles saturating the culture. De- created sets for the Bolshoi,
league with the $ dollar and sign icons that seem mundane Kremlin Guard uniforms and
€ euro signs on the world to us now, like Versace, pop art stage costumes for Beyoncé.
market. The future existence and Barbie, were a revelation — The cat house, inspired by the
of the ruble symbol has been especially for people who had no Red Army uniform from World
compared to that of a national context in which to place them. War II, includes a bed made of
anthem or flag, a declaration But Russia is nothing if not a Black Sea pebbles.
of autonomy and national quick study. A new generation of www.chapurin.ru
pride. While the Russian artists has imbibed the styles of
economy is far from being the last few decades and is now Speech Bubble Pillows
independent of foreign ones, responding to them with creativi- After pop art deprivation in the
the symbol is representative ty and a distinctly Russian sense Soviet era, here comes a Lich-
of the possibilities of the new of humor. In the four examples tenstein-inspired treat: classic
economy and triumph over below, these designers offer comic book-style speech bub-
the disastrous events of the twists on everyday objects like bles rendered as three-dimen-
late 90s. pillows and keyboards. sional pillows. Blurring the line
Moogla doll by Polina Voloshina between art and comfort, pre-
MARIA VAPNITCHNAIA
mouth is. More and more Rus- demonstrating confidence in After eight years of waiting and Optimus Maximus eminent design studio Osten-
PRESS RELEASE GROUP sians are choosing to keep their its success. much scrutinizing, the most The technology freak who thinks gruppe has made it easy to fill
savings in rubles, 10% more Similarly, the Central Bank and prominent Russian graphic de- he has everything will have his joints, reminiscent of old-time the bubble with a personalized
Russia’s ruble has long been since January 2007. This is only the Russian government are sign and typeface design com- world shattered when he finds porcelain dolls, and bear rath- message, so couples sleeping
shunned both at home and a decade after the financial cri- putting their faith in the ruble by panies, including Art Lebedev er tragic expressions. Don’t ex- next to each other become liv-
abroad. The dollar has been sis which caused many to lose asking for a symbol that will be- Group, Imadesign, Letterhead pect a Hollywood smile from any ing graphic novels. Ostengrup-
the preferred currency for sav- their life savings and more than come recognizable around the and Paratype called upon the of these girls, and play at your pe, a RUSSIA! contributor, has
ings accounts, apartment and 40% of the population to slide world. Up until now, the ruble Russian professional design own risk: a Mooqla doll does not also developed posters for the
car purchases alike. Numer- into poverty. The increase of has only been indicated by an community to adopt the emerg- make a good flight attendant, Russian Film Museum and the
ous points of exchange sprang the ruble’s value has also made uninspired shortening of the ing symbol — a capital Russian mermaid or tea-party host, and uniforms for the 2006 Russian
up in cities across the coun- imported goods more afford- Russian word. Much like the R —“P” with a dash through the she doesn’t drive a pink con- Olympic team.
try, where rubles were traded able, making it possible to buy currency itself, the cluster of letter’s stem. vertible. We’re thinking more www.boys-toys.ru/vslukh/eng
by the fistfuls for dollars. Som- appliances and technology Cyrillic letters would not be rec- In the first three days more than along the lines of tearful ses-
ber men clutching small bags once considered unattainable ognized internationally. The two hundred companies from sions with a shrink, half-heart-
stood outside of malls offer- luxuries. significance of the symbol has every corner of Russia have rec- ed cry-for-help suicide attempts
ing a cut throat rate, but not The rise in Russia’s economy made its design so much more ognized the symbol and agreed and repeated viewings of “Car-
requiring to see a passport. and the increase in the value important. It had to be easy to to put it to work. The symbol has Optimus maximus keyboard rie”. Designed and produced in
The dollar was stability, prac- of the ruble are at least partial- write, easy to recognize and already been used in pricing Moscow by Polina Voloshina,
tically guaranteed to retain its ly attributed to the world’s in- original. merchandise in the real world the dolls are sold at the Galler-
value. The ruble had been un- creasing oil demands. Current- Attempts to create a symbol for as well as the virtual. The first out about the Optimus Maxi- ies Lafayette in Paris, and cost
predictable and unreliable. But ly Russia is the second largest the rubble were made since the website to use the new rubble mus. The keyboard, designed about $350.
today, with the Russian econ- exporter of oil. As such, Rus- early nineties. In 1999, Kom- symbol was an internet auto by Art Lebedev Studio, has 113 www.mooqla.com
omy flourishing and the dollar sia’s economic stability is de- mersant, Russian business accessories shop in the city of keys, each with its very own LED
falling, the ruble is making its pendant on oil prices; should daily newspaper and Russian Yekaterinburg in Urals. The display. The keys can be ad- The cat house by
mark on the global and domes- they go down, they will affect art directors club organized symbol celebrated by Russian justed to any configuration— ChapurinCasa
tic market. the value of the national cur- “The Ruble Symbol” contest, companies big and small is proof languages, symbols and im- Moscow is the most expensive
With full confidence in the grow- rency. But Russia has seen but the winning design has that both producer and consum- ages. Their functions, including city in the world this year, so don’t
ing stability of the economy and a significant increase of for- not been adopted as an offi- er are eager to do business in the shortcut keys, can be changed dream of getting a luxury apart-
the value of the ruble, Russia eign investments in other sec- cial symbol for the Russian cur- language of their own currency, at whim. The icons will change ment here: that ship has sailed.
is putting its money where its tions of the Russian economy, rency. at least for now.
-
accordingly, glowing bashful- Your cat, on the other hand, Pillows by Ostengruppe
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