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Sponsorship & Charity
Architectural Preservation
METROPOL GROUP has been involved in the restoration and
reconstruction of ecclesiastical architecture. These projects
include the Spaso-Preobrajensky monastery of Murom, St. Seraphim
temple, Nilo-Stolbenskaya desert cloister, Temple of the Assumption
in the village of Chernigovka, Christ the Saviour in
Sosnovo-Ozerskoye, as well as the temple of the Santalaceous Buddha
in the republic of Buryatia.
Science
With the support of METROPOL Group, for the first time a full
collection of proceedings from the Geography Faculty of the Moscow
State University was published, marking the 250th anniversary of
Lomonosov Moscow State University. In 2008, in honour of the 70th
anniversary of the Geography Faculty of Moscow State University,
METROPOL Group rendered comprehensive aid in publishing a volume of
work by Professor Yu.G. Simonov, “History of Geography at Moscow
University: Events and People” and the study “Geographical
Scientific Schools of Moscow University”, and also release of
“Unknown Heierdal” on DVD.
Culture
METROPOL Group supports projects in various areas of culture:
theatre, cinema, literature and television. A big event in the
cultural life of Moscow was a unique exhibition project by one of
the pillars of Russian avant-gardism called “Pavel Filonov. Witness
of the Invisible” at the Pushkin Museum of Personal Collections.
The general sponsor was METROPOL Group of Companies.
Charity
One of main principles of METROPOL Group of Companies is to help
those who cannot help themselves. Over recent years it has helped
families of officers from special divisions of Russian Federal
Forces who were lost in clearing the hostages in Beslan, the
victims of a fire at a school in Yakutia, and families of Russian
peacemakers who were lost during the confrontation in South
Ossetia. METROPOL cooperates with charitable organizations helping
children with cancer.
Sports
METROPOL GROUP established the
Kyokushin-kan Karate-do Federation in 2005, with Mr. Slipenchuk
becoming coming president. Today the Federation has over 10 000
members across the country. Since its foundation, METROPOL has
supported it, helping to organize national and international
martial arts tournaments in Russia and abroad.
In 2005, with the help of METROPOL, the first championship of
Kyokushin-kan Karate-doto be held outside Japan, took place in
Moscow. 189 fighters from 35 countries all around the world came to
Moscow. Ten Russian competitors and two Japanese competitors
reached the semifinals.
In December 2005, in Guangzhou, China, an unusual tournament was
staged. Competitors in two very different kinds of martial arts met
here:
Kyokushin-kan, one the cruelest forms of Karate and Sanjda —
Chinese wushu, where virtually all blows and throws are
permitted.
During 28 – 29 October, 2006 the 1st Open European Championship in
Kyokushin kan Karate-do took place in Kiev, with the support of
METROPOL GROUP. Seven of the nine golden medals went to Russia,
together with six silver and six bronze medals.
Athletic Wrestling Festival
In 2004, METROPOL GROUP sponsored the IV International Youth
Athletic Wrestling Festival in Moscow. More then two thousand
sportsmen from across the Russian federation participated together
with representatives from the CIS.
Sports Assistance
In 2004 with the Company’s support a Palace of martial arts was
opened in Moscow. Today this Palace — one of the largest in Europe
— is open to everybody. METROPOL GROUP also supports the Russian
sky-jumping team and Russian competitive dancing teams.
In memory of cruiser “Varyag”
Russian Cruiser “Varyag”
”A triumph of Art and Technology” were the words used by
contemporaries to describe the legendary cruiser “Varyag”. Although
the heroic actions of the Varyag’s crew deserved be remembered, its
fate and its feat were forgotten for many years. It was only a few
years ago that a small group of people suggested a permanent
memorial. This group gained the support of the Russian President’s
representative for the Central Federal District, G.S. Poltavchenko,
and METROPOL GROUP, who sponsored and organized the memorial
project. On the Scottish seashore, not far from a village of
Lendalfoot, the legendary cruiser found its final resting place. On
July 30th, 2006, Russian Navy Day, 103 years after the cruiser’s
sinking, a memorial tablet was set up here.
Charity Foundation
In January 2007 the Charity foundation for the support of Navy
“Cruiser “Varyag” was established. The Foundation’s initial goal
was to raise funds for the setting up of the monument to the Varyag
in Scotland. In addition the Foundation is looking to support naval
schools, restoration of churches and monuments associated with the
Russian Naval history, naval veterans, exhibitions and other
charitable projects.
Monument
A solemn ceremony of unveiling of the monument to the cruiser
“Varyag” took place on September 8th, 2007. This event undoubtedly
became a remarkable event for Russian-British relations as this
Monument was the first monument to the courage of the Russian
martial spirit on the territory of the UK. The unveiling ceremony
was attended by dignitaries from Russia and the UK, eminent
political and public figures, businessmen. In the solemn ceremony
the Russian battle ship “Severomorsk” took part.
Aeronautics
A flight to the top of the
world
On the 20th May, 2005 METROPOL GROUP sponsored the first flight to
the North Pole by hot air balloon. The 38-day flight took 18 months
of planning and coincided with the 60th anniversary of victory in
the Second World War and the 250th anniversary of Lomonosov
Moscow State University. For the first time in the history of
Arctic exploration the North Pole was reached by balloon. The crew
of the hot air balloon, Saint Russia, was captained by the famous
artic explorer Valentin Efremov.
Reaching New Heights
On the 17th August, 2006, a hot
air balloon altitude world record was achieved by the Pole Goose.
This world record attempt was part of the High Start program,
organized by METROPOL in conjunction with the Russian Aeronautics
Society, with the help of Arctic Projects Fund,. Russian astronaut
Stanislav Fedorov reached a height of eight km on the hot air
balloon Pole Goose. A flight data recorder on board of the airship
was sent to the International Aeronautic Federation for the
record’s official registration.
Geography: The Third Dimension
On the 1th July, 2006
METROPOL sponsored the educational experiment “Geography: The Third
Dimension” which was held on the grounds of Lomonosov Moscow State
University’s faculty of geography. Participants included Y. Taran
and S. Fedorov of the Aeronautics Federation as well as academics
from Lomonosov MSU and METROPOL employees.
“MIRs” on Baikal
Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal
In 2008, at the initiative of METROPOL Group, Fund for Protection
of Lake Baikal was founded. The President of the Fund is Russian
scientist and researcher, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian
Federation, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Russia,
and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Science A.N.
Chilingarov. The Chairman of the Board of guardians of Fund is Head
of METROPOL Group M.V. Slipenchuk. The technical council of the
fund is headed by the chief of the scientific operation laboratory
at the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of
Sciences, Hero of Russia, and corresponding member of the Russian
Academy of Science, professor A.M. Sagalevitch. The structure of
the scientific, observer and public councils of the fund include
well-known Russian scientists, politicians, businessmen and
cultural workers. The basic purpose of the work of the fund is
support of large-scale scientific projects and carrying out of
research directed towards conservation of Baikal, and also the
organization of events of socio-economic and scientific
orientation. The fund also is called upon to assist the development
of the latest environmentally safe technologies and their
industrial implementation.
Expedition
The fund acted as the organizer of the «Mirs» on Baikal»
international scientific research expedition within the framework
of which complex monitoring of Lake Baikal according to the
programme of Russian Academy of Sciences is being carried out for
the first time.
The Government of the Republic of Buryatia and Administration of
Irkutsk Region also have taken part in carrying out of expedition,
as have leading experts of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of
Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Science, the Baikal Institute
of Wildlife Management and Limnology Institute of the Siberian
Branch of Russian Academy of Science, Geography Faculty of the
Lomonosov Moscow State University, scientists from Belgium, the USA
and Japan.
On 29 July 2008, the first deep-water expedition by the Mir manned
submersibles took place. The crew of “Mir-1” included Vyacheslav
Nagovitsyn, the President of the Republic of Buryatiya, Mikhail
Slipenchuk and Anatoliy Sagalevitch.
During 2008-2009 the Mir completed a record number of dives -
122. Famous politicians, scientists and celebrities, such as
prime-minister of Russia Vladimir Putin, head of Federal Service
for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage of Russia Vladimir
Kirillov, writer Valentin Rasputin, musician Andrey
Makarevitch.
During the dives in various parts of the lake scientists made a
lot of photographs and videos, took soil and water samples,
gathered data about plant and animal life in Lake Baikal, together
with new information about the tectonic processes occurring at the
bottom of the lake. For the first time scientists explored
indications of oil and sources of gas-hydrate — fuel of future,
discovered new endemic microorganisms. This was a major step in the
exploration of the world’s largest fresh water lake.
According to expert opinion, the expedition has already paid for
itself through its scientific discoveries.
During their underwater exploration of volcanoes on the bottom
of the lake ancient dead hydrothermal formations were found and
scientists suggested that active hydrothermal activities take
place. Moreover, they identified the lake’s paleo-shorelines and
made some more examinations that will enable the scientists to
reconstruct the process of evolution of Baikal watersink and
specify age of the lake.
Fund Projects
In 2008, with the support of Fund
for Protection of Lake Baikal, the Third International Scientific
& Practical Conference “Priorities and Features of Development
of Baikal Region” took place. Also under the initiative of the
Fund, in Ulan-Ude an exhibition opened entitled “Baikal and History
of the Russian Fleet Part 1: Buryatia and Fleet”. In July – August
2009 the fund organized the Baikal and History of the Russian Fleet
Part 2: Irkutsk and the Fleet exhibition.
In addition, Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal together with
the Charity foundation for the support of Navy the “Cruiser
“Varyag” acted as the organizer of the international Seven Winds
sailing regatta on Lake Baikal.
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