Grigory B. Chernyak, Deputy General Director of OJSC North West Telecom for Property Management and General Issues, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Services to the Fatherland, 2nd Class, for his achievements during the many years of conscientious work.

The Decree No.1547 was signed to the effect by RF President V.V. Putin on 19 November 2007.

The Medal of the Order of Services to the Fatherland is awarded to citizens for their achievements in industry and agriculture, construction and transport, education and research, health care and culture, and other pursuits; for a significant contribution to the defence of the Fatherland, achievements in the provision of high military readiness of units, divisions and forces, for excellent results in military training and other achievements in the military service; for the support of law, order and state security.

Grigory Chernyak has been working in the telecommunication industry for over thirty years. During that time he has implemented many large-scale projects of enormous significance both for OJSC North West Telecom and for the entire telecommunication industry. His directly supervised the reconstruction of the building of the former Chief Telegraph Office, reconstruction and capital repairs of many historical buildings in the centre of St Petersburg that housed telecommunication facilities, establishment of state-of-the-art Customer Service Centres in the Central, Nekrasovsky, Petrogradsky, Vyborgsky and Moskovsky Districts of St Petersburg, construction of the Svyazist sports and health complex in the Leningrad Region, which is one of the most advanced complexes of this kind in the North-West of Russia.

In the run up to the 300 anniversary of St Petersburg, Grigory Chernyak was appointed chairman of the Russian Foundation of the History of Telecommunications and upon request of the RF Government supervised the project to re-establish the A.S. Popov Central Museum of Telecommunications, which consequently became one of the best industrial museums with unique exhibits and interiors. He also took part in the reconstruction of the St Petersburg Central Post Office.

For the re-establishment of the A.S. Popov Central Museum of Telecommunications, in 2003 the Plenipotentiary Representative of the RF President in the North-West Federal District awarded Grigory Chernyak with the Certificate of Merit "For Active Participation in the Organisation of Events to Celebrate the 300 Anniversary of St Petersburg" and the Medal "To Commemorate the 300 Anniversary of St Petersburg". In addition, Grigory Chernyak is a winner of the St Petersburg Government Award for Literature, Arts and Architecture for his development of the concept, exhibition design, and the first-stage implementation programme for the A.S. Popov Central Museum of Telecommunications.

Since 2002 Grigory Chernyak has been Deputy General Director for Property Management of OJSC North West Telecom. In that capacity, he supervised the establishment of an effective system of operation for the Company's property in the entire North-West Federal District.

By a personal commission of L.D. Reiman, RF Minister of Communications and Informatisation, Grigory Chernyak is a member of the Board of Directors of OOO IT Park Managing Company and a member of the Guardian Council of the Bonch-Bruyevich St Petersburg State University of Telecommunications. In October 2006 he was elected President of the Board of the Non-Commercial Partnership Russian Telecommunication Workers Club. Currently he is supervising the reconstruction of a building of the Bonch-Bruyevich St Petersburg State University of Telecommunications at 22 Bolshevikov Prospect.

In April 2000, Grigory Chernyak was awarded the title of "Master of Telecommunications". In November 2001 he received the Acknowledgement of the RF Minister of Communications and Informatisation for his achievements in the implementation of the regional telecommunication development programmes, provision of social security and the many years of conscientious service. For his significant contributions to the establishment and development of the Company, on many occasions Grigory Chernyak has been rewarded by the administration of OJSC North West Telecom; he has received Honorary Certificates from other St Petersburg organisations and holds the rank of the Veteran of Labour. He has been awarded with Honorary Certificates of: the Federation of Trade Unions of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region for his rescue and financial support of the Svyazist children's health camp; the Central Committee of the Trade Union of RF Telecommunication Workers for the development of the social platform of the telecommunication network of St Petersburg; the St Petersburg Committee for Physical Culture and Sport for a significant contribution to the development of physical culture in St Petersburg.

Grigory Chernyak enjoys a fully deserved respect of his colleagues. He is known for his great professional qualities, competence, attention to others, optimism, commitment, open-mindedness, and the ability to lead.