stress the import nce - alfa-bank · pdf fileas a biggest financial institution in russia, ......

2009Social REPoRT

stress the import nce

“ We believe that charitable programmes are even more

important today than they were during the pre-crisis period.

So in the future, as each year throughout the Bank’s history,

we will continue to render comprehensive support and financial

assistance to essential projects, reaffirming our reputation

of a socially responsible company.”

Rushan Khvesyuk

Chairman of the Executive Board,

Member of the Board of Directors

As a biggest financial institution in Russia, Alfa-Bank has always attached great importance to social

and charitable activities. We are pleased to present our social report telling about some of our most significant

events and undertakings in 2009.

Alfa-Bank has a profound respect for the cultural heritage of our great country and endeavours to contribute

to preserving it. For instance, we financed restoration work on a number of unique books in the Orenburg

Universal Scientific Library named after N. Krupskaya, including Decrees of Ekaterina Alexeevna and Peter II

published as early as in 1743 and works of Mikhail Lomonosov. In Nizhniy Novgorod, we sponsored

restoration of Nikolay Koshelev’s canvas The Burial of Christ which was the very first art work in the collection

of the regional museum. Alfa-Bank also covered the costs of restoring two pictures of the globally recognised

artist Ivan Shishkin — Evening in a Forest and Evening in a Pine Forest belonging to the Tatarstan State

Museum of Fine Arts in Kazan.

Having supported initiatives aimed at preserving memory of our past for many years running, we also prioritise

care for the young and talented, since they are our future. Owing to our Alfa Chance scholarship initiative,

dozens of youths from different parts of Russia afforded higher education at the leading Institutes and Universi-

ties of Moscow. In addition, Alfa-Bank has funded the Alfa Fellowship programme, which provides internships

for young foreign specialists in Russia, for more than five years. The Bank sees this programme as a means

of promoting and strengthening international social and cultural ties.

In advance to national celebrations dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory, I would like

to underline that we are committed to supporting war veterans. In this context, I would like to emphasise

our care for and attention to the older generation, rather than the actual amount spent. Apart from gifts

and financial aid, we continuously arrange veterans’ meetings with schoolchildren in different cities across

the country. This initiative pursues two principal objectives: on the one hand, our children learn unique

historical facts; on the other hand, the veterans feel that younger generations still need them, which is,

possibly, the most important thing in one’s life.

Despite the tough economic climate in 2009, Alfa-Bank closed not one of its charity initiatives. We believe

that these programmes are even more important today than they were during the pre-crisis period. So in the future,

as each year throughout the Bank’s history, we will continue to render comprehensive support and financial

assistance to essential projects, reaffirming our reputation of a socially responsible company.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Message from Alfa-Bank management

Message from Alfa-Bankmanagement

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LIFE LINE — extending a helping hand

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • LIFE LINE – extending a helping hand

Alfa-Bank has supported the Life Line charity programme which provides finan-

cial assistance to critically ill children, for the past five years. The Bank acts

as the corporate sponsor of the programme and also provides opportunities

for its employees to make individual targeted donations. The Bank regularly

holds charity events to raise extra funds for children in need of help as part

of its support to the foundation.

Alfa-Bank launched the Life Line charity programme on 1 June 2004 as an initiative of leading Russian

companies and individuals who could not remain indifferent to the problem of high mortality rates

among children in Russia.

In developing the Programme, Alfa-Bank leveraged successful experience of international organisations

engaged in health care and charity. It became a national charitable foundation in 2008.

The fund was founded to help children with serious illnesses that can be treated with state-of-the-art

medical care.

Life Line foundation sees its mission in saving critically ill children and promoting civic values that will

ultimately advance philanthropic culture by fostering open liaison between different social groups across

Russia and globally.

Life Line pays for the advanced medical treatment of and special costly devices ensuring the best possible

treatment for Russian children who are 15 years or younger suffering from life-threatening heart, brain and

liver diseases. Since 2009, the Life Line foundation has been funding medical treatment of children with

congenital spinal deformities (grade III and IV scoliosis) that require surgical intervention.

3Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • LIFE LINE – extending a helping hand

Life Line is a nation-wide charity, with all the funds raised by the programme going to provide treatment

for children. In five years the Charity has saved more than 3,200 children across Russia having raised and

spent on treating the kids $15 million.

The fund sponsors child surgeries in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm, Krasnodar, Tyumen, Samara, Novosibirsk,

Tomsk, Voronezh, Nizhniy Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Murmansk, Khabarovsk, Syktyvkar,

Volgograd, Ekaterinburg, Rostov and other cities. The programme provides funding for prescribed medical

services and medicines necessary for the care of every Life Line patient. The proper use of the charity’s

funds and the transparency of the programme are guaranteed at all times.

A significant source of funds for the Life Line charity programme are corporate donations of the Bank

as well as contributions made by its individual employees.

In addition to private and corporate contributions, the Life Line programme also raises funds to save the lives

of critically ill children through the Give As You Earn programme, an initiative designed for employees

wishing to contribute part of their wages. Any company can participate in the Life Line employee scheme

and give their staff the opportunity to provide financial aid to children right from their work places by way

of installing a dedicated application on computers.

Alfa-Bank was the first corporate participant in the Life Line programme. Since August 2004, more than

500 Alfa-Bank employees across the country have managed to donate more than 8.8 million roubles and

fund treatment for 95 children.

Extending a helping hand

Since September 2008, all those willing have been able to contribute their mite to the philanthropic aims

of Life Line foundation by using the Alfa-Click Internet Banking or making traditional bank transfers,

with all money transfers free of bank charges. Updates on how the money is spent are regularly posted

on the Bank’s website. We are very grateful to our customers for their enthusiasm in supporting our

initiative to provide financial assistance to Life Line charity programme — during 2009 they donated over

3 million roubles. This was enough to sponsor some very sophisticated medical equipment for 31 children

suffering from heart defects from all other Russia.

In 2009, Life Line and Alfa-Bank launched another joint project, enabling the Bank’s customers to contribute

to the common cause of saving critically ill children using their plastic cards and cash dispensers installed

in all offices of the Bank. These cash transfers are also free of bank charges.

Charity auction

Alfa-Bank has supported all undertakings of the Life Line charity programme, which provides financial

assistance to critically ill children, for the past five years. During this time many celebrities donated to the

Charity a number of unique pieces of art that are quite valuable for admirers of theatre and cinema stars,

artists, writers, public figures and sportsmen. These works have been waiting for their time to fulfil their

purpose — turn into financial assistance to children. So, in 2009, all interested parties could participate

in several charity auctions held at Alfa-Bank website and dedicated to the Fatherland Defender’s Day,

the 8th of March, the Cosmonautics Day and the New Year. The funds thus raised were used to finance

advanced surgeries for Russian children.

“The Golden heart” of Alfa-Bank

In November 2007, the Bank launched a new corporate project — a monthly charity lottery called The Golden

Heart of Alfa-Bank. Everyone who makes donations using the Life Line programme can participate in the lottery.

Prizes include tickets to events organised jointly by Alfa-Bank and the Life Line сharity programme.

4 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • LIFE LINE – extending a helping hand

5Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Charity

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Children’s day

“Lavish the happiness” Event

Instability and changes make each of us particularly longing for family support — we seek to be more open-

hearted, caring and helpful for our nearest and dearest. But we often fail or do not want to notice that outside

our little cosy world there are people suffering from loneliness.

Charity is particularly important during socially complicated time of economic downturn. This year, Alfa-Bank

not only continued sponsoring its traditional charitable initiatives, but also rendered assistance to its employees,

who on their own support those in need of help. In 2009, we announced a contest of volunteer initiatives.

All employees could propose their own charity project; the best of submitted initiatives were shortlisted and put

on general vote of colleagues to select the projects to be sponsored by Alfa-Bank.

We are proud of our team at Alfa-Bank. Apart from being high-profile specialists,

our employees are also great, warm and generous people, many of whom

support orphanages and childcare centres on a permanent basis. They are always

prepared to extend a helping hand to children deprived of parental care or in need

of urgent medical treatment. The Bank’s management endeavours to provide all

kind of administrative and financial support to volunteer initiatives coming from

the Bank’s employees across the country. Together we are building a civil society

where no one ignores those unfortunate children who do not have parental

support. Charity movement in Russia is currently in acute need of volunteers,

and we are happy that there are people among us who feel the urge to provide

regular support to children deprived of family care and warmth.

CharityIf we don’t help, who will? Volunteer initiatives at Alfa-Bank

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Charity

7Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Charity

The Knowledge Day

“The 1 September — we are getting ready for school“ event

For the first time ever, in the run up to the Knowledge Day, the Bank launched the 1 September —

We are Getting Ready for School event that also involved many regional operations of the Bank. As part

of the event, our employees helped children without own families to get ready for the new school year.

• Moscow Employees of the Bank’s offices in Moscow saw it as their important task to arrange school

packs for students of orphanages and children’s homes by collecting stationary and funds to purchase

them. We managed to provide school packs for five children’s organisations — Boarding School No. 21

of Korolev (Moscow Region), Mytischy Children’s School of Music (Moscow Region), Moshkovo Social

Orphanage for Children and Teenagers (Tver Region), Torzhok Boarding School for Orphans (Tver Re-

gion) and Reutov Orphanage for Children Deprived of Parental Care (Moscow Region).

In addition, Alfa-Bank provided financial aid to nine children’s institutions it has supported over

the years, whose directors requested the Bank’s help in getting the children ready for school. For in-

stance, the Bank purchased sports outfits for children from Boarding School in Burmakino Village (Kirov

Region). Alfa-Bank volunteers helped Korolev Boarding School No. 21 for children with psychophysical

problems to prepare the whole school building for the new school year. For 15 children from Moshkovo

Social Orphanage the Bank purchased overcoats and trainers. First-formers from Bykovo Orphan Asy-

lum got tickets to the Moscow dolphinarium. For students of Boarding School in Bezhetsk, the Bank pur-

chased textbooks on literature, Russian history, natural science, biology, geography, Russian language

and math, while Ivanteeevka Orphanage got two new wardrobes.

We also provided targeted aid to children from Mytischy Children’s School of Music, Orphan Asylum

in Petrovskoye Village and Reutov Orphanage.

• Irkutsk On the eve of 1 September, Irkutsk Office of Alfa-Bank arranged a festive occasion for 50

children from socially vulnerable families. Children who were soon to become first-formers got to see

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a performance by Samotsvety Dance Company and Illyusia Circus Studio. Each first-former was also

presented with a satchel with a complete pack of everything necessary for school, an illustrated

encyclopaedia and sweets.

• Ekaterinburg On the children’s day, Alfa-Bank started sponsoring the Gnezdyshko Orphanage. That was

the time when Ekaterinburg Branch of the Bank aided the kids just to enable their survival rather than

ensure better living, so the employees brought clothes, toys and even foodstuffs to the orphanage. Before

1 September, the Branch employees decided to give the children a surprise visit to dolphinarium. This was

a real physiologic rehabilitation session for the kids who had had a lot of complicated and conflict situations

in their short lives.

• Omsk Children from Orphan Asylum No. 1 in Omsk will not forget the Knowledge Day of 2009 soon.

In a move to get ready for the new school year, the Bank purchased new cabinets for their rooms.

A tea party was arranged for the children, during which they shared their impressions. After the party

the children invited their sponsors to visit their museum.

• Khabarovsk Alfa-Bank employees in Khabarovsk also visited Orphan Asylum No. 2 of Lermontovo

Rural Settlement (Bikin Municipality) to congratulate them on the new school year. They brought paints,

colour pencils and sketchbooks and equipment both for creative work and for cleaning the rooms after

the lessons complete.

• Samara Our Samara employees started preparing Boarding School No. 177 for physically challenged

children for the new school year as early as in spring. In May, the Bank employees purchased and

installed laundry equipment and in the run up to 1 September each class room of the Boarding School

was equipped with special floodlights. The floodlights are mandatory for white- and black-boards

in institutions for children with hearing disorders and speech disturbances. On the first of September

the Bank employees came to congratulate the children and brought them some gifts — books, closes,

footwear, toys and sweets. However this was not the end of the holiday, since Alfa-Bank also presented

the kids with an exiting voyage along the Volga River.


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• Krasnoyarsk and Zheleznogorsk This year, in Krasnoyarsk and Zheleznogorsk Alfa-Bank took

under its wing Krasnoyarsk Orphanage No. 2 and the orphanage in Zheleznogorsk. In the run up to the new

school year, Alfa-Bank refurbished assembly hall of the Krasnoyarsk Orphanage and brought gifts

for the children including clothes, toys, creative kits and fruit. The children and the branch employees

also got to visit Khladko ice-cream plant. Top management of the plant proved responsive to the Alfa-

Bank request and showed the children how their favourite dainties are produced. For the Zheleznogorsk

orphanage Alfa-Bank had another surprise in store — it was given a multi-functional media centre.

• Uvat (Tyumen Region) In anticipation of the Knowledge Day, Alfa-Bank employees visited children

living in the only orphanage in the village, arranged a sweet buffet for the kids and sponsored new office

equipment for the computer class.

• Kemerovo In 2009, Kemerovo Office joined Alfa-Bank volunteering movement for the first time.

Employees for the Office purchased two washers for Leningradsky orphanage.

“Christmas miracle” volunteering event

The primary aim of the Christmas Miracle event was to provide material assistance to parentless children

at various remedial and educational institutions across Russia in the run up to the New Year and Christmas.

The Christmas Miracle spread far and wide across the whole country. Alfa-Bank employees visited children

at 22 orphanages, childcare centres and boarding schools. All these children received thousands of toys,

books, CDs, learning aids and New Year gifts. Orphanages were refurbished and given new appliances out

of the money collected by the Bank employees, making their life a little easier.

This was not the first year that many departments within the Bank and their employees have personally

helped out various children’s institutions. This is why the announcement of the launch of the Christmas

Miracle event in Alfa-Navigator (our corporate intranet magazine) was met with great enthusiasm.

By supporting these events, the Bank’s management fosters the evolvement of volunteering movement within

the company, which is a cornerstone of a good corporate responsibility policy in a large commercial entity.


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Being granted an opportunity to receive treatment

For the first time ever Alfa-Navigator, our corporate intranet, published a request from a Bank employee

pleading for help in collecting funds for medical care of his daughter. More than thousand of his colleagues

were responsive to the call for help. Cash donations were being remitted to the account of the ill child’s

father for quite a long time, accompanied by numerous phone calls and letters with recommendations,

details of medical centres and doctors and words of encouragement. Medical treatment of the girl started

in autumn 2009 and will be continued in 2010. Though the doctors avoid guaranteeing complete recovery,

the child’s parents are absolutely sure that she will soon be up, running and playing with her friends.

“Let’s help children to see the world” fundraiser

On 13 November, the International Day of the Blind, Alfa-Bank launched a fundraising event called Let’s

Help Children to See the World. We decided to purchase a special printer for the Royal School for the Blind,

the only educational institution in the Moscow Region offering senior secondary education for blind and

visually impaired children, that is capable of producing text as well as charts and drawings, making it easier

for the children to learn and get acquainted with the world around them. All Alfa-Bank employees were

invited to contribute to the fundraiser.

We were collecting donations to buy the printer for a month. The event also attracted the famous singer Diana

Gurtskaya who made a gift of her single When you Live for Someone Else to every donor as a sign of her ap-

preciation of their efforts. Ten employees who made the biggest contributions got to meet the singer personally.

Diana also accompanied Alfa-Bank employees when they gave the children their welcome gift. The children

were also very happy to be treated with some tasty refreshments.

Living memory

Care for war veterans comes natural to a socially-conscious business. Alfa-Bank has been setting a high

standard in this sphere for a number of years by holding annual events for the World War II veterans

throughout the country.


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Fatherland Defender’s Day

February 23 is not just a day-off for war veterans, but rather one of the most important holidays during a year.

Each year they become fewer in number, so it is increasingly important for all of us to seize every opportunity

to do something good for them. In February 2009, Alfa-Bank top managers paid tribute to Heroes of the Soviet

Union. Leonid Ignat, Alfa-Bank Director of Communications and PR said — “Unfortunately it is not always

possible to arrange a large-scale event for war veterans, the main reason being that most of them are much

older than eighty and it is too hard for them to go out. That is why we saw this as a remarkable opportunity

to pay visits and congratulate Heroes of the Soviet Union in friendly domestic environment”. WW II veterans

were also invited for a festive tea party and were handed out gifts to mark the occasion.

“Elbe day” repeats itself after 64 years

On 27 April 2009, the Reception House of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted celebra-

tions to mark another anniversary of the linkup of Soviet and American troops at the Elbe River

in Germany in April 1945.

Distinguished guests of the party included Heroes of the Soviet Union who personally witnessed this great

event back in 1945, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov, Head

of International Contracting Department of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation Lieutenant

General Evgeny Buzhinsky, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation John

Beyrle, President of Alfa-Bank Petr Aven and interns under Alfa-Bank’s Alfa Fellowship Programme.

For several years, Alfa-Bank has been sponsoring the Zvezda Fund supporting Heroes of the Soviet

Union, arranging annually two large-scale events dedicated to February 23 and the Victory Day. The idea

of repeating the Elbe Day after 64 years was born when we got acquainted with Alexey Prokhorovich

Voloshin, a Hero of the Soviet Union who, by order of President Roosevelt, was also awarded the Silver

Star — a highest military decoration in the United States.


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Alfa-Bank’ social initiative to support Heroes of the Soviet Union provided funds to find the original

participants of the Elbe Day and arrange, with assistance from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, an informal

meeting of three generations — WW II veterans and Heroes of the Soviet Union, representatives

of the Russian Ministries for Foreign Affairs and Defence and the US Embassy in Russia and young

American specialists involved in Alfa Fellowship Programme.

9 May. Our joint contribution to preserving memory

of the country’s history

Alfa-Bank celebrated the Victory Day with concerts and festive parties in honour of the war veterans organised

by the Bank’s staff in Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Irkutsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don,

Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Kurgan, Samara, Lipetsk, Tyumen, Moscow, Ufa, Omsk, Khabarovsk, Orenburg,

Chelyabinsk, Orsk and Yaroslavl.

In 2009, the nation-wide event was joined by some new regions — Cheboksary, Nizhnevartovsk, Surgut,

Kazan and the small Uvat settlement in Tyumen Region, where Alfa-Bank liaises with TNK-BP — making

it 40 regions across the country.

• Kazan — the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, was first to greet WW II veterans. The local Office

organised a celebratory reception for the heroes who participated in military action during 1941-1945

preparing flowers and gifts. Students from the Suvorov Military Academy put on a concert for the extremely

pleased veterans. Responsive to an offer from the branch employees to perform before war heroes,

the boys responsibly selected and prepared to perform some wartime songs. The veterans hummed

the tunes of Smuglyanka and Den Pobedy and were very touched when the students performed their

own songs. Finally, the veterans were handed out gift vouchers from M-Video chain of electronics.

• In 2009, St. Petersburg was the focal point of the nation-wide celebrations thrown by Alfa-Bank

employees. The key event of the day was arranged in a symbolic place — the Museum of Leningrad

Defensive and Blockade, which is the only museum in the world created by city residents when

the combat operations were not yet finished — on 30 April 1944. All exhibits are authentic items that

used to belong to city residents and are still being brought in. In order to assure that the blockade chronicle


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never discontinues, Alfa-Bank made a donation to the museum development fund to commemorate

the 64th anniversary of the Great Victory. The funds will be used to replenish the exposition and purchase

any necessary equipment. The Victory Day celebration arranged by Alfa-Bank was attended by about

150 WW II veterans and defenders of the sieged Leningrad. Distinguished guests of the evening included

Eric Johnson, Consul of US Consulate General and Markus Forster, Consul of German Consulate General.

Museum Director Anatoly Shishkin congratulated all the attendees and announced a new exhibition

dedicated to the 65th birthday of the Museum of Leningrad Defensive and Blockade officially open. Brass

Band of the Suvorov Military Academy met the guests at the Museum entrance with wartime tunes.

Being a most grateful audience, veterans applauded each singer and actor during the performance, but

reserved the warmest greetings to their own comrades — a participant in the Leningrad Defensive, former

mariner and now people’s artist German Orlov and a child of the sieged Leningrad Alfred Talkovsky. After

the concert, the veterans were handed over traditional commemorative gifts, accompanied by an offer

of the “frontline 100 grams”, and had a chance to socialise and, most importantly, share their wartime

tales, since these reminiscences make up our common history.

• Victory Day celebrations in Uvat, Tyumen Region, were held practically in a family circle and at-

tended by nearly all villagers. In the run-up to the festive occasion, Alfa-Bank employees joined

by the Head of Uvat District paid visits to all WW II veterans, delivered their congratulations and handed

out gift certificates for medicines specifically arranged by Alfa-Bank for this occasion.

• The meeting place in the Hero City Volgograd never changes — all roads lead to the Stalingrad

Battle memorial complex. The victors participated in a flower laying ceremony at the Panorama monument.

• In Nizhnevartovsk, celebrations were held in the Centre of National Cultures, organised jointly

by TNK-BP and Alfa-Bank. The veterans got to see a concert involving war veterans and local youths.

Performance by Edita Pyekha was a welcome surprise for the audience.

• The Kurgan Branch employees heartily congratulated war veterans in the hall of Kurgan Philhar-

monic Society. The heroes of the party were given bunches of red carnations and coupons for medicines

from a local pharmacy chain.


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• In Omsk, Alfa-Bank employees arranged a celebration in Mayakovsky cinema house that also involved

a demonstration of the new Taras Bulba film. On that day the cinema house was buzzing like a beehive.

The veterans wearing jackets studded with orders and medals socialised, they were very happy to see

each other again.

• In Tyumen, at a gathering organised together with the enthusiasts from the city Veterans’ Club, war

veterans listened to wartime songs and poetry and were given gifts during the subsequent tea-party.

One of the veterans — Vladimir Dmitriyevich Dmitriev — celebrated his 100th birthday in 2009. The agron-

omist, poet and artist, whose military awards include class II Order of the Great Patriotic War, medals

For Courage and For Military Action, received congratulations from the Bank employees with gratitude.

• In Ekaterinburg, the Bank executives participated in the Ogonek Pobedy joint event arranged by the City

Administration, Alfa-Bank and the Children’s Philharmonic Society. The occasion was specifically dedicated

to women veterans, who worked as medical staff, anti-aircraft gunners, postal and telecommunications workers,

served in air forces and navy, and fought with the Urals Voluntary Tank Corps during the war years.

• Alfa-Bank employees in the Republic of Bashkortostan also delivered their congratulations to vet-

erans residing locally. As in other branches, the war veterans were given coupons to purchase medicines.

• In Perm, celebrations focused on greeting veterans who had their jubilees in 2009 and who used to work

for Perm Motor Plants. During the WW II the Plants contributed to maintaining the country’s defence

capacity, with one in seven engines for warplanes produced by the Perm Motor Plants.

• In Tomsk, Alfa-Bank employees presented veterans who used to work in the local city hospital, Cardiology

Research Institute and Tomsk Polytechnic University with blood pressure monitors.

• Directors of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk Branches paid personal visits to each veteran,

bringing flowers, gifts and hearty greetings.

• In Nizhniy Novgorod, nearly all employees of the local Branch came to meet the eyewitnesses

of the terrifying wartime years.


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• In 2009, Cheboksary Office joined the Alfa-Bank nation-wide celebratory event for veterans for the first

time. The Office employees met their guests with flowers and applause. All veterans were presented with

gifts from Alfa-Bank employees — electric kettles and baskets of food — after which everyone was invited

to the festive table. The veterans brought and demonstrated their wartime photos and photo albums.

• For the sixth time running, the staff of Alfa-Bank in Yaroslavl held a party for WW II veterans

on the Victory Day. In line with the tradition, the event was warm and friendly, and the veterans shared

memories of their wartime experiences.

• In Lipetsk, Alfa-Bank local staff congratulated on the anniversary of the Great Victory WW II veteran

and Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Semenovich Kirillov. All those participating in the gathering

were very emotional. Alexander Semenovich retained his self-deprecating humour, ardour, optimism

and, most importantly, patriotism. Every war tale he keeps in memory is a ready story and an admoni-

tion for the young.

• Alfa-Bank staff in Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk decided to participate in the nation-wide celebra-

tions thrown by the Bank by paying personal visits to war veterans at their homes and district veter-

ans’ councils. The Bank and a local pharmacy chain arranged for special gift vouchers for medicines

for the veterans. One of the veterans — Viktor Ivanovich Feoktistov — entertained his guests right at his

work place. At 85, he still works in a school Fame Hall he established himself. The Retired Captain, who

used to serve in the Third Tank Army of the Guards and fought as far as Berlin, gives patriotic upbring-

ing lessons in gymnasium No. 44. He was also pleased to give such a lesson to Alfa-Bank employees

during their excursion through the Fame Hall.

• The Staff of Zheleznogorsk Branch also congratulated the veterans. On 27 April, the local

Military School hosted celebrations to commemorate the day on which the victorious Soviet flag was

hoisted on the Reichstag. The military students put on a concert for 20 WW II veterans, several


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of whom participated in the Battle of Berlin. The youths recited poetry and performed wartime songs.

The evening ended with the veterans receiving personal coupons for medicine and treatments.

• The veterans of Samara were welcomed in the local Alfa-Bank Branch Office as old friends. Children

from Bank-sponsored Boarding School No. 117 put on a concert for the war veterans. They recited

poems, performed songs and comic sketches on wartime themes.

• It has become a heart-warming tradition in Novosibirsk to arrange celebrations for participants

in and witnesses of the terrifying events that shook the world nearly 70 years ago. For several years

in a row, the Novosibirsk Branch of the Bank together with the region’s hospital have invited all veterans

to the Cinema movie house. This year the film At 6 p.m. after the War was screened. The veterans

also listened to wartimes songs. By Alfa-Bank invitation, the occasion was attended by people’s artist

of Russia, winner of international awards and soloist of the Novosibirsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre

Yury Komov. Our guests chorused together with the celebrity. Alfa-Bank handed out delicacies to make

their festive dinner more plentiful. Those who were not able to get to the movie house were visited

by hospital staff that delivered the gifts and conveyed words of gratitude from the Bank officers.

• In Moscow, Alfa-Bank and A5 pharmacy chain issued special VIP plastic cards for the veterans.

The cards function as a gift voucher and also guarantee an 11% discount on any medicines and goods

offered by A5 drug stores.

Warm friendship with North Fleet

The crew of Admiral Ushakov destroyer quite frequently welcomes their guardians from Alfa-Bank on board

of the vessel. The Bank provides regular financial aid to the navy personnel and strives to make their life

on board more comfortable. For instance, Alfa-Bank equipped the ship’s wardroom and is continuously

funding refurbishment of crew’s quarters.


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Alfa-Bank prioritises the development of programmes aimed at strengthening

international cooperation ties. A great example of this is the Alfa Fellowship

programme, which allows young American professionals to get acquainted with

Russia. The Bank also awards annual prizes to foreign investors who make

significant contributions to the development of Russian economy.

Alfa Fellowship

Alfa Fellowship programme, which provides internships for US specialists with great career potential

in Russia, was set up by Alfa-Bank shareholders in April 2004. Originally intended as an internship

programme in Russia for promising American specialists, in 2009 the Programme was joined by a number

of British educational institutions and the first group of UK interns came to Russia.

The programme aims at promoting and reinforcing social and cultural relations between Russia, the US

and the UK. Programme participants spend 9 months in Russia: they study the Russian language with

the leading educational institutions of Moscow, attend workshops and take internships in both commercial

and public organisations, in particular, State University The Higher School of Economics, the Expert

Institute at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Carnegie Endowment, Echo Moskvy

radio station, Expert magazine, Alfa Capital management company, TNK-BP, INDEM Foundation, Microsoft

Russia and McKinsey. Another component of the programme are tours to Russia’s regions and other CIS

countries. The training also involves meetings with members of the Russian Government, the State Duma,

heads of regional administrations, editors-in-chief of the leading media publications, cultural figures,

executives from Alfa Group Consortium and leading Russian businessmen.

International Alfa-Bank programmes

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • International Alfa-Bank programmes

18 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • International Alfa-Bank programmes

On their return home, participants continue their carriers as managers and executives with different

entities in the US and UK, both commercial enterprises and public bodies. This enables them to take

part in decision-making associated with economic, legal and political interaction with Russia, taking

advantage of their experience. The programme is invariably supported by public authorities both in Russia

and the US, including the State Duma, the Russian Ministry of the Interior, the Russian Embassy to the US,

the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN, the US Embassy to the Russian Federation,

and the US Chamber of Commerce.

As of the date, the programme has been completed by 49 specialists, of which 12 (10 American

and 2 British citizens) took their internship in Russia in 2009. This has been the seventh group

of interns that were not required to know the Russian language, which enabled better qualified

specialists to participate in the programme.

“It is extremely important to create an objective notion of Russia in the global community

for the constructive evolvement of international relations in the modern world. The Alfa Fellowship

programme promotes better understanding of Russian economic and political realia. These days

we not only continue our support to the programme, but also expand it”, said Mikhail Fridman,

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group Consortium.

Alfa-Bank and Oxford University Business School

award McDonalds for foreign investment in Russia

In 2009, Alfa-Bank and Oxford Said Business School awarded McDonalds with the Foreign Investment into

Russia award. This annual award is given to a foreign company operating in Russia, which best combines

successful business operations with a significant contribution towards the promotion of high corporate

governance standards in Russia. The award was created in 2003 and was granted for the seventh time

19

in 2009. Past winners include Procter & Gamble (2003), Nestlé (2004), United Technologies (2005),

Deutsche Bank AG (2006), General Motors (2007) and Intel (2008).

The winner is selected by a distinguished international jury, with members including Petr Aven,

the President of Alfa-Bank, Richard Burt, former US Ambassador to Germany, Yegor Gaidar, Director

of the Institute for the Economy in Transition and Dana Brown, University Lecturer from the Oxford

Said Business School.

The award was presented to McDonalds at a reception held on 12 November 2009. The ceremony was

attended by more than 150 heads of leading Russian and Western companies, clients and partners

of Alfa-Bank, representatives of NGOs and Russian media. Charles Timothy Hagel, US Senator from

1997 to 2009, and the evening’s guest of honour, gave the keynote address.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • International Alfa-Bank programmes

Supporting new talent and professionally assisting potential future specialists

is a fundamental part of Alfa-Bank’s social policy. The specifically developed

Alfa Chance programme, competitions and general support to talented young

people help to achieve these important goals. The future of these young people

is, after all, the future of Russia.

Throughout its history Alfa-Bank has provided assistance to programmes aimed at helping gifted young people.

In 1995, Alfa-Bank set itself the goal of selecting the most gifted school graduates from regional Russian

schools and giving them a chance to obtain higher education in the best universities and colleges of Moscow

and St. Petersburg. So far, 40 finalists of Alfa Chance competitions have graduated from the Moscow State In-

stitute of Affairs, Moscow State University, Moscow State Technical University n. a. N. E. Bauman, Plekhanov

Russian Academy of Economics, Academy of Finance, Moscow State Linguistics University and, of course, Higher

School of Economics and successfully started their carriers with leading Russian and transnational companies.

It so happened that most participants in the 2002 programme were graduates of the Higher School

of Economics, so, when contemplating a modification of Alfa Chance programme, the Bank’s executives

decided to select programme participants from the freshmen of this university. During the first two years

in higher education, which are usually an ordeal for students, they are paid special Alfa-Bank scholarships.

In 2009, we decided that the student competition for participation in the social programme should become

an annual event. The fourth competition under the Alfa Chance programme was held in October 2009.

All winners of academic competitions held by the Higher School of Economics, who thus entered state-

budgeted sections of 14 departments in the University and who reside outside of Moscow or St. Petersburg,

participated in the first round of new selection — the competition of personal files. The winners were

invited to participate in the second round during which they had to write an essay on a philosophical

subject that is rather difficult for the yesterday’s schoolchildren: “Dignity of a state ultimately depends

on the dignity of its individual citizens”. On 14 October, thirty winners with best credits on the basis of two

Future generations – our gold

20 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Future generations – our gold

rounds of the competition faced a strict jury panel consisting of pro-rectors and professoriate of the Higher

School of Economics, headed by Leonid Ignat, Director for Communications and PR at Alfa-Bank. This final

round was held in the form of an interview aimed at identifying the most emotional, open-minded, stress-

resistant persons with pronounced leadership bent. It was extremely difficult to select the best 20 students

since all the girls and boys were the winners of national academic competitions among schoolchildren and

the multi-disciplinary academic competition held by the University, silver and golden school medallists, who

managed to enter one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the country without examinations.

At the fourth annual national conference organised by Alfa-Bank for press representatives, all participants

of Alfa Chance programme had yet another experience — Advisor to Chief Deputy Chairman of the Board

of Directors, cosmonaut Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov congratulated the students and personally handed out

scholarship certificates. “You will have numerous various chances in you life — minor ones and greater

ones. I whish you only one thing: never miss your chance. Life shows that we cannot toss them away,

should not neglect them…” Alexei Leonov told the students.

“The stretch of our competition is astonishing — our contenders came to Moscow from various places scat-

tered across the country from Dimitrovgrad and Nizhniy Novgorod to Yakutia and Vladikavkaz. All these

kids are really very talented. Out of them we had to choose 20, who we hope to assist in becoming high

class specialists in various spheres. And they really need our assistance — it is well-known that the first

two years in higher education are an ordeal for students — they shift to a new system of learning, are

stressed by an enormous intellectual load and difficult living conditions far away from their families.

It is here that Alfa-Bank comes to the rescue by paying, I must emphasise, the biggest personal scholar-

ship in Russia of 10,000 roubles per month,” said Leonid Ignat.

Moreover, Alfa Chance scholarship is only one component of the programme. The young people are

also looked after by the Bank’s employees and meet Alfa Group and Alfa-Bank executives on a regular

basis. One of the meetings took place on 27 November: first-year students got to meet the Chairman

of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group Consortium Mikhail Fridman and Chairman of Alfa-Bank’s

Executive Board Rushan Khvesyuk.

21Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Future generations – our gold

22

Art has no borders

Alfa-Bank attributes significant importance to supporting art and offering Russian

audience an opportunity to see the best Russian and foreign performers. Concerts of

internationally celebrated singers and tours of ballet and theatre companies arranged

and sponsored by Alfa-Bank have become a good tradition. As part of supporting

Russian museums the Bank also arranges exhibitions acquainting all those inter-

ested with some of the most brilliant pieces of Russian and international painting.

Jubilee tour of Evgeny Grishkovets

5 and 6 October• Nizhniy Novgorod One of the most popular stage directors, actors and writers

Evgeny Grishkovets paid a visit to Nizhniy Novgorod as part of the annual theatrical project Alfa-Bank

presents to the city in the autumn.

Evgeny Grishkovets has never brought its +1 performance in the regions, while the play that made him famous,

How I Ate a Dog, has been performed in the Theatre of Young Spectators 500 times. More than five thousand

people in Nizhniy Novgorod got to see both of these performances. Upon request of Alfa-Bank, Mr. Grishkovets

gave a master class in Nizhniy Novogorod Theatre School the Bank has supported for many years.

The only show by Over the Rainbow

3 October • Omsk A show of the iconic rock group Over the Rainbow took place in the concert hall

of the Omsk Philharmonic Society.

“It is our first experience of liaising with Alfa-Bank, but we do know that it is the most reputable bank

in Russia”, Joe Lynn Turner said during the press conference. After the scheduled concert, the group

initiated a joint performance with local musicians at one of the city night clubs.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Art has no borders

23

A concert by the people’s artist of Russia Dmitry Khvorostovsky

13 December • Tyumen The programme Vocal Masterpieces with Dmitry Khvorostovsky consisted

of Russian sacred music. Khvorostovsky performed in the Tyumen State Philharmonic Society n. a. Gulyaev

accompanied by the Choir Masters Big Academic Choir conducted by honoured art worker Lev Kontorovich.

Alfa-Bank’s sponsorship made tickets to the event affordable for the city dwellers.

19 December • Perm The Music of Soul and Heart concert was hosted by the Perm State Phil-

harmonic Society. Dmitry Khvorostovksy performed Russian sacred music and songs by Burmagin,

Chesnokov and Arkhangelsky.

For children from rural districts of the region a live video broadcast was organised in a neighbouring building

of the Philharmonic Society. After the concert Dmitry joined the children and performed for them exclusively.

Monsters marathon

18 June • Ekaterinburg The large-scale Rock Monsters six-hour-long rock marathon was attended

by more than four thousand residents of Ekaterinburg. For the first time celebrated rockers like Alice Cooper

and the Scorpions performed on the same stage with young but, in the opinion of organisers (the Scorpions)

promising musicians — The Rasmus and Kingdom Come. The concert was part of the programme

of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

“We have promised that Alfa-Bank will be part of financial as well as cultural landscape in Ekaterinburg”

— said Alfa-Bank’s Director for Communications and PR Leonid Ignat. “So we keep our word”.

Reconstruction of the Russian Pavilion in Venice

The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Alfa-Bank set up a reconstruction fund and

a managing company for reconstruction of the Russian Pavilion in Venice.

The Pavilion, built on the design of the architect Alexey Shchusev in 1914, is located at the central alley

of the Jardini Park. Previously, the Pavilion has had to be repaired every year, using money from sponsors


24

and the state in order for exhibitions to take place. However, experts say that the historical building needs

reconstructing rather than repairs. Serious reconstruction work is planned to take place over the next three

years, for the first time since 1956. Work began in autumn 2009 after the close of the 53rd Venice biennale.

Once the long-awaited reconstruction of the Pavilion is completed, more Russian culture is expected to be

on display at this prestigious event: apart from art exhibitions and architecture there will be contemporary

dance, music and cinema displays all of which fall within the scope of the Venice art biennale.

Leonid Ignat, Director of Communications and PR at Alfa-Bank, said, “Alfa-Bank has a long-standing

reputation as a patron of the arts both in Russia and abroad. Other large-scale international projects

sponsored by the bank include the Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim

Museum in New York. I hope the new project will be a worthy continuation of our cooperation with

the Russian Ministry of Culture, increasing the number of admirers of Russian culture abroad”.

“Museums and children joint Alfa-Bank and Chuvash National Museum” project

On 11 September, the Chuvash National Museum hosted the ceremony of Alfa-Bank handing over a charity

cheque for creation of a children’s hall in the museum. The objective of the Museums and Children undertaking

is to acquaint schoolchildren with history of their home region by way of educational events.

“This initiative paves the way for establishing a Board of Guardians of the museum”, said museum Director Irina

Menshikova. In December, the educational hall received its first visitors from social organisations of Chuvashia.

Opening of “The Legends of Irtysh” picture gallery in Uvat museum

On 12 December, Corporate Client Director of Tyumen Branch Elena Razumovskaya, Manager of Uvat

Additional Office Alexander Zyryanov and the Tyumen Region Governor Vladimir Yakushev jointly opened

the Legends of Irtysh picture gallery in the local museum of Uvat. Alfa-Bank purchased and donated

to the museum a substantial portion of the collection consisting of works by local artists.

“Alfa-Bank was the first to start helping our museum”, said museum Director Lyudmila Telegina during

the opening ceremony.


25

Restoration of valuable books

On 25 September, Director of Alfa-Bank Orenburg Office Sergey Aparin presented a charity cheque

to the Universal Scientific Library n. a. N. Krupskaya for the purposes of restoring five unique book items

including Decrees of Ekaterina Alekseevna and Peter II of 1743, Complete Latin Lexicon of 1796, History

of the Russian State, vol. 3, of 1833, Works of N. M. Karamzin of 1890, and works of Mikhail Lomonosov.

“We have not found any examples of such aid during the 121 years of the library’s existence, and this

is really symbolic” — Deputy Director of the Library Natalia Nikitina noted during the ceremony.

Restoration of Ivan Shishkin’s canvases

On 20 July, Chairman of the Bank’s Executive Board Rushan Khvesyuk presented a gift to the Tatarstan State

Museum of Fine Arts. Alfa-Bank financed restoration work on two pictures of the globally recognised artist

Ivan Shishkin — Evening in a Forest and Evening in a Pine Forest.

“We are deeply touched by the Bank’s aid and hope for further liaison” — said Museum Director Rozalia

Nurgaliyeva. “Kazan museum is very proud of the canvases of our fellow townsman”. It is expected that

visitors to the museum will be able to see the restored pictures as early as in 2010.

Support of family traditions

For the second year running, Alfa-Bank has been supporting the republic-level Young Family competition

arranged by the Ministry for Youth Policy, Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Seven

families — finalists of the competition — participated in a gala performance that was broadcasted on local

television. Alfa-Bank presented the winners with coupons for purchase of household appliances.

Alfa-Bank arranges an exhibition of original dolls in A-Club

From 25 to 27 September, the A-Club VIP office of Alfa-Bank in Barvikha hosted a guest exhibition and

sale of unique dolls created by contemporary artists from different countries, kindly provided from the col-

lection of the most fashionable Vakhanov Doll Gallery. Unlike theatre puppets or girls’ toys, artistic dolls


are only created for home design purposes. This line of art has established thoroughly by now and even

has several development trends, its own classics and avant-gardists.

A-Club clients were not only given an opportunity to visit the exhibition and purchase one of the unique

dolls, but also could create a doll of their own under the guidance of a professional artist.

Dedication to “Diaghilev gala”

On 7 June, a ballet gala night took place in the Covent Garden Royal Opera House in London to commemorate

the centenary of the celebrated Ballets Russes and its creator Sergei Diaghilev. The gala was presented

by Alfa-Bank and Ensemble Productions of London.

The night’s programme included some dramatic and rarely staged dancing performances from the reper-

tory of the Russian Ballet. The renowned English National Ballet Orchestra conducted by Valery Ovsyan-

nikov took care of the musical part of the night.

The ballet performance and the VIP reception in the interval were honoured by the presence of baroness

and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The performance was followed by a ceremonial

dinner in Covent Garden’s Paul Hamlyn Hall, VIP guests including Alfa-Bank President Petr Aven,

Executive Director of Russkiy Mir Foundation Vyacheslav Nikonov, Russian Federation’s Ambassador

to the United Kingdom Yuri Fedotov, granddaughter of the Ballets Russes choreographer Isabelle

Fokina, famous TV host and actress Angela Rippon, British musicians Bryan Ferry and Mike Jones,

designers Ozwald Boateng and Stephen Webster, and prince Nikita Lobanov-Rostovsky.

As part of the project, the Royal Opera House hosted an exhibition of old photographs, artwork and ballet

costumes of Diaghilev epoch as well as an auction for the benefit of Russian non-for-profit organisations

arranged in liaison with CAF Russia. The night was organised with support from the Russkiy Mir Foundation,

Rossiya and BMI Airlines.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Art has no borders26

27

Contribution to the common cause — WWF

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s largest international charities and has been involved in wildlife conservation

for more than 40 years. WWF implements more than 1,200 environmental initiatives annually and gets

millions of people focus on environmental problems and their potential solutions.

The WWF mission is to stop environment from being further destroyed, achieve a balance between man-

kind and nature and preserve the planet’s biodiversity.

WWF Corporate Club

Since 2001, Alfa-Bank has been a member of WWF’s Corporate Club, which was set up to enable compa-

nies to help fund environmental initiatives. Annual donations enable the Fund to resolve some of the most

serous environmental problems. In 2009, the Fund managed to deliver a number of strategic tasks.

Alfa-Bank takes care of the world we live in.

As a Corporate Club member of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Bank

supports initiatives aimed a preserving the diversity of flora and fauna and

the natural habitats of rare wildlife in Russian territories.

Preserving natural resources for our descendants is the objective of cooperation

between Alfa-Bank and WWF.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Contribution to the common cause — WWF 27

28 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 •Contribution to the common cause — WWF

The most important achievements:

A new Russkaya Arktika national park has been created on the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. These

territories are rich in natural attractions, for instance walrus and bird rookeries. It is also the habitat

of white bears. WWF was an active advocate of establishing the park.

The first nature park has been created in the Republic of Tyva that will preserve taiga ecosystems

of the Western Sayan Mountains. The territory of the Erzi nature reserve in Ingushetia has been

expanded nearly six-fold. This will help preserving the natural state of the upper reaches of the Assa

River and stabilise the numbers of many types of animal whose populations have dropped owing

to increased poaching and shrinking natural habitats.

This year Alfa-Bank participated in the WWF’s Charity Ball to support Russian national parks and

reserves. More than 1.5 million roubles were raised and given out in the annual small grants contest

to Russian conservation territories.

Visa — Alfa-Bank — WWF

The Visa — Alfa-Bank — WWF charity card gives our clients, partners and employees an opportunity

to contribute to nature conservation in Russia. At its own cost, the Bank transfers 0.3% of every purchase

paid for with the card to the WWF Russia.

A new Alfa-Click Internet Bank function launched in 2009 enables swift and easy cash transfers

for wildlife conservation purposes right from one’s personal computer.

29Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Contribution to the common cause — WWF

30

Big Book prize

The Big Book’s prize money is financed by interest on a deposit of founders of the Centre for Russian

Literature Support — wealthy Russian businessmen and business entities. The Award is open for all kinds

of prose works.

Long-listing procedure

Both published work and manuscripts can be sent in to seek the Award. Literary works can also

be nominated by publishers, media, creative unions and federal and regional government authorities.

A published work can also be nominated by the author itself. The Expert Panel, which currently

consists of 10 persons, draws up the long list on the basis of these submissions. Each nominated work

is assessed by two experts. The long list is normally completed by 30 April and is then announced

by chairman of the Expert Panel and posted on the Award’s web page.

Drawing up the shot list

Up to 15 works from the long list may be shortlisted for the Award. A collegiate decision is drawn with

respect to each literary work and the majority of experts on the panel should vote positive on it. By 31 May

the short list has to be announced by the panel chairman and published on the Internet.

Literary Academy of judges

The Literary Academy (the jury of the Award) consists of 109 members who are professional men

and women of letters, figures of culture and art, scientists, public and political figures, journalists

and entrepreneurs. Members of the Literary Academy read the shortlisted works and vote on them.

The winners are determined depending on the number of votes cast for each work.

The Big Book prize is the largest national award for literature in the CIS and

second largest globally in terms of award fund (5.5. million roubles) after

the Nobel Prize for literature.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Big Book prize

31

The names of winners

The Literary Academy of judges announced the names of winners of the fourth Big Book Award during

a ceremony in Dom Pashkova in November.

In 2009, the first prize went to Leonid Yuzefovich for his novel Cranes and Pygmies. The scene is laid

in several time layers and locations — 17th century Europe, Moscow of 1993 and Mongolia of 2004.

The novel was first published in Peoples’ Friendship Journal in 2008.

The second prize was awarded to Alexander Terekhov for his novel The Stone Bridge — a profound liter-

ary work set on the junction of reality and fiction.

The third prize went to Leonid Zorin for his The Wretched Globe collection consisting of recent short works

originally published in literary journals and now re-published as a collection of works under a common

name — The Wretched Globe. Leonid Zorin is a famous writer and playwright, the author of scripts

to The Pokrovka Gate and The Warsaw Melody films.

Pursuant to the decision of the Board of Trustees of the Big Book national prize, Alfa-Bank will pay out

prize money to the winners — 3 million roubles to the first prize winner and 1.5 million roubles and

1 million roubles to the winners of the second and the third prizes, respectively.

After the short list is announced, a readers’ poll starts on the Award website. Three works with most scores

from the readers are handed out mementos.

Readers’ Choice Awards in this literature season were given by the readers to Andrey Baldin for his

The Extension of the Full Stop book of essays, Leonid Yuzefovich for his Cranes and Pygmies novel

and Mariam Petrosyan for her novel The House Where.

A special prize of the Big Book Award for Honour and Dignity was awarded to Boris Vasiliev, the author

of widely popular works on the Great Patriotic War — At Dawn, it’s Quiet Here and Not Listed.

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Big Book prize

32

Alfa-Bank is the private bank most quoted in Russian media.

In 2009, in the background of acute financial crisis Alfa-Bank continued pursuing

its policy of maximum transparency. Ensuring openness for communication and

ready explanations on any situation for both reporters and customers has become

the key task of the Bank’s PR Department.

The prompt and accurate work of our press service along with the intro-

duction of round-the-clock operating schedule enabled the Bank to maintain

its first place among market leaders in terms of mentions and references

in the Russian mass media.

From experts to journalists

In 2009, Alfa-Bank organised another traditional national conference named The Russian Banking

Sector: Growth or Survival? The conference was attended by over 160 journalists from leading

foreign and domestic media, including reporters from 35 regions of Russia.

At the conference, representatives of the government authorities delivered their views of the situation

on global and domestic financial markets while businessmen spoke about the latest trends in banking and

their forecasts for future developments. Journalists and speakers also had a chance to discuss the most

burning issues during round tables and briefings.

The speakers at the conference included Alfa-Bank President Petr Aven, President of the Russian Union

of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board

Transparency

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Transparency

33

of the Bank of Russia Alexei Ulyukayev, the Higher School of Economics Director of Sciences Evgeny Yasin,

Chairman of the Alfa-Bank Executive Board Rushan Khvesyuk and others.

These conferences have become a tradition for both financial sector experts and journalists writing on the topic.

The first of these conferences: The Russian Banking Sector: a View into the Future was held in the autumn

of 2006. The extensive media coverage and feedback from both regional and Moscow media was seen

as an incentive to hold another conference in October 2007: The Russian Banking Sector: Growth Factors and

still another one on 31 October 2008: The Russian Banking Sector: Meeting the Global Challenge.

Shifting from offline to online

Alfa-Bank’s press service is never satisfied with what already has been achieved and develops continu-

ously, designing and implementing new and more advanced means and methods of work.

In 2009, we arranged five online conferences on the development prospects for remote self-service channels

in the new market environment, development strategy during crisis, e-banking and co-branding projects.

The Bank’s performance in 2009 was summarised by Chairman of Alfa-Bank’s Executive Board Rushan Khve-

syuk during our online conference Russian Banking Sector. Alfa-Bank. Year-end Results. Trends and Outlooks.

In 2009, 482 questions were asked by journalists from the Moscow and regional press during online con-

ferences involving bank experts at our website www.alfabank.ru.

More than 100 publications covered Alfa-Bank’s conferences in 2009. National and regional media pub-

lished more than 500 reports and articles in response to our online events.

Having held quite a number of online events, we see them as a most advanced mechanism for liaison with

pressmen. On the one hand, these online events aim to provide reporters with the most recent and relevant

information on the Bank’s business segments; on the other hand, they tell interested internet users of new

products and services the Bank offers.


34

From Moscow to the fringes

We communicate with reporters from the leading business publications on a daily basis. In addition,

more than 30 journalists from various publications call and write to the press service each day. We are

committed to promptly disseminating updated information on the Bank’s operations.

Among the most popular and efficient channels of communication with mass media are press conferences

and events. The Bank pays significant attention to the preparation and hosting of these events and, throughout

2009, arranged for 15 such occurrences for the press.

Alfa-Bank arranges major press conferences to present new products, technology and services for our

customers while the subsequent interaction with individual publications results in waves of unsolicited

publications and comments in the leading Moscow and regional mass media.

Other remarkable events held for the press include regular press lunches and briefings involving top

managers of Alfa-Bank. At these meetings with journalists, heads of the Bank’s business units present

analytical overviews, share their forecasts and expert reviews, speak of the latest developments, changes,

trends and prospects in the sector. It is very important that we hold these events for journalists in Moscow

as well as in other Russian cities where Alfa-Bank operates.

These and other events reconfirmed Alfa-Bank’s status as a competent sector expert.

From tasks to deliverables

Every day one can find more than 200 mentions of Alfa-Bank in the press, in particular in such popular

publications as Kommersant and Vedomosti. These daily newspapers are purchased by a minimum

of 156 thousand persons on a daily basis. Russia’s largest mass publications — Komsomolskaya Pravda

and Izvestia — publish an article telling about Alfa-Bank and its products once a week, this being read

by more than 800,000 people. There are also numerous publications in other press and on the Internet.


35

Investing in talented personnel assures long-term success, this is why Alfa-Bank

focuses on continuously improving skills and expertise of its employees, enhancing

their motivation, social protection and commitment to corporate values.

“Best of the Best 2008” corporate competition

Alfa-Bank owes its success to the impressive and well-coordinated work of its team. Everyone in the Bank —

from managers to business unit heads — is essential for carrying out the challenging tasks we set for our-

selves. It goes without saying that the Bank’s team consists of only the best specialists. Still, there are

the “best of the best” — the people who lead the team towards new achievements. Alfa-Bank traditionally

holds a Best of the Best corporate competition on an annual basis. In 2009, there were 395 staffs partici-

pating in the initial qualification round of the competitions, of which 11 were recognised as the Best of the

Best. Prizes were awarded in ten nomination categories along four priority lines determined by Alfa-Bank’s

corporate values: value your client, teamwork, decision making and accepting responsibility, and combat-

ing red tape. The award ceremony was part of the ninth conference of Alfa-Bank’s management team

in a pension “Bor”. Winners received certificates of merit, commemorative statuettes and monetary awards

from Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group Consortium Mikhail Fridman, Chairman of the Board

of Directors Johann Jonach and Chairman of Alfa-Bank Executive Board Rushan Khvesyuk.

“Ideas Bank” and “The Idea Person 2008” competition

For the third year running, the Bank ran its interactive resource for collecting and implementing proposals

of our employees, having accumulated more than one thousand ideas on how the business processes might

be optimised and the Bank’s internal operations could be improved and on the innovations that might be

implemented. All proposals are analysed and implemented by more than one hundred various subdivisions

and departments. On the one hand, the Ideas Bank is a resource that enables each employee to contribute

to improving the Bank’s operations; on the other hand, it helps management to see the existing processes

in a new light and seize any opening opportunities for improvement. In terms of figures and facts, we have

“idea-full”, active and not indifferent staffs in over 60 cities across Russia. So far, we have implemented

The recipefor a successful business we are together

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • The recipe for a successful business

36

97 ideas, of which 54 were put into practice in 2009. More than 160 of the contributed ideas are now being

further developed. Fifty proposals were put aside as promising ideas and will be implemented as soon as we

have the necessary capabilities. More than 20 employees were awarded the Bank of Ideas certificates

of merit and gift coupons. At the year end we arranged for a competition of ideas and their authors

called Idea Person 2008. Those who generated the best ideas were recognised by their colleagues and

management and awarded competition’s certificates and valuable prizes. A biography of each was published

in Alfa-Navigator online corporate magazine.

Road Show

Paying significant attention to Alfa-Bank’s development in the regions, a group of nearly 30 top managers

of the Bank once a year visits regional offices and branches to meet local staff. In 2009, the top management

visited Perm, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Tyumen, Murmansk, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Kazan. Guests

from neighbouring regions, including Arkhangelsk, Magnitogorsk, Kamensk-Uralskiy, Krasnoyarsk, Izhevsk,

Nizhniy Novgorod, Samara, Cheboksary, Naberezhnye Chelny, Angarsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye, Ekaterinburg

and Kurgan also managed to communicate with the Bank’s management.

The regional employees were highly interested in various matters — from staff motivation programmes and

openings of new regional offices to advanced training possibilities. In addition, there were global questions,

for instance, about Russia’s accession to the WTO, the possibility of introducing a single global currency and

success formulae as seen by the Bank’s top managers.

Each of the business unit heads held meetings with his regional team, discussing urgent issues and

prospects for the future. Heads of front office segments visited most of the regional operating offices, met

their customers and received customer feedback about the Bank’s service level.

Anniversaries

The Bank is also committed to congratulating the “keepers of traditions” — employees who have worked

at the Bank for 10 and 15 years. To this end, Alfa-Bank holds a gala night to celebrate the anniversaries

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • The recipe for a successful business

37

and pay tribute to their loyalty. In 2009, the gala night was a special one. The employees were invited

as honourable members to Alfa-Club 10/15. The closed session of the club was held in the Moscow

Barkhat night club. The evening brought together nearly 300 employees with a long employment record

from 26 cities. For the first time, the gathering involved our colleagues from Severnaya Kazna Bank who

also worked 10 and 15 years in this bank that merged into Alfa-Bank team in 2009.

Although colleagues came from various, some of them very remote, corners of Russia, they did not notice

any jet lag. Everyone was actively socialising, dancing, taking part in contests, delivering speeches and,

of course, receiving gifts and greetings from the Bank Management.

All colleagues with a 10-year employment record were given commemorative statuettes, while those with

a 15-year record were presented with gold badges engraved with words “15 years of success”. The old-

timers were officially greeted on stage by Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group Consortium

Mikhail Fridman and Chairman of Alfa-Bank Executive Board Rushan Khvesyuk. An honourable guest

of the party Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov, Advisor to the Chairman of Alfa-Bank Board of Directors, also

congratulated the heroes of the evening.

The employees shared their impressions with journalists who made a video report on the gala. The footage

was instantly broadcasted on all monitors of the club. The guests enjoyed posing for cameras, all the more

so since the photos could be ready in several minutes. A slide show consisting of photographs depicting

past events helped to recall some important and pleasant moments.

A warm meeting of old friends, friendly hugs, dances, photoflashes and a performance by pop-group Bravo

made the evening unforgettable. Our colleagues earned this by their hard work, since their input made

the Bank a leader on the Russian market.

Summer Day

Each summer, Alfa-Bank arranges for a corporate family event held outdoors. This occurrence is known

as The Summer Day and has become a tradition for employees of our Moscow offices. Funds raised

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 •The recipe for a successful business

38 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Благотворительность

by selling tickets to the event are used to pay for surgeries for critically ill children under the Life Line

programme. For the first time in 2009 the family-focused Summer Day was held in all regions where

the Bank operates, with the charity event attended by employees from all corners of Russia. Thus, apart

from being a corporate event, The Summer Day is now also a means of achieving some noble aims.

“Bor“ conference for senior and top mamagers

More than 500 managers gathered to attend the ninth conference of Alfa-Bank executives in a pen-

sion “Bor”. As in 2008, the conference was named Time to Live Together!, although during the year

that lapsed the Russian economy has undergone some very grave changes. Crisis makes us change

our lives and get ready for unforeseen difficulties. In this context, in 2009, the conference motto had

new implications. Time to live together is the time to work together and be personally responsible

for the overall performance.

The conference was opened by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group Consortium Mikhail

Fridman. The audience then listened to Chairman of the Board of Directors Johann Jonach, Chairman

of the Executive Board Rushan Khvesyuk and other top managers who spoke about the Bank’s perfor-

mance results and development plans. A special guest of the conference, famous Russian economist

Egor Gaidar told the attendees about economic development during the country’s challenging time. Crisis

environment makes us resort to all available resources, so we found it sensible to invite Alexander Savin,

Managing Director of A1 (Investment Division of Alfa Group) to participate in the conference.

The conference was also attended by representatives of Alfa-Bank’s regional branches and offices, enabling

them to share business development experience with their colleagues.

Attending the conference traditionally means active work, communication and discussion of important

issues. This is why working in so-called “mixed groups” is an important element of the conference,

allowing representatives of different business segments to discuss their pressing problems and resolve

any outstanding issues.

38 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • The recipe for a successful business

39

Alfa-Bank is a partner of the Life Line charity programme.

The programme was founded as an initiative of leading Russian companies

and individuals to provide targeted assistance to critically ill children suffering

from life-threatening diseases.

Each of us can make own contribution, however big or small, to assist people

who desparately need help.

Preserving a child s̀ life is of the utmost importance not only for the parents,

but also for all of us, as children

are the future of our country.

Let̀ s Give Life to Children!

www.life-line.ru

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009

40

Alfa-Bank has been a WWF partner since 2001.

Nature conservation initiatives

are in need of support no less

than cultural undertakings.

We are delighted to have an opportunity

to liaise with the esteemed international institution

that is able to assure that our donations

are used for their intended purpose

of protecting and conserving

the nature in Russia.

Contribute to saving nature now!

www.wwf.ru

Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009

www.alfabank.com

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