OAO LUKOIL management and all employees of the Company would like to extend their heartfelt condolences to the family of Oleg Emelyanovich Kutafin, who passed away on December 4, 2008.

Mr. Kutafin who was President of theMoscow State Law Academy, a PhD in Law, and a Professor, became member of the OAO LUKOIL Board of Directors in 2001 and of the Audit Committee in 2003.

‘As an independent member of the Board of Directors Oleg Kutafin made a significant contribution to a better corporate governance system; his profound legal experience and extensive knowledge provided invaluable support to our Company’s development. His participation in the law-making process and improvement of the law system deserved high appraisal – he was awarded the orders ‘For Service to Russia’ of all four grades. The memory about this distinguished man, patriot of his country and advocate of justice will forever remain in the hearts of those who were lucky to have met him’, Vagit Alekperov, President of OAO LUKOIL, said.

Îleg Kutafin was born on June 26, 1937, in the village of Baksha, Savransky District, Odessa Region. In 1959 he graduated with honors from Lomonosov State Moscow University, Faculty of Law. In 1989 he became Head of the Chair of the Russian Constitutional and Municipal Law, the Moscow State Law Academy. He published over 300 scientific works, among them 24 monographs. The textbook by Oleg Kutafin entitled “Constitutional Law of Russia” was awarded the RF President Prize in education in 2002. He served as President of the Moscow State Law Academy for twenty years. Mr. Kutafin was appointed Member of the RF Public Chamber, and Member of the Council under the RF Public Chamber by the RF President's Decree dated September 28, 2007. Mr. Kutafin was Chairman of the Russian Presidential Commission on Nationality, Member of the Council for Science and High Technologies under the RF President. Oleg Kutafin was an Active Member (Academician), Member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician and Secretary of the Department of Social Sciences under the Russian Academy of Sciences, an Honorable Academician of the Russian Academy of Education, a Presidium Member of the Supreme Certifying Commission. Mr. Kutafin directly participated in elaboration of the effective RF Constitution, and acted as leader of the expert group to draft the Federal Law “On the Russian Federation Nationality”.