Andrey Yakunin

Apr 4

A Tale of Two Cities

Last year the completion of the Four Seasons Lion Palace in St Petersburg was a sweet victory for me. As a St Petersburg native, I was pleased we were able to pip to the post the opening of the Moscow project committed to bringing the Four Seasons experience to Russia. It is ever more apparent that the age old contest between Moscow and St Petersburg is raising its head. According to an article in the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Russia’s old capital St Petersburg, is once again back in the running as its economic, social and intellectual capacity goes from strength to strength. continue reading

Apr 2

“RPT-Fitch: Austrian Banks are Most Exposed to Russian Risk”

The recently published Fitch ratings highlight the exposure of European banks to events in Ukraine. According to the Bank of International Settlements, foreign banks are currently investing a total of USD242 billion in Russia; 76% of this investment is from European banks, with only 16% from American banks, and 7% from Asian banks.

Mar 14

World Reputation Rankings 2014

Last week Times Higher Education (THE) released the results of the latest higher education league table: the World Reputation Ranking. This year Moscow’s Lomonosov University is placed just outside the top 50, having been positioned 50th in 2013. Though this doesn’t sound particularly impressive to anyone who knows the history and prestige of Russia’s principal institute, I am pleasantly surprised to see such a result when THE’s World University Ranking continually ranks Lomonosov well outside the top 200.

Mar 11

1 Comment

Russian Retail Chain achieves London IPO

Last Wednesday the Russian food retailer Lenta started trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. This was the first time in over a year that a Russian organisation has been listed in the UK. Despite ongoing events in Ukraine and a falling rouble, the hypermarket giant raised $952 million through offering global depository receipts, equating to a 22.1% stake in the company.

Feb 28

Sochi Hotels: The power of the brand

No occurrence is sole and solitary,

but is merely a repetition of a thing

which has happened before,

and perhaps often.

Mark Twain

Have you ever wondered when reading the latest news headlines how “old”, if not ancient, the stories are? One of the recurring headlines that accompanies almost every major international sporting event is the readiness of the host city. continue reading

Feb 27

The Success of the ‘Emerging Sports’: in the economy and on the Sochi slopes

You will not grasp her with your mind

Or cover with a common label,

For Russia is one of a kind —

Believe in her, if you are able…

Fyodor Tyutchev[i]

It has only been a fortnight since the Sochi Olympics kicked off with an intriguing opening ceremony that will go down in history, not only for its sense of style and obvious pride for the host country, but also for a technical glitch that left the iconic Olympic symbol with one ring short. I was positively surprised how the organizers were able to adapt the closing ceremony’s script to reflect on this technical malfunction during the opening ceremony. continue reading

Feb 21

Vanity Fair March 2014

I was very pleased to discover Victoria Mather – an infamously discerning travel writer – gave a glowing report of the Four Seasons St Petersburg in this month’s issue of Vanity Fair. Mather alludes to the difficulties of working and attaining quality service in Russia, and especially in the “notoriously difficult St Petersburg”.

Feb 20

Elbrus Capital raises $550mln for new PE fund

Another company competing for investments in Russia, Elbrus Capital, announced last week it has been successful in raising $550 million for one of its funds. This fund in fact exceeded its initial target by 10%. With current market speculation, this successful completion in fundraising illustrates investors continue to have confidence in the opportunities in Russia and the CIS.

Feb 17

A Multilingual Britain: to ‘seal tomorrow’s business deals’

Nelson Mandela once said: ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.’ I couldn’t agree more: learning a foreign language is a tool to understanding a county’s people and their mentality. It is the key to unlocking new cultures, markets and business partners.

Feb 14

Davos delegates reveal the secret of making money in Russia

The World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos is where the financial secrets of our age are supposedly both safeguarded and revealed. And the results of this annual event significantly impact global investor decisions. This year, to my delight, an important tactic was disclosed: how it is possible to double or triple your money by investing in Russia at a reasonably low risk. continue reading