Russian Veterans Join the Grand Opening of Russian Masts on HMS Belfast, London

LONDON, October 18, 2010 - Tuesday 19 October 2010 will become historically significant and
memorable day for Russia and the United Kingdom. The grand opening of new
Russian masts on the legendary HMS Belfast will take place in London. The
restoration project of masts began in April 2009 at Severnaya Verf shipyard
in St. Petersburg (www.nordsy.spb.ru/sv2/index_eng.php). Russian
veterans of the Arctic convoys from Arkhangelsk, Yuri Kopytov and Georgi
Evtukov, with support from Petropavlovsk Group (www.petropavlovsk.net)
and VTB Capital (www.vtbcapital.com), will arrive in London to attend
the official ceremony.

Masts restoration project was supported by Russian companies United
Industrial Corporation (eng.opk.ru), Severstal (
www.severstal.com) and Sovkomflot (www.sovcomflot.ru), in
recognition of the heroism of the Arctic Convoys 1941-1945. HMS Belfast,
which stands on the River Thames in London, is "the last witness" and the
only remaining warship that escorted convoys during the Second World War.

The ceremony will be attended by the head of the Russian presidential
administration Sergei Naryshkin, Chairman of the Imperial War Museum Sir
Peter Squire, Admiral Lord Alan West, Phil Reed (HMS Belfast), Sergei
Pugachev, and Andrey Fomichev (United Industrial Corporation), Sergey Frank
and Lord Fairfax (Sovkomflot), Peter Hambro and Pavel Maslovsky
(Petropavlovsk), Alexey Yakovitsky (VTB Capital), Russian and British
veterans of the Arctic convoys, other dignitaries and distinguished guests.

The Head of the annual Victory Day celebrations in London and Chairman of
Russia's Finance & Investments Market Players Club, Eugene Kasevin, who is
accompanying Russian veterans on their trip to London, said that "this
restoration project of HMS Belfast masts is a brilliant example of Russian
generosity and respect for the historical friendship between Russia and
Britain."

Alexandre Bykov (PR Newswire) stated: This great event will help to boost
positive developments in building closer relations between two countries.

Victory Day London: www.victorydaylondon.co.uk

Club KIFIR: www.kifir.info

HMS Belfast: hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk

PR Newswire Europe is the official news distribution partner:
www.prnewswire.co.uk

Eugene Kasevin / kasevin at kifir.info/ +44(0)7961-000766