By John Helmer in Moscow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met yesterday at Novokuznetsk city, in the Kemerovo region, with families of miners who were killed at the May 8 explosions that destroyed the Raspadskaya coking-coal mine, one of Russia’s largest. In remarks published on the prime ministry website, Putin hinted that he holds Raspadskaya’s management […]

by John Helmer - Friday, June 25th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Even if you had all the kit you need – auditor’s green eyeshade, diamantaire’s magnifying loupe – it is not easy to find what is news in yesterday’s release of Alrosa’s financial report for 2009, audited according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

by John Helmer - Thursday, June 24th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Everyone who is watching the World Cup has his or her favourite moments of the competition. Depending on their national or other allegiances, many prefer to speak of extraordinary wins; the South African team’s defeat of France 2 to 1, for example. For me, it’s been the bravery of defence […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, June 24th, 2010
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by John Helmer - Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow A news agency report from Cairo yesterday, claiming the Egyptian health authorities have quarantined a new Russian grain shipment in port, has been disputed by the Russian inspection agency, and by grain shippers in Moscow, who are not sure whether the action signals a resumption of last year’s weevil wars […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow President Dmitry Medvedev is lying when he claims that his modernization slogan, under which he is running for re-appointment by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, means free and fair competition; security for foreign investment; and private ownership in place of state control. I mean lying, as in lying on the fakir’s […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
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The Harmonics Vuvuzela for the season’s purest noise goes to Maxim Fedotov, who led the Moscow City Symphony Orchestra on June 16 in performances that included Ravel’s Bolero. Fedotov placed a snare drum at the front of the stage, and assigned the drummer the virtuoso noise-making part, obliging the rest of the sound-makers gathered behind […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Alrosa’s chief executive Fyodor Andreyev (right image) briefed Moscow investment banks last week on the company’s strategy in an attempt to raise demand for a domestic bond issue, to be followed by a eurobond issue in November. Alrosa’s target for the two issues is $1.84 billion.

by John Helmer - Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
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  By John Helmer in Moscow In the milk business, sanctimoniousness can induce more nausea than salmonella. President Dmitry Medvedev big-noted his re-election campaign with a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday with this seeming call for competition to stimulate economic growth. “No matter how many state-owned enterprises we might have,” […]

by John Helmer - Monday, June 21st, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Roughly one rouble in every three spent from the Russian state budget goes out the treasury door in the form of a procurement contract. According to the statute which regulates this process – Federal Law No. 94-FZ, “On Procurement of Goods, Works and Services for State and Municipal Needs”, enacted […]

by John Helmer - Friday, June 18th, 2010
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