On 24 April 2004, the Voronezhsvyazinform Company, an affiliate of JSC CenterTelecom, hosted the Best Communication Operator Workmanship Contest for the staff-members of the CenterTelecom affiliates’ communication offices and service centers. The arrangers of the contest are Joint Stock Central Telecommunication Company (JSC CenterTelecom"), Voronezhsvyazinform, CenterTelecom’s constituent entity, and the Telecommunications Association of the Central Chernozem District. Representatives of Elecotrosvyaz ("Telecommunications", Eng.) of the Novosibirsk Region, an affiliate of JSC SibirTelecom, and of Kubanelectrosvyaz, an affiliate of JSC Southern Telecommunications Company, also took part in the Contest.

The stubborn competition of the teams for taking the lead started from the very first round of the contest. Already during the presentation of their pre-rehearsed five-minute home performances, they displayed their high creative potential. In the most diverse genres such as singing, imaging fairy tale characters and musicals; they also showed devotion to the entire worker staff of their companies, familiarized the audience with the successes and accomplishments of their respective affiliates and of the whole Corporation.

The next two rounds were particularly breath-taking. Only thirteen minutes were assigned to the contenders to answer fifty questions. And they displayed excellent knowledge of the Russian Telecommunications Law, regulatory documents and instruments to abide by in their daily work. Within the five-minute time frame, each contender implemented a practical communication service billing operation assignment.

The contest reached its high tide at the fourth concluding round. During a 5-7 minutes’ period the contenders demonstrated their customer business communication skills, the bit-players impersonating "edgy", "displeased", and evidently "snippy" consumers. And to give all such customers expert and precise answers and get them satisfied with their service, the contenders were required to employ not only their professional knowledge, but also delicacy, complaisance, and the learnings of psychology.

Voronezhsvyazinform employees comprising Mses Nataliya Solodovnikova and Lyudmila Cherezova scored the team victory in the contest. The CenterTelecom Kaluga affiliate’s team was the second, and the Tula affiliate’s one – the third. The fourth place was taken by and the "Will to Win" prize awarded to the Lipetsk Region affiliate’s team.

Ms. Nataliya Solodovnikova of Voronezhsvyazinform won the victory in the nomination "Best In Profession Among the Communication Service Centers Operator Workers". Her teammate, Ms. Lyudmila Cherezova, was acclaimed the winner in the "Best In Profession Among the Communication Office Operator Workers".

The contest arrangers did not scrimp on the awards to grant to the contenders. In the nomination "For the Boldness and the Sense of Purpose", the prize was awarded to Ms. Larissa Tishina (CenterTelecom Kaluga Region affiliate). Other prizewinners were Ms. Galina Eremenko (Vladimir Region affiliate) – in the "Experience and Mastery" nomination, Mr. Pavel Konovalov (operator at service center, Ivtelecom) – in the nomination "For Displayed Courage and Example to Follow", Mses Oksana Tokmakova (Lipetsk Region Affiliate) and Nataliya Khalmatova (Smolensk Region affiliate) – in the nomination "For Resourcefulness and Inventiveness", Mses Nataliya Solodovnikova (Voronezhsvyazinform) and Nataliya Martynovich (Kubanelectrosvyaz, affiliate of JSC Southern Telecommunications Company) – in the nomination "For Consideration and Candor", and Ms. Nadezhda Abramkina (Tambov Region affiliate) - in the "Great Theoretician" nomination.

"The professional skills promotion festival was accomplished first and foremost thanks to the JSC CenterTelecom leadership that took a decision to hold the contest", Executive Director of the Telecommunications Association of the Central Chernozem District of Russia Mr. Vyacheslav Gulimov said, "and the contenders have really proven to be the very best of the best.