The Board of Directors’ session dated December 17, 2004 assigns Anatoly UFIMKIN as Acting General Director of the company as two-year contract with Vladimir RYBAKIN expires.

Vadim Belov, Chairman at Uralsvyazinform and Deputy General Director at Svyazinvest highly appreciated Mr Rybakin’s work as General Director. "Mr Rybakin is a high class professional. We are thankful to him for his great personal contribution to Uralsvyazinform’s progress. I am confident that Mr Rybakin will do his best as a professional and as a person at a new position."

Vladimir Rybakin noted that he "was happy to lead Uralsvyazinform into its most exciting period – the time of formation and vibrant growth. Looking back at 15 years I worked as the company’s CEO, I realize there is much to be proud of – despite successes and failures, Uralsvyazinform has been rightfully considered one of the leading telecommunication companies in Russia. It is very important that we managed to assemble a team of professionals, who transformed Uralsvyazinform into a proved leader in the industry. Uralsvyazinform still has a tremendous growth potential, which underpins upon the past years of hard work."

Over the last 2 years Uralsvyazinform has worked as inter-regional operator (MRT) in the Urals and Western Siberia, the company showed progress in the following fields:

• Market cap has grown 3 times from US$ 450 mn to US$ 1.5 bn;
• Investments into telecommunications in the Urals and Western Siberia have tripled;
• 500 thous. fixed lines were installed, while total fixed-line subscriber base amounted to 3.4 mn.;
• Mobile subscriber base has multiplied by 4.5, now equaling 2 million;
• The company has been recognized internationally as a reliable issuer and partner, cooperating with major companies throughout the world.

Biographical data
Anatoly Ufimkin is Honoured Telecommunications Worker of RF, full Member of International Telecommunications Academy (ITA).
He was born in 1951 in Kaisarovo, Ulyanovsk region. After his graduation from Kyubyshev Institute of Telecommunications (currently Volga State Academy of Telecommunications and Information Science) in 1973 he worked as workshop engineer at Fotogazeta-2, Chelyabinsk. His further positions include Head of Telegraph Station, Chelyabinsk, and Chief Engineer at Regional Production and Technical Administration for Communications. Since 1993 he worked as General Director at OAO “Svyazinform” of Chelyabinsk region (one of MRT’s merged companies).
In 2002, after the merger of 7 regional operators in the Urals and Western Siberia into joint Uralsvyazinform, Mr Ufimkin was nominated Senior Deputy General Director.
Mr Ufimkin is married, and has two daughters.
He is awarded with 2nd Grade Order “For the Service to the Fatherland”.