August 2005

The Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Alexis the Second, has highly appreciated the support of RussNeft President Mikhail Gutseriev rendered in the course of the construction of the St. Panteleimon’s Temple which was raised on the territory of the Central Clinical Military Hospital of Russia’s Federal Security Service. The award has been apprehended as acknowledgement of the contribution made by RussNeft and by Mikhail Gutseriev personally into religious and spiritual renovation of the Russians.
For the contribution in the construction of the Temple the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Third Class, was also given to BIN Bank President Mikhail Shishkhanov.
In the Republic of Udmurtiya another temple named St. Royal Martyrs’ Church was raised with the help of RussNeft. The first stone was laid down onto the foundation of the future cathedral on the 28th of December 2004 and its inauguration and consecration took place in Izhevsk on the commemoration day for St. Royal Martyrs.
The solemn ceremony was attended by the Archbishop of Izhevsk and Udmurtiya  Nicolas, President of Udmurtiya Alexander Volkov, and marked public, cultural and religious figures of the Republic.
Moreover the Company is participating in the construction of St. Michael’s Church in the capital of the Republic and has also built Kazansko-Bogoroditsky Church in the Village of Balesino and Malo-Diveevsky Monastery in the Village of Noriya of Malopurguinsky District of the Republic.
The Company is implementing numerous sponsor and charity programs aimed at preservation and renovation of great cultural and sacred traditions of Russia.