UST, group

History

2019: Sale of 100% of stocks of First OFD to VTB Group

The VTB Group announced on August 7, 2019 acquisition of 100% of stocks of the operator of fiscal data of Pervy OFD (JSC ESK) at the UST group. For August, 2019 First OFD services about 400 thousand cash desks and enters into the three of the largest fiscal data operators of the country from market shares of 16%. Read more here.

2017: Purchase of RBC holding

On June 16, 2017 UST was announced purchase of control in RBC company at ONEKSIMAMIKHAILA by Prokhorova.

2007: Acquisition of ID Komsomolskaya Pravda

As of 2007 the company specializes in investments into power, crisis and strategic management. At this time the company owns shares in "ENEL of UST of Energo", the managing director of Northwest combined heat and power plant, Rusenergosbyt company, the oil station Uyar. The chairman of the board of directors of group Grigory Berezkin is the board member of RAO UES. The Forbs magazine estimated its fortune in $830 million.

At the beginning of 2007 became UST the owner of ID Komsomolskaya Pravda. In UST claim that media — one of the priority directions of business development.

"Acquisition of KP — a new stage in development of Media Partner holding, it considerably will increase its capitalization", said in the statement of UST.

Transaction amount of the party was not disclosed. According to Kommersant, Gazprom Media reached the agreement with ProfMedia upon the price of $100 million for 60% of publishing house. However experts consider that ID Komsomolskaya Pravda is much more expensive. The co-owner of ID Popular press Vadim Goryainov estimates all ID of KP not less than at $200 million: "And when preserving of the existing management its cost for several years can grow to $1 billion".

At this time ID Komsomolskaya Pravda issues the Komsomolskaya Pravda, Sovetsky Sport and Express-gazetu newspapers. Capital asset of ID — the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper with the biggest circulation among national Russian newspapers — 30 million copies a month. Its turnover for 2006 made, according to own data, $130 million.

Market participants note that Komsomolskaya Pravda is incomparable by the amount of business to already existing assets of UST, and believe that this acquisition has political character. "Komsomolskaya Pravda is very good direction of investments, this is the unambiguous market leader whose share constantly grows — mister Goryainov noted. — But, unfortunately, nobody considers it as business but only as a political asset. And it is logical — whenever possible political influence it is comparable to Channel One".

In this case Grigory Berezkin's interest in media industry matched the interests of the Kremlin, the vice president of Guild of publishers of periodicals Marina Pereverzeva believes. "In fact, RZD-Partner already manages media assets of the Russian Railway, and when incorporating state monopoly the UST group, obviously, is going to redeem other media assets of joint stock company (for example, the Gudok newspaper. — Ъ) — she said. — Having integrated audience of Komsomolskaya Pravda and rasprostranitelsky opportunities of the Russian Railway, they will receive one of the largest media holdings".

Madam Pereverzeva reminded that on the World newspaper congress foreign journalists were indignant with the fact of transition of KP under control of Gazprom.

"When formally the most drawing newspaper is purchased by the individual, Russian authorities cannot already be accused of establishment of total control over media" — Marina Pereverzeva summarizes. The chairman of the board of directors of ID of "Ashet Filipaka Shkulev" Victor Shkulev also agrees with it, adding that thus the authorities create the center of concentration of media assets alternative to Gazprom Media under control of the second major state monopoly — JSC RZD. "Grigory Berezkin is close to Yakunin (the head of joint stock company. — Ъ), to it it is entrusted to create the second pole of concentration of media" — mister Shkulev is sure^[1].

2006: Creation of Media Partner holding

In 2006 UST was purchased by ID RZD-Partner owning the magazine of the same name, the Internet portal, Reklamotiv advertizing agency and the Sakvoyazh-SV magazine. These assets were merged in Media Partner holding.

1990: Creation of the company

The UST group is created in 1990.

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