No. 1, 2010

The vast territory lying beyond the primeval Urals mountain range is a land of explorers and pioneers - people, who were strong, fixed in purpose and in vision. A region into which several European nations could fit easily, it has embodied the dreams of many generations and become a symbol of wealth and permanency. It's called Western Siberia, the Yugra. Here we find huge expanses and the mighty deeds of real people. The nature of Western Siberia is magnificent and severe. Thousands of lakes, rivers and swamps draw fantastic weaves among endless pine forests and tundra.

Among the regions of Russia, there is no other place as rich in natural resources, such as oil, gas, coal, wood and metals. No regions that could have played such an important role in strengthening the country's energy might. Siberia has been called Russia's main hydrocarbon storehouse, and for good reason.

Development of this huge region began just a few decades ago, but they have been witness to some great events. A great oil and gas complex has been created and nurtured under harsh climatic conditions, and the richest reserves of the Siberian land have been developed. This is the heartland of LUKOIL, Russia's leading oil and gas company. The Company's name combines the first letters of three Western Siberian cities: Langepas, Uray, and Kogalym. The name conveys a tiny sense of this magical and rich Siberian territory and is already well known beyond Russia's borders - in the hot deserts of the Middle East, in the prim cities of Europe, and in the distant mountains of South America.

Northerners are a special breed of people - incurable romantics with a strong and willful character. This is true not only of the native peoples who continue to inhabit Siberia's vast territories: the special hardiness of the North can be seen in all those who live and work in this land. It was in the expanses of Western Siberia that LUKOIL President Vagit Alekperov began his life's work as a senior petroleum engineer in that distant October of 1979. Many of LUKOIL's current executives underwent tempering in Siberia.

Thanks to their professionalism, dedication, and enthusiasm, Siberia has been transformed. Homes, schools, and churches have been erected, while highways and power lines now stretch along endless, majestic wetlands. A new constellation of beautiful new northern cities has been built, where people of many different ethnicities live comfortably. There is no shortage of space in Siberia, and the streets of the new cities breathe with vastness. Neat white residential neighborhoods of multi-storey apartment blocks are dotted with bright, modern sport palaces, office buildings, and sleek, beautiful churches and mosques.

The area today is still the home of pioneers, but it also remains a model of dynamic development. People come here from other regions of Russia, and from the countries of the former Soviet Union and beyond, to revel in the experience of genuinely working toward the development of the economy and helping to resolve major social problems. The experience of Siberia is truly unique.