Bolshoi Theatre

For many years, Volnoe Delo has provided regular support to the Bolshoi Theatre, financing production of new plays, including "La Sylphide", "Flame of Paris" and "Paquita", "Carmen", "The Legend of the City of Kitezh" and "Wozzeck". The Foundation also sponsored the Theatre’s foreign tours to the UK and France. The Foundation supported the Bolshoi’s creation of a catalogue and the digitization of the Theatre’s music library. As a result, electronic catalogue and bibliographic list of notes were created, valuable and rare notes were revealed, music archives and personal collections were compiled and recreated, file storage conditions were improved and restoration works were carried out.

Volnoe Delo has invested about $1.25 mln in projects with the Bolshoi Theatre.

“The Hermitage – to Siberia” and “The Hermitage – to south Russia”

The Foundation has led efforts to make the masterpieces of one of the major museums of the world available to the residents of the Russian regions.

"The World of Heroes. Myth and Reality" exhibition, gathered from the Hermitage collection of samples of ancient and Western culture, was held in Krasnodar, Stavropol and Rostov regions in 2005-2006. The exhibition represented more than 100 exhibits, including ancient Greek amphoras, marble and bronze sculptures, rare tapestries, masterpieces of applied art, and the works of European masters.  

The project "Support to young musicians" with the Fund "Russian Performing Art"

For the past five years the Foundation has supported the Russian Performing Arts project aimed at assisting young musicians. Festivals, concerts and competitions were held with the help of the Foundation with the total investment in the project coming to more than $1.5 mln.

The Russian Performing Art fund was created in 2002 following the initiative of well-known Russian musicians, artists and business leaders to preserve and develop the traditions of performing arts. The Board of Trustees of the fund includes such world-famous musicians and artists as Valentin Berlin, Tigran Alihanov, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Bashmet, Natalia Shahovskaya and Michael Shvydkoi.

With the support of "Volnoe Delo" Oleg Deripaska Foundation the following events took place:

• The 60th anniversary of the Borodin State Quartet
• The first intercollegiate Moscow Violin Competition, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Aram Khachaturian
• The International competition of D. Shostakovich quartets
• The annual gala concerts of bursars, laureates of the prize of the Fund "The New Age of Russian performing arts"
• Festival of the 90th anniversary of E. Gilelsa with V. Spivakov, V.Afanaseva, the "Moscow Virtuoso" orchestra, etc.
• The international music festival "Nansifoniya", "La Pre" (France)
• The international festival "Jurmala-classic" of 2007 and 2008
• The cultural program of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2008

Retraining of Petty officers

Between 2006 and 2011 the Foundation in cooperation with the Administration of Krasnodar Region and the Ministry of Defense financed a programme to retrain petty officers. During that time, nearly 200 officers underwent a program of social adaptation and retraining on civil professions.

The training was conducted by leading professors and teachers of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia and the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, in collaboration with the Kuban State University of Technology and Krasnodar Centre of Scientific and Technical Information.

Professional training was organized in various fields such as the "State and Municipal Management", "Real Estate Appraisal", "Economy and Management in field of agro-industrial complex" and "Modern management methods and technologies."

The development of health infrastructure

The Foundation implemented a large-scale project for the development of health infrastructure as a part of its program for regional development. Over the years, the Fund was providing support in the acquisition of equipment, surgical instruments, medical products, as well as carrying out repairs and other works.

Health care facilities, included in the development of health infrastructure include:

• The Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow
• Center for Family Planning and Reproduction, Krasnodar region
• Children's City Filatov Clinical Hospital № 13, Moscow
• Moscow Regional Psychoneurological hospital for children with central nervous system and mental disorders, Moscow
• First City Hospital, Arkhangelsk
• Central City Hospital, Novodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region
• Central District Hospital, Ust-Labinsk, Krasnodar region.
• Krasnodar Regional Clinical Ochapovsky Hospital № 1, Krasnodar
• City Clinical Hospital № 51, Moscow

One of the most successful examples of the activity of the foundation is the Central District Hospital of the Ust-Labinskiy area where the Fund implemented the following work:

• Reconstruction of the diagnostic laboratory, which allows the use of modern equipment, medicines and qualified personnel to achieve about 600 complex analyses per day with the instant results.
• Installation of a ventilator and an ultrasound machine, as well as the acquisition of a reanimation complex, 8 ambulances, reanimobile and hospital bus
• Introduction of an integrated informational system for personalized patient records
• Equipment for mobile fluorography and gynecological wards
• Restoration of 8 obstetric points and three well-equipped outpatient wards with skilled medical personnel, which solves the problem of providing immediate medical assistance to residents of villages and hamlets

The "Healthy mother - healthy child"

The Foundation implemented a special program to minimize the level of infant and maternal mortality in the Ust-Labinskiy district of Krasnodar region, which, in the early 2000s, had increased. During the three years of the program "Healthy mother - healthy child" infant mortality was reduced by more than half. Since 2006 there hasn’t been a single case of maternal mortality.

The results of the program:

• 360 children received expert advice from the Pediatrics Research Institute of Medical Sciences and then, if necessary, were sent to Moscow for treatment
• The equipment for intensive therapy chambers, wards for children's physical therapy, for children’s reanimation wards, outpatients and FAP were installed
• 50 pediatricians and maternity ward personnel have been retrained in the Research Institute of Pediatrics of RAMS so that doctors in Ust-Labinsk can receive practical and methodological assistance

District Program to fight against the tuberculosis

The Foundation further implemented a special program called “fight against the tuberculosis” in the Ust-Labinskiy region of Krasnodar area when, in early 2004, the number of sick residents, including children, in the province was well above average and this disease became one of the major health problems in the district. The project resulted in increased detection rates of tuberculosis in the early stages. Since then the overall sickness rates have declined.

In particular the Fund implemented the following initiatives:

• Organization of regular x-ray screenings on modern digital mobile fluorography
• Reconstructing and providing equipment for specialized kindergartens for TB-infected infants and children with impaired health
• Providing the region with ​​modern anti-TB medicines
• Medical personnel training assistance
• Overhaul and reconstruction of the Tenghinskiy TB hospital

Kuban Sports

For many years the Foundation has been implementing a program to develop sports infrastructure in Kuban.

With the financial support of the Krasnodar territory 14 multipurpose stadiums were built, these included football pitches with artificial professional covering, volleyball and basketball courts, racetracks, streetball courts, as well as seating for spectators.

In 2005, the Ust-Labinsk central Kuban stadium was renovated. New football, basketball and volleyball fields and tennis courts with artificial surfaces were created.

The overhaul of the largest Ust-Labinsk district sports complex, "Torch", was completed in 2006.

Reconstruction of the Library of the Physics Faculty of the Lomonosov Moscow State University

For many years the Foundation has been providing comprehensive support to Moscow State University. As a part of this collaboration a project of creating a library for the 21st century on the basis of the Physics Faculty of Moscow State University was established.

The library and information services centre meets all modern engineering and technical requirements. Financing for the project amounted to about $1 mln. The total reconstructed area extended to more than 1500 m².

Restoration of historical monuments and museums

For many years the Foundation supported the archaeological expedition in the fortress Por-Bazhyn which was founded in 8th century BC. The Foundation was also involved in the restoration of an ancient monastery Ustuu-Khuree in the Republic of Tuva. The Fund also provided resources to support the remodeling of "Alexander's fortress", founded in 1778 by the Great Russian commander Alexander Suvorov during the creation of a fortification system in Kuban. The history of the Ust-Labinsk city began with this fortress.

The archaeological expedition to the ruins of the ancient Uygursk fortress Port-Bazhyn in the republic of Tuva is a research project, in which more than a hundred of scientists of different specialties, 600 Russian students and dozens of people interested in the history of the region took part.

Port-Bazhyn is an ancient fortress; the ruins of which are still preserved on an island in the middle of Tere-Khol Lake in the Republic of Tuva. Por-Bazhyn is considered one of the most mysterious archaeological sites in Russia. There is still no clarity about the purpose of such a large structure on a remote island.

The Buddhist monastery Ustuu-Khuree is one of the major historical sites in Siberia. In 1937, the monastery, like many other religious structures, was destroyed and the Buddhist lamas were repressed. In 1984, the temple acquired the status of an architectural monument of national importance and was placed under state protection. The unique monument of Buddhist architecture has been completely renovated and began to take in parishioners in the summer of 2012.

Renovation and construction of temples

Since it was founded the foundation has actively engaged in projects to restore the traditions of spiritual culture. In 1994, it was involved in the construction of the cathedral in Abakan in Khakassia. Since then the fund has participated in the construction and rehabilitation of about 170 churches, Orthodox schools and shelters.

Foundation's investments in the implementation of this program between 2004 and 2011 amounted to more than $12.5 mln.

In addition to supporting the construction of new churches, restoration and regeneration of destroyed churches and monasteries, helping the poor, large families, children and the disabled and building shelters for the homeless and orphanages, the fund has provided support to many well-known Orthodox shrines, including:

• The restoration of the Svyato-Troitsky Zosim-Savvat Cathedral and the Temple of Metropolitan Philip of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Stavropegial Solovetsky monastery
• The construction of the Temple of the Dormition, Beijing (in the Embassy of the Russian Federation)
• The construction of the Armenian Apostolic Church “Surb Grigor Lusavorich”, Rostov-on-Don
• The reconstruction of the Svyato-Troitsky Serafimo-Diveevsky monastery
• Construction of St Nicholas Church, Nizhny Novgorod
• Reconstruction of the terminal to the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mount Athos, Greece
• Reconstruction of the Sretensky monastery and the Donskoi monastery, Moscow
• Restoration of the St. Catherine Cathedral, reconstruction and equipping of the building of the Sunday school at the Cathedral, Krasnodar
• Construction of St Nicholas Church Sunday school, settlement Divinity, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the Svyato-Pokrovskiy Temple, Krasnodar
• Construction of the Temple of the icon of the Mother of God, "Prosperess of Loaves", Krasnodar
• Restoration of the Church of the Ascension, Pashkovskaya st., Krasnodar territory
• Construction of a Temple and a shelter for 40 girls and a female monastery in honor of the icon of the mother of God “Unbreakable wall” Apsheronsk
• Construction of the Holy Trinity Church, Goryachiy Klyuch
• Construction of the Trekhsvyatitelskiy Temple, Umanskaya st, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the Church of the Mother’s Nativity, Chelbasskaya st, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the chapel and restoration of the St Nicholas Temple, Novoderevyankovskaya st, Krasnodar territory
• Reconstruction of the Holy Ascension Temple, Staroderevjankovsky st., Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the Holy Dormition Church, Pavlovskaya st, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel, Novomyshastovskaja st., Krasnodar territory
• Reconstruction of the Sunday school building and the library of the Svyato-Pokrovskiy Temple, Kanevskaya st., Krasnodar territory
• Reconstruction of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Temple and Sunday school building, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the Church of St. John of Kronstadt, Novoselovka, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the Temple of the Resurrection of Christ, Zhelezniy, Krasnodar territory
• Construction of the White-stone St. Vladimir Temple, Oktyabrsky, Krasnodar region (built on the grounds of the Temple of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Vladimir region (Mother's Protection on the Nerl)

Innovation for preschoolers

In 2009 the Foundation built and opened an innovative kindergarten "Birch" on Razdolnaya station, Krasnodar region.

A new kindergarten was built for 120 children. It meets all modern health and safety requirements and space for educational games for pre-school children. The total building area is ​​3,800 sq.m. There are eight rooms, adapted for different age groups, including a conservatory, as well as rooms with computer equipment.

Tutors completed training based on modern methods of upbringing and education under the patronage of the Russian Foundation for the Development of Education "Community" (St. Petersburg), acquainting them with innovative approaches to the organisation of the developing environment for preschoolers, with methods of evaluation of preschool education quality. The results of the pilot project of the Birch kindergarten could be replicated in all regions of Russia.

The project was implemented with the participation of the Administration of the Krasnodar and Korenovsk regions.

"Computers for pupils" in Krasnodar region

Information and computer technology (ICT) offers unlimited possibilities in the education system, while also solving the problem of distance learning, not only for remote regions of Russia or those who attend small rural schools, but also for children with disabilities who are unable to attend school.

In recent years, the world has actively discussed the idea of ​​a low-cost laptop available to the education system which would be given to each child as a textbook. In November 2007, the Foundation launched a project on the usage of personal computers in the learning process. Krasnodar was selected as a pilot. 95 schools in five districts of the territory have been equipped with mobile computer classrooms.

As a result of the involvement of the Foundation, 20,000 primary school pupils in the Krasnodar region have received personal netbooks with licensed software, 690 primary school teachers received the standard modern notebooks. Mobile computer equipment, connected to a single local area network in the classroom provides the possibility of interaction between teacher and each student in the class according to the principle "one computer - one student".

The project has considerably changed the quality of education at schools. During the period of the programme, 690 primary school teachers and 95 teachers of Informatics passed an integrated course on ICT usage and applied their knowledge successfully. The programme has proven its relevance based on its achievements in the Krasnodar territory, and spread subsequently to 355 schools in 12 regions of the country.

The programme supports the “Public Foundation for Assistance to National medicine”. From 2001 to 2009 Volnoe Delo carried out a joint programme with the Regional Public Foundation for Assistance to National medicine. The aim of this collaboration was to improve the conditions of young scientists working in the field of medical and allied sciences, to maintain the scientific potential of Russia.

The program of support to the “Public Foundation for Assistance to National medicine”

From 2001 to 2009 "Volnoe delo" carried out a joint program with the Regional Public Foundation for Assistance to National medicine. The aim of this collaboration was to improve the material conditions of young scientists working in the field of medical and allied sciences, to maintain the scientific potential of Russia.

Alongside financing a number of studies, the program gave monthly grants to scientists. The Competition Commission was specifically created by the “Volnoe Delo" Oleg Deripaska Foundation to review applications and select candidates for the grant program. The monthly project awarded about 100 candidates of sciences and about 100 Doctors of Science.