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Message from Alfa-Bank Management

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Message from Alfa-Bank Management ALFA-BANK / SOCIAL REPORT 2007 / MESSAGE FROM ALFA-BANK MANAGEMENT Message froM alfa-Bank ManageMent Alfa-Bank is proud to present its Social Report 2007. Social responsibility in business has ceased to be merely a popular catchphrase. Leading Russian companies are becoming increasingly aware that it is impossible to do business in isolation. A company’s competitiveness in the local market and the prosperity of the regions where it operates depends largely on the level of social responsibility that company has adopted. For us, however, social engagement is primarily an opportunity to contribute to the social well-being and prosperity of our country. We are continuously expanding the range of our charitable projects and initiatives and we believe that this trend will continue in future. The Social Report of Alfa-Bank describes key aspects of the Bank’s charitable activities at both national and regional level. In 2007, the Bank continued its active support of national theatre, art, literature and music. All the initiatives sponsored by the Bank enjoyed wide publicity and have become important events on Russia’s cultural calendar. Special emphasis has always been given to projects that focus on socially vulnerable groups – children, the disabled, veterans. We cooperate widely with charitable foundations and organisations like the Life Line programme, which provides assistance to critically ill children. The Bank also prioritises the support of projects aimed at environmental protection. To Alfa-Bank corporate social responsibility also implies concern for our own employees and a drive to create optimal working conditions for them, because this is a prerequisite for the efficient performance of each employee and consequently for the overall success of the Bank’s business. We appreciate and respect all our employees and endeavour to consider their wishes when shaping our human resources policy. We have reason to be proud of our achievements, both in business and socially-oriented areas and we present them to you in this Social Report. We are confident that Alfa-Bank has earned the reputation of being a company that fully implements all the principles of corporate responsibility. rushan khvesyuk Chairman of the Executive Board, Member of the Board of Directors 0000 0001 0002 >>> alfa-Bank presents… Alfa-Bank makes it possible for the Russian public to see the best Russian and international performers on local stages. Tra- ditionally the Bank organises a variety of concerts by visiting international stars and performances by the best orchestras and theatrical groups. From classical to modern, from ballet to Irish dance, the Bank strives to offer Russian citizens the best acts from the world’s theatres and concert halls. tour of the Barefoot Diva As in the past, Alfa-Bank sponsored the concerts of Cesaria Evora in Russia. With the support of Alfa-Bank, the “barefoot diva” gave singing performances in Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk in 2005 and in 2007 she performed in Khabarovsk. The show was organised to celebrate the birthday of the Khabarovsk region. Cesaria Evora, sung in Creole-Portuguese, appeals to every listener. “During the seven years that our branch has operated, we have provided financial support to the shows of many wonderful artists performing in our city. However, the concert by Cesaria Evora, a world-famous and widely popular star, is an exceptional event.” - Alexander Kucherov, Director of the Khabarovsk Branch. Moscow virtuosi in Yaroslavl Alfa-Bank initiated the concert of the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra that took place on 9 April in the Sobinov Concert Hall of the Yaroslavl State Philhar- monic Society. The orchestra regaled music lovers with a brilliant performance and also held a masterclass for students of the L.V. Sobinov Yaroslavl School of music. Another important event that occurred during the orchestra’s tour was a visit by Alfa-Bank representatives and celebrated musicians to the Musical and Ar- tistic Children’s Home. Children received musical instruments and other pres- ents from Alfa-Bank. legenDarY aerosMith In July 2007, Alfa-Bank sponsored Aerosmith concerts in Moscow and St. Peters- burg. During the sold-out shows the band performed their best hits. The two Russian shows formed part of the group’s European tour. In anticipation of the Aerosmith concerts, Alfa-Bank offered its clients a unique opportunity to visit the shows by raffling off 80 tickets in a special event. <<< 0001 0002 0003 ALFA-BANK / SOCIAL REPORT 2007 / ALFA-BANK PRESENTS… Aerosmith is one of the original popular hard rock bands that first hit the head- lines in the 1970s. Around the world, the group’s shows normally attract thou- sands of fans. Their unrestrained and unique musical style rooted in blues-based hard rock has inspired generations of hard rock and heavy metal groups that came after them in the 1980s and 1990s. The group is known for its ability to compose ballads as well as hard rock’n’roll compositions. kings on ice show in kurgan The Mostovik ice arena in Kurgan hosted the Kings on Ice show on 1 May, 2007. The show, featuring the renowned figure skater Evgeni Plushchenko and other ice skating stars, was sponsored by Alfa-Bank. The audience enjoyed the out- standing performance and also had a chance to listen to a genuine Stradivarius violin. Edvin Marton, a famous Hungarian composer and violinist, was given the opportunity to play one of the eight violins of the great craftsman after winning the world famous Montreal violin competition. Marton has written music for the Olympic programmes of Russian figure skaters and received an Emmy Award for these pieces. rhYthM of the Dance in siBeria In October 2007, Kemerovo and Novosibirsk audiences had a chance to see the re- nowned Irish dance show Rhythm of the Dance. Aisling Holly, the choreographer and lead performer of the show, is one of the ten best dancers in the world. The Irish show combines dancing, music, theatrical performance, improvisation and state-of-the-art light and music. All the music used in the show was arranged by the famous composer Carl Hession. elton John in Moscow On 18 September 2007, Elton John delivered his only performance in Moscow at the State Kremlin Palace. Alfa-Bank’s employees had a chance to book and pur- chase tickets to the grand show. The Moscow show was a highlight on the city’s autumn cultural calendar. For nearly thirty years Elton John has been an eminent show business celeb- rity. His songs invariably top the charts and his eccentric lifestyle is often featured in the mass media, but his music remains the main focus of interviews and articles about him. Elton John has consistently been a record-breaker in the music business. Over the last three decades he has charted a top 40 single almost every year and his celebrated “Candle in the Wind” written in 1997, was an all-time bestseller. 0002 0003 0004 >>> taBakerka in nizhniY novgoroD For the past seven years Alfa-Bank has been engaged in organising guest per- formances by Moscow theatre companies in Nizhniy Novgorod. In the autumn of 2007 the Bank presented a traditional tour of the Tabakerka Theatre Company under the direction of Oleg Tabakov. Local theatre-goers saw five celebrated plays on the stages of Nizhniy Novgorod’s Comedia Theatre and the Theatre of the Young Spectator. The events in Nizhniy Novgorod included guest performances by celebrated actors like Marina Zudina, Boris Plotnikov, Vitaly Yegorov, Dmitry Nazarov, Raissa Ryazanova, Mikhail Khomyakov and the director of Tabakerka himself – Oleg Tabakov. a special new Year’s present froM alfa-Bank: carlos santana in concert Alfa-Bank financed the solo concert of Carlos Santana that took place on 21 December at the State Kremlin Palace. The show was a New Year’s present from the Bank to its clients and partners to celebrate Alfa-Bank’s 17th birthday. During his first solo appearance in Russia, the celebrated guitarist performed his best compositions. Carlos Santana is a famous Latin rock musician and guitarist. His style is a unique blend of Latin American rhythms and rock music. russian seasons in YekaterinBurg In April 2007 the Yekaterinburg Branch of Alfa-Bank presented “Russian Sea- sons: 21st century”, a joint project of the Kremlin Ballet, the Maris Liepa Char- ity Fund and SAV Entertainment. The audience enjoyed the ballets Scheherazade and Tamar starring Russian and internationally-acclaimed ballet dancers like Ilza Liepa, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Irma Nioradze and Ilya Kuznetsov. nikolai tsiskariDze anD the kreMlin Ballet on tour A cultural highlight for the cities of Barnaul and Irkutsk was a Nikolai Tsiskar- idze performance organised in September by Alfa-Bank and the Theatre for You agency. It was the premiere of the performance by the internationally acclaimed dancer. Titled “From Classics to the Present”, the show included fragments from the ballets Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Manon, Narcissus and others. The per- formance also featured lead dancers from the Kremlin Ballet and the Bolshoi The- atre. The show received great attention from true connoisseurs of ballet. “Alfa-Bank believes that ballet tours are significant events on the regional level, especially because classical ballet is one of the things Russia is famous for,” said <<< 0003 0004 0005 ALFA-BANK / SOCIAL REPORT 2007 / ALFA-BANK PRESENTS… Mikhail Troitskiy, Director of Corporate Business Development in the Irkutsk re- gion. - “Irkutsk is a city with an extensive cultural background where the audience truly appreciates Russian ballet; after all, Maurice Petipa used to perform here.” “unknown rachManinoff” BY Denis Matsuev In December 2007 Alfa-Bank co-sponsored the premiere of “Unknown Rachmani- noff” performed by Denis Matsuev with the participation of the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Liss. The concert took place in London, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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