Russian healer heals prostatitis, impotence, adenoma

Big Opportunities for Light Aviation

Pyatigorsk inventor and aircraft builder Alexander Begak has unveiled
a new version of his “begalot” (similar to a microlight)- Stalker 1. Its range of roles is extremely wide- from cropdusting to use as personal transport.
Super-light aviation has become the Pyatigorsk man’s life. He calls the flying machines he has developed in his laboratory
of innovation “begalots”, from his name and the Russian for “run”,
begat, combined with samolot, “aeroplane”, and he works tirelessly
to perfect them. Begak’s grand total already stands at twenty
models, but the most recent, Stalker-1, is fundamentally different
from all its predecessors. The soft canopy wings have been
replaced by rigid wings which can be folded compactly alongside
the fuselage as required.
The new undercarriage permits take-off and landing on short
strips. Maximum speed in flight is 250km/h. Fuel consumption
is 5 litres per hour. Stalker-1’s unrefuelled range is 1200km. The
miniature aircraft’s cost is 750,000 roubles.
It is intended to put the begalot into full production. In the
hope of attractng capital the project was presented to investors
at the most recent investment forum in Sochi, where it aroused
great interest. Under consideration now is organising a hightechnology aviation technology park in Pyatigorsk, complete with an aerocomplex and nano-aerodrome for designing and testing
new innovations in the field of light aviation.

Nikolai Rastorguev A Chance to Live Life to the Full

The modernisation of Stavropol’s healthcare is going full steam ahead,
and with the help of no less than the deputies elected to the Russian
Parliament from the Krai. One of them, People’s Artist of the Russian
Federation (and leader of the group Lubeh) Nikolai Rastorguev, delivered
two brand-new imported “artificial kidney” machines to Stavropol.
The latest-generation equipment, which places dialysis procedures
under fully-computerised control, has been installed in the Krai Children’s Hospital. Young patients in the nephrological department with kidney deficiencies have already been treated with the two haemodialysis machines. Now the children receive timely treatment without the need to join a waiting list. The shift to European standards will increase the effectiveness of therapy, reduce the risk of complications and make it possible to improve the children’s quality of life.
The centre is fully-staffed with all necessary personnel, who are  qualified at the highest level. Provision has been made in the  Stavropol Krai budget for the children to receive treatment free of charge.
“New dialysis centres are vital in our country,” noted Nikolai Rastorguev. “It’s good that such a centre, with modern equipment, which helps children live, exists in Stavropol. It’s a great pity that they’ve fallen into such a difficult situation at such a tender age, but it is important to think positively. There is no need to think about the disease under any circumstances; you need to just live, undergo the required procedures and have faith that when the main thing- a kidney transplant- happens, everything will turn out for the best.

Safari on the stavropol Balaton

Goudilo, named after the eponymous lake, will be able to accept thousands of tourists under the first phase of a long-term project. Creating an ecopark in the lakeside area was one of the priority tourism projects put forward by Stavropol Region at the Sochi-2009 International Investment Forum. At that time the cost of the future complex was given an initial estimate of 280 million roubles, but interest in the project has continued to grow. Experts assure us that the Manych-Gudilo nature park will shortly become not only a mecca for tourists from Russia and abroad, but also become one of the most dynamic economic zones in the region. It promises considerable dividends to all stakeholders.
To tell the truth, tourists, touring hunters and fishermen
have long been enamoured of these beautiful places for entertainment
and outdoor pursuits. Not for nothing  do they say that once you’ve visited  Manych, you will return here time after time. And though, as they say, Man has not set foot here, the breath of pristine nature can be
felt everywhere in the water.
Manych Goudilo is a relic, the remainder of a huge lake which joined the Caspian and Black Seas in prehistoric times. The approximate
area of the lake, which does vary, is 344 sq. km, but the average depth is all of 60 centimetres.
The shallow water attracts hundreds of bird species – the migratory routes of millions of birds pass overhead, and many rare species form large breeding settlements.
For this reason the lake and the surrounding area attract numerous foreign and domestic guests, from wildlife enthusiasts to scientists with worldwide reputations.
This interest is growing steadily year on year. Photohunting, safaris, fishing, scientific observation, and simply relaxation in an extraordinarily beautiful natural setting are enjoying unprecedented demand. However, the level of service has until recently not merely failed to keep up with the development of tourism but actually, more truthfully, been non-existent. In recent years, many corporations and individual businessmen have attempted to organize tourist activities an d make a reasonable (albeit seasonal) income, but it is only since the Government of Stavropol Region identified the development of the nature complex as one of its priorities that investors have actually had the opportunity to realise the idea of a year-round business based on ecotourism in Stavropol’s own Balaton.
Comparisons with the Hungarian lake, one of the natural pearls
of Europe, are unavaoidable. The singular beauty, shallow depth
and even the shape of Balaton are reminiscent of Stavropol’s lake.
Both jewels of nature are blessed with excellent fishing. That said, hunting is forbidden in the Hungarian resort, whereas at Manych it will continue in regulated form. In the field of services offered, the Hungarians, with all due respect, will soon also have to give up their crown. The park’s guests will be offered an array of activities to suit any taste- ecological, health, hunting, fishing, extreme, equestrian, cultural-historical, agricultural, event and even aviation
activities. The Stavropol complex already has a solid fleet of
microlights and light aircraft used for fascinating excursions, and their number will undoubtedly increase.
As in landlocked Hungary, such a vast expanse of water is of
strategic importance. Manych-Goudilo itself may not boast the
mineral springs that have brought the Balaton resort global renown, but it is worth casting your eye a little further south on the map of Stavropol Region, for there lie the famous resorts of Kavkazkie Mineralnye Vody (Caucasus Mineral Waters) with their
renowned brand names of Narzan, Yessentuki, Slavyanovskaya,
Novoterskaya Tselebnaya and more.
The most striking similarity is the abovementioned abundance
of rare birds, but here Manych wins the competition by a head.
Its 300 species, many of which are on the national endangered
list (the “Red Book”), are an absolute find for specialists and enthusiasts.
A new pastime has been quickly gaining ground in Russia over the past decade. The noble and fascinating art of birdwatching has millions of adherents all over the world and continues to gather momentum. Quite a few famous people can be found
in the ranks of birdwatchers- Prince Charles, Al Gore and Bill
Gates to name but a few. Millions of them are prepared to travel
quite literally to the ends of the Earth should a rare species appear there. In one well-known case the Great Spotted Woodpecker,
commonplace in Eurasia, was spotted in Alaska and sparked a
hitherto unimaginable ornithological pilgrimage to the state’s
largest city, Anchorage. The property where the bird had set up
home ended up playing host to thousands of American and foreign
birdwatchers.
The hobby has long had a commercial footing in the outside
world. For instance, in Europe there are hundreds of firms specialising in birdwatching tours. Many previously forgotten
corners of the planet have become centres of ornithological
tourism. Specialists estimate that the average American
birdwatcher spends $5000 per year on his hobby, and this promising area of tourism makes an annual contribution to the US economy of around $100 billion.
Food for thought for anyone considering investing in Manych.
After all, it is soon due to see numerous hotels and restaurants,
campsites, health complexes, car parks and service stations, souvenir shops, and the essential infrastructure for tourism. Of course, that is not an exhaustive list of possible investments. There are opportunities aplenty, and potential investors are welcome to contact the Ministry of Economic Development in Stavropol Region.
Lest we forget the benevolent main aim of the project, an investment in the ecopark is more than an obvious opportunity to turn a profit. It is an investment in the preservation of the lake and surrounding area’s irreplaceable biodiversity. Manych-Goudilo is the only project in Russia which allows visitors to observe and study steppe wildlife in its natural habitat. Stavropol Region Government’s
project allows for a raft of environmental and biotechnical
protection measures. First and foremost, that means defending
wildlife and its habitat, undertaking work to optimise the interaction between park guests and living nature, building special viewing platforms and hides for photographing birds and animals, and laying vehicle and foot paths.
Today it is possible to state with certainty that, with with help
of the Stavropol authorities and business community, investors,
scientists and specialist ecologists, an essentially newly-reopened tourist attraction will appear. There is every chance of it ranking
alongside such famous natural monuments as Lake Baikal and the
Kamchatka Peninsula, and it will enable us to develop ecotourism
while preserving our country’s golden environmental inheritance.

Ministry Of Industry To Introduce Kaizen System

From 2012 the kaizen philosophy will be implemented in Stavropol
Krai. For over 50 years the Japanese lean manufacturing system has
kept a focus on continual improvements in production, research and
management. From the shop floor to the boardroom, kaizen keeps
waste to an absolute minimum.
Modernisation in Stavropol has always meant new
technology and equipment, but experience has shown that raising
productivity, reducing the time used by the production cycle,
improving quality, freeing up space and reducing breakdowns
fundamentally improve companies’ finances and make them
more competitive in the marketplace. In a nutshell, modernisation
means the ideology of «new» management.

In the words of Dmitriy Samatov, the Krai’s Minister of Industry,
Energy and Transport, that is what kaizen will bring. «Experience
has shown that lean technology is one of the most effective methods
and brings the fastest results. Lean manufacturing encourages constant
improvements in product development and client and supplier
relationships. Goods are made precisely to customers’ requirements,
and suffer many fewer defects than those made under the old system.
Labour costs, space, capital and time are all saved», he says.
Companies already using lean manufacturing in Russia include
RUSAL, VSMPO-Avisma, OAO Sollers (owners of UAZ and
ZMZ), KamAZ and Sberbank. Energomera introduced Stavropol
Krai to lean manufacturing in the year 2000.
«We are now taking our first steps, and in 2012 we will launch a
programme to introduce lean manufacturing in the Krai. This will
include training to acquaint civil servants with kaizen», says Samatov.
«I believe that it will exponentially increase the economic effectiveness
of the capabilities that we currently possess. By changing
the leaders’ ideology we will ultimately change the whole production
chain, reducing blockages and raising profits. By March next year
we will have defined which firms will be taking part in the pilot
programme».
The many facets of lean manufacturing include both ab-initio
staff training and further career courses, thus changing ways of
thinking and approaches to work.
One glittering example of lean manufacturing is OAO KamAZ,
whose introduction of the philosophy in 2006 has brought results
estimated at 16bn roubles. Spring 2012 will see the formation of
a working group composed of regional business leaders. Its task
will be to visit and learn from those factories in Russia where kaizen
is in use.

A New Viewpoint

The 5th convocation of the Stavropol Krai Duma has started work under
a new leader, Yuri Beliy, a former deputy government chairman.
Does life in the Krai look different from the Speaker’s chair? Has he
inherited anything from his predecessors? What does the new Duma
plan to add to the Krai’s legislation? We spoke with him about this
and more.
Yuri Vasilyevich, you had long experience of executive authority.
How much has taking over the Krai’s legislature changed your views
on the political and socio-economic situation?
I haven’t noticed a big change, but I can certainly say that a parliamentary
deputy is more of a politician than even the First Deputy
Chairman. I know that we would need several annual budgets to
cover all the counties’ problems, but now I cannot cite a lack of
funds as an excuse. I owe it to those who voted for me to attend
to both Krai-wide issues and the concrete problems that they
send my way. Becoming a parliamentary deputy has changed my
viewpoint. Over the course of the election campaign I met 25,000
voters. What are their peeves? Roads, lighting, gas, water. Taking
action means finding funding, perhaps by qualifying for a Krai
or federal programme, and that will require the local authorities
to prepare the paperwork and find funds for co-finance. For that
reason at meetings I always say that we will work together. We are
all public servants, so we should work for the community.
Does the long-standing rivalry between the executive and legislative
branches still exist, and does it interfere with work?
Deputies are more aware of the ebb and flow of public opinion,
while the executive deals with the big picture, but Stavropol’s
well-being is the aim of both. If debate helps us find solutions
then I am all for it – the Duma is a place of discussion. But without
a tangible result we become populists and demagogues. I believe
that the issues should be thrashed out at committee level so
that fully-refined plans can be put forward to the full Duma. With
all the documents coming in from the government and the prosecutor,
the Duma really is becoming a place of serious discussion,
and in order for our work to be effective we need to be able to
listen to each other.
What do you think of the work the previous convocation has bequeathed
you? What was its greatest achievement?
Over the past 18 years our forebears have laid the legislative
foundations and set about creating resilient economic, social and
political growth. A strong system of land rights has been put in
place, which is important in a Krai with 6.5m hectares of arable
land and 4m of pasture. The future has surprises in store, but we
have been left a secure base from which to move forward.
You must have crossed paths with many of the deputies before, and over
the past 3 months you must have formed an impression of the rest…
Yes, I’ve known most for a long time. They are experienced, capable,
wide and professional. I’m also glad that we have new blood.
In sum we receive both a measured approach and a modern take
on the issues.
What has the 5th convocation of the Duma started work on?
The 2012 budget was a very important document and, despite
the tight timescale, it was examined very carefully. Over 80% of
spending is concerned with improving standards of living. To
take an example, expenditure on accommodation for orphans
has doubled, state salaries are up and concessions are to become
index-linked. Money is going to refurbish cultural centres and
children’s homes, to health and to housing for rural teachers.
There is a body of opinion which holds that we should spend more
on developing the economy in order to be able to afford all this social
spending.
This the eternal Scylla and Charybdis of issues, but I wouldn’t
say that we aren’t investing in the economy. The sums we put in
are not huge, but they attract funding from elsewhere. In agriculture
our participation in federal programmes brings us 3 roubles
of extra money for every one of our own. We put a lot towards
subsidising interest payments and supporting investment. More
investment means higher tax revenues. Small businesses employ
a third of the population. When we proposed reducing taxes
for these firms people asked, “Where will the budget be funded
from?” but when our infant small businesses are standing on
their own feet the budget will be much better off.
You have proposed setting up a committee on ethic relations Why is
it needed, and what hopes will be placed in it?
The Krai has always been a magnet for all the mountain republics,
and it is no secret that the fact that it is one of the few regions
where the population is increasing is largely down to migration.
When new arrivals misbehave it causes resentment. I hope the
committee will help us keep the peace in Stavropol.
What are the Duma’s priorities for the forthcoming year?
Helping the poor. Increasing business activity, investment and the
use of innovative technology. Building industrial parks. Continuing
the replacement of agricultural vehicles. Helping pedigree
animal breeding and seed development. A law designed to rectify
the problems with bread – our flour is in demand the world over,
yet bread in the Krai is increasingly poor. We want to level the
playing field for all bakeries. And some areas of the Krai see no
more rain than the desert, so we are working building new irrigation
systems.
What aims do you have for yourself and the deputies as a corps for
the 5-year convocation?
Simple ones: to improve standards of living in the Krai and facilitate
its lasting development. I would like the next convocation to
value our work as highly as we value that of our own predecessors,
and I would like every resident of the Krai to feel the benefit.