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Germany's HiPP Produces Organic Baby Food in Kaliningrad

In a country where organic food has a limited following, German baby-food maker HiPP has its work cut out for it. But HiPP is so confident that its...

Starbucks Eager to Please Anyone but Smokers

The Greeks can choose from a wide range of ice-cold drinks at Starbucks. The Chinese find a larger selection of food. And the French munch on waffles...

A Banker's Gift Spurs Blind Entrepreneur’s Vision

"I used to think, what can the blind do? But then they fixed my back," said Sergei Ogarkov, finance manager of the Lights of the Lighthouse, a grocery...

Small Firms Get Help to Go Online

St. Petersburg-based hosting company Infobox on Tuesday launched a new project called Nastart.ru that uses Microsoft technology and allows small and medium-sized...

Microelectronics Stands at the Crossroads

Mikron is proud of its microchips. It uses objects so small that 1,000 of them laid side by side equal the thickness of one human hair. The only problem...

Skolkovo 'Population' Grows by 21

The expansion of Moscow's borders and creation of the Moscow Federal District won't affect Skolkovo, the innovation hub near Moscow, Viktor Vekselberg...

With Russia’s Backing, Lagarde Elected to IMF

With Russia’s support, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde was elected Tuesday as the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund...

VIP Banking Attracts Clients as Dynasties Form

When choosing private banking services, forget pop stars flying in on a private jet for your son's bar mitzvah or beluga caviar being delivered to your...

Skolkovo Innovation Hub Braving the Waters

The ship known as Skolkovo has set sail, already having onboard 60 companies, including a handful of multinationals — whose brand presence is considered...

Organic Foods Buyers See Safety in Worms

With a national ban on EU vegetables entering a second week, the producers and sellers of organic foods are eagerly welcoming an influx of buyers...

Faster but Later: 4G Readies for 2015 Launch

Though there are no advertisements in Russia yet for fourth generation, or 4G, mobile communications, the consortium recently formed by the top mobile...

Altimo Sells 123.6M VimpelCom Shares

Altimo, which manages Alfa Group's telecommunication assets, has sold 123.6 million preferred shares in VimpelCom Ltd., or 5.995 percent of its voting...

OECD Suggests More ‘Balance’ in Innovation

The Russian innovation system is distorted by imbalances that can be addressed through a policy of “balancing acts,” a senior official with the Organization...

Rusnano Puts Store and Database Online

The Rusnano nanotechnologies corporation launched a new information portal Thursday that will serve as the first Internet store for nanotechnology...

Yandex Ups Price and Takes Off

Search engine Yandex announced the pricing of its NASDAQ initial public offering of 52 million shares at $25 per share Tuesday, higher than the earlier...

In a Sign, Yandex Raises IPO Price

The country’s most popular search engine Yandex has increased its price guidance for its New York IPO scheduled for Tuesday, with the possibility to...

Transneft Fights Decision on Minutes

Transneft said Friday that it would fight the court ruling mandating it to release minutes from its board meetings, accusing anti-corruption blogger...

Internet Economy Set for 30% Per Year Boom

The Internet economy will see “rapid future growth” in Russia between now and 2015, suggests a newly released report commissioned by Google and prepared...

MegaFon Focusing on State Orders

The newly merged MegaFon and Sinterra company plans to increase its revenue across different segments by 3.55 billion rubles ($126.9 million) in 2011...

New E-Government Portal Starts

State-controlled telecoms giant Rostelecom rolled out a new version of the e-government portal Gosuslugi.ru at the country's biggest telecommunications...

Yandex Warns of Oligarch Takeover

Yandex, the country's most popular Internet search engine, cautioned potential investors about the possibility of a takeover by oligarchs and potential...

Women More Likely to Default on Loans, Study Says

A new Mail.ru study suggests that women are more interested in loan products than men and are more likely to look for ways to avoid returning the money...

Swedes to Help Create $1Bln Hotline

Sweden's Ericsson will help Russia develop a $1 billion national emergency hotline similar to 112 in European countries, and Russia will waive some...

Cisco Will Assemble Boards in Zelenograd

Electronic components assembled for global technology company Cisco Systems began rolling off a Zelenograd assembly line Tuesday as part of the Silicon...

Medvedev Hopes to Teach at Skolkovo One Day

President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated on Monday his desire to see Skolkovo become a new global brand name — possibly in part because he hopes to work...

Glonass Navigation Begins to Take Off

Navigation and Innovation Systems Glonass, a partnership between the Federal Space Agency and AFK Sistema, praised their navigation system at a recent...

Innovation Depends On Image and Angels

European venture capitalists think Russia must work to change the perception of being a difficult place for investments in innovation, the secretary...

Road to Skolkovo Bumpy, But Not Many Know

A recent VTsIOM survey indicates that Skolkovo is currently the key element associated with President Dmitry Medvedev's innovation program; but the new...

Yota and IT Watchdog Make Peace in Frequencies Dispute

A month after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the Moscow office of Scartel, the wireless Internet provider has settled its conflict with the Federal...

New Rostelecom Short on Details

National operator Rostelecom might list in London by the end of this year and is considering purchasing foreign assets as part of its development...

Cabinet Promotes Populist Measures

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin forecast an increase in the salaries of teachers and encouraged opening deputies' and officials' tax returns to public...

State Board Purge to Start July 1

President Dmitry Medvedev has given Prime Minister Vladimir Putin until July 1 to start removing government ministers from the boards of state companies...

Salaries Going Up, Candidates Get Picky

Salaries across most sectors are projected to grow in 2011 as the market recovers to pre-crisis levels and demand for job applicants increases, human...

Post Crisis, Job Applicant Quality Is Down

Job seekers are failing to match the requirements of prospective employers, a new survey by recruiting agency Kelly Services has revealed. The average...

Putin Pushes Figure Skating and Services

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin asked his subordinates for better efforts in providing government services electronically, and announced Moscow as the new...

Social Networks See Big Bucks in Inmates and Spirits

On the average day, very few of us want to pay a visit to a prison, let alone become an inmate. But in the alternate reality of the social network...

Bourses Say Clarity Key for Tech IPOs

Innovation companies need to show more openness and adherence to international standards if they want to be listed on international and domestic...

Payments Bill Threatens Projects

Proposed legislation on a national payment system could prevent the creation of a universal electronic card or an international financial center in Moscow...

HP Not Ready to Join Skolkovo

A year after President Dmitry Medvedev first spoke of Skolkovo, the Silicon Valley-type hub near Moscow, Hewlett-Packard has still not joined the rush...

Kremlin Mending Fences With Japan

In repairing ties with Japan, President Dmitry Medvedev scrambled to send energy supplies to the devastated country, three planes were dispatched with...

Putin Orders Gas for Crisis-Hit Japan

Two tankers with LNG and a planeload of blankets may be what it takes to start easing Russian-Japanese hostilities over a 65-year island dispute. Prime...

Skolkovo, Microsoft Invest in First Startup

Microsoft gave a $100,000 grant to the anti-piracy startup Pirate Pay on Friday, making it the first company to receive seed funding as the result...

Skolkovo Told to Support Moscow River Cable Project

Expansion of Moscow's telecommunications network could move underwater as President Dmitry Medvedev's modernization commission has recommended that the Skolkovo...

Mobile Giants to Invest in Yota for 4G

The four biggest telecommunications operators and Scartel, which operates under the Yota brand, signed an agreement to work together to build the next...

Navalny Favors Swap of Skolkovo Creditor

Sberbank has shed a significant debtor and the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo has refinanced its construction debt in a deal that received immediate...

Kremlin Rolls Out Card That Does All

Imagine a piece of plastic that gets you a doctor's appointment, pays your bills, allows you to rent a car or buy a plane ticket and even get Moscow...

Small Businesses Neglect Risks of Pirated Software, Study Says

Small and medium-sized companies may be overlooking potential business risks from using unlicensed software, which may add up to as much as $40,000...

Sobyanin to Fix Moscow Traffic From Seoul

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin began a three-day visit to Seoul on Wednesday to meet with a number of politicians and businessmen and learn about...

Upgraded Police Web Site Tries For Openness

The Interior Ministry launched a new web site Monday, using advanced web technologies and claiming an era of renewed openness and cooperation with...

Elections Test Economic and Political Stability

"Fair and honest elections" must lay the groundwork for progress, learning from the financial crisis and reducing the country's dependency on fuel...

Glonass Smartphones Coming in April

Mobile TeleSystems will begin selling its new Glonass-compatible smartphones in April, a month later than initially announced, and though it is technically...

Telecoms Thrive on Mergers and Mobile Data

Billionaire George Soros once called his $1.8 billion purchase of 25 percent of Svyazinvest, Russia's largest telecommunications holding, "the worst...

25% in Channel One Sold

Roman Abramovich has sold a 25 percent stake in Channel One television to Yury Kovalchuk, majority shareholder in Bank Rossiya, making the latter a new...

Navalny's Suit Vs. Transneft Goes to Court

The Moscow Arbitration Court held preliminary hearings late Monday on the second lawsuit of outspoken blogger and lawyer Alexei Navalny against Transneft...

IT Market Nearing Pre-Crisis Glory Days

While the Skolkovo innovation hub is forming in Moscow's suburbs, with the potential of bringing research and development dividends, the ongoing business...

Putin Pushes Bill for Foreign Investment

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service to speed up work on a second batch of amendments to a law that regulates foreign...

Mikhalkov Loses Right to $100M in Royalties

The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled to cancel the authority of the Union of Rights Holders, headed by famed film director Nikita Mikhalkov, to collect a...

Russia's Own WikiLeaks Takes Off

A new web site striving to be Russia's answer to WikiLeaks has become a hit with the publication of photographs of a luxury mansion linked to Prime Minister...

Microsoft Bets Long Term on Stable Ruble

Microsoft Russia demonstrated its confidence in the ruble on Tuesday when it announced that it will begin conducting business in the currency with local...

Bruised Telenor Puts on Brave Face

Norway's Telenor put on a brave face Monday after suffering a stinging loss in its latest battle with Russian partner Altimo at mobile phone giant VimpelCom...

Microsoft Outpaces Market

Microsoft's revenue in Russia went up 25 percent in 2010, compared with overall software market growth of 15 percent, the company said in a statement released...

Internet Users Take Heat for Web Piracy

Internet users — not Internet companies — should be held legally accountable for uploading pirated content on web sites, Communications and Press Minister...

MTS and VimpelCom Eye Same Property

Two of the country’s biggest telecommunications providers, Mobile TeleSystems and VimpelCom, are considering purchasing St. Petersburg-based operator...

Almaz Capital’s First Stake Sale Is to Skype

Almaz Capital said that its first-ever sale would see its stake in Qik, a U.S.-based provider of mobile video conferencing software and services, go to...

Corporate Transparency Ruling Looms

The Supreme Arbitration Court plans to make an ambiguous decision on corporate transparency, allowing shareholders to inquire about salaries of top managers...

Governor Defends Crusader Navalny

Kirov Governor Nikita Belykh said on his blog Friday that he has no complaints against lawyer and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, despite the...

Siemens Plans Medical Pilot Projects at Skolkovo

Siemens will most likely do its initial projects at the Skolkovo technology hub in the areas of bio or nuclear medicine, and could show results by late...

Pipe Makers Fear Foreign Rivals

Pipe makers lamented the level of government support against cheap imports at an industry conference Wednesday, and asked for an extension on protective...

Putin Says ‘Infamous’ Pikalyovo Offers Lesson

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that the signing of three agreements between companies working in the “infamous town of Pikalyovo” is an example...

Government Allocates $10Bln for World Cup

The federal budget will supply 300 billion rubles ($9.6 billion) of funding for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, excluding airports and roads, Finance Minister...

Banks Rushing to Register Trademarks

Banks operating in Russia, including Sberbank and HSBC, are finding themselves in a rush to patent names for their products and services to protect their...

Sobyanin Appoints Tourism Veteran

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin appointed a veteran tourism industry lobbyist, Sergei Shpilko, as the new head of the city’s tourism committee, in what may be...

Yandex Compiles Top Searches of 2010

Russians will remember 2010 by the terrorist attacks in the Moscow metro, the record heatwave, and the ouster of Yury Luzhkov, judging by a list of top...

60,000 .рф Domain Names Unblocked

About 60,000 Cyrillic domain names improperly processed by registrar Ru-Center were unfrozen Tuesday, according to the national domain coordinator, which...

Medvedev Talks Up Travel, Tax Rates for Innovation

President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday proposed tax breaks for individuals who invest in innovation companies and asked for improvements to immigration rules...

Sechin Lauds Modern, Foreign-Built Facility

German power company E.On, majority owner of Russian energy company OGK-4, has launched a 400-megawatt, advanced-efficiency, gas-fired electricity plant...

Intourist Gets $45M Tourism Joint Venture

Intourist, the face of Russia for foreign visitors from Soviet days to the present, and Thomas Cook, Europe's second-largest tour operator, signed a $45...

Survey: Tax System Still Lacking

More multinational companies working in Russia view the country's tax system as negative than a year before, a survey released Wednesday showed.

For Bank, Bruce Willis Is Better Than Cabbage

Bruce Willis' tough-guy persona has jump-started a new ad campaign for National Bank Trust, in a contract that sources say will bring him $3 million over...

VimpelCom Backs Tunisian Asset Sale

VimpelCom said it supported the sale of a stake in the Tunisian mobile operator that could otherwise become part of its deal to buy indebted Egyptian billionaire...

Advertise in Russian or Pay the Penalty

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service is planning to expand a crackdown on advertising using foreign words, with initial hearings in a spate of recent cases...

Chilean Verse Featured in Metro's 'Poetry Train'

A “Poetry in the Metro” train started running on the Light Blue Line last week featuring excerpts from the biographies and works of five Chilean poets...

Medvedev Seeks G20 Monetary Talks

President Dmitry Medvedev will seek increased cooperation on monetary policy at a Group of 20 summit later this week, a senior adviser said Monday, after...

Reiman Developing Software

Former presidential IT and telecommunications adviser Leonid Reiman has started a new company, ROSA, that will develop free software. President Dmitry...

Study: Online Spending to Soar

Russians will spend $19.5 billion online this year mostly to pay for plane and train tickets, mobile services and music, according to the first major research...

Ballmer Vows Millions for Skolkovo

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer signed off on a plan Monday to join the government's Skolkovo innovation hub, which could see the U.S. software giant investing...

French Firm to Upgrade Rosneft Sites

French power company Schneider Electric and its Russian joint venture partner, Electroshield, will be "closely involved" in the $3 billion modernization...

GPS-Only Devices to Be Hit With Tax

The government plans to levy a customs duty on devices that only support the Global Positioning System navigation standard, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei...

Medvedev Pushes for Efficiency

President Dmitry Medvedev said that the country needs to start thinking seriously about energy efficiency in the housing sector and promised that he would...

Chinese to Lend $6Bln for Coal

The government will unveil coal deposits that Russian companies will develop using $6 billion in Chinese loans by the year's end, Deputy Energy Minister...

China, EU Complicate Gas Talks

Turkmenistan and Russia bolstered their natural gas relationship on Friday during a visit by President Dmitry Medvedev, with both sides hedging their bets...

Putin Leads Meeting on Hockey, Heating

The usual fall discussion about preparing for winter was preceded by an optimistic discourse about hosting the Ice Hockey World Championship at the prime...

Mobile Firms to 'Voluntarily' Cut Prices

Russia's big three mobile operators — MTS, VimpelCom and MegaFon — will “voluntarily” decrease prices on both international and domestic roaming...

Interros Plays a Card Before Norilsk Shareholder Meeting

Vladimir Potanin’s Interros Holding said Tuesday that it has terminated a cooperation agreement with RusAl, calling for an end to “destructive actions”...

Investors Asked for Talent And Tech

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised foreign investors that the government was ready to privatize "interesting" stakes in state companies but asked that...

Chavez Clinches Nuclear Power Deal

Rosatom committed to build Venezuela's first nuclear power plant, while the South American country agreed to allow Rosneft and TNK-BP to purchase oil assets...

Web Firms Weigh In On New Internet Bill

Five leading Internet companies are urging Russian lawmakers to exclude intellectual property rights infringement from their realm of responsibility.

Chavez Visit to Land Social Housing Deal

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is scheduled to arrive Thursday for a two-day official visit, during which the close Russian ally is expected to sign...

Governor Says Traffic to Be Terminated

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger encouraged Russia to follow his state's example in promoting renewable energy sources and a green economy.

Schwarzenegger Lauds 'Gold Mine'

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called President Dmitry Medvedev "a great visionary" and compared Russia to a "gold mine" of business opportunities...