Ordinary mortals were led on into temptation in the Patriarch Chamber in the Moscow Kremlin last week. Hardly had the Easter Fast started, than everybody who came to the ceremony of the Person of the Year Award were tempted by alcohol. However, alcohol beverages in an improvised mini-bar were pretty symbolic: French cognac (the symbol of a global character of the event), Soviet Champaign (a tribute of tradition) and Russian vodka (after all the award was national).

The situation in the Patriarch Chamber was also rather democratic than awesome: ordinary journalists sat side by side with prominent people. For example, Senkevich junior, who heads NTV television, sat to the right from me. Arkady Volsky, "father of Russian entrepreneurship" also sat to the right from me but in the row in front of me. Leonid Roshal was right in front of me while Iosif Kobzon had no seat and he stood somewhere behind me.

Of course there were some minor failures; some of the winners did not come to the Kremlin: Alexey Kudrin (Person in politics), Yury Luzhkov (regional leader), Sergey Yastrzhembsky (state management)... Thus, hosts had to make remarks from time to time like "The winner will be later! The winner will not be able to come!" etc.

Iosif Kobzon who was among those who gave awards even narrated a corresponding story from his life:

"Once I was at some boxing championship. A boxer in the red corner was standing waiting for his rival in the blue corner. According to the rules, those who have not appeared must be called one more time, then the bell should sound and the missing boxer is announced defeated. And suddenly amid this dragging silence someone shouted 'He asked to start without him!'"

Vladimir Molchanov who hosted the ceremony just smiled in response and said:

"Taking into account impetuosity of our life, the tradition of a video ceremony is being put into practice".

By this statement he justified to some degree the fact that some of the absent winners were awarded (a diploma and a golden badge with a Caesar profile) beforehand and this was shown on a big screen at the ceremony.

Although the winners were known earlier, some of them pretended that it was a surprise for them. For example, brewer Oleg Tinkov (nomination Production Manager) breathed out just one word addressing the expert council:

"Bold!"

Bolshoi Theater General Director Anatoly Iksanov, the person in culture, made the following statement:

"I did not expect that I would be honored. Usually some actor or famous ballerina (the larger she is, the better) is awarded in the nomination Culture."

Vitaly Ginzburg had some other problem. He did not know where to place the Caesar since there was a badge of a Nobel Prize winner on the lapel of his jacket. Maybe he should wear them in turns?

In this way, with jokes and stories, the awards were given to those whom Mr. Molchanov described as "the heroes of our time". However, even his words that "the award is given for a real contribution not for the position or belonging to state authorities" did not decrease the temperature of the meeting.

When Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin was announced, there was a whisper in the hall: "Here is the new prime minister". When Mr. Iksanov came to the stage he was forecasted to replace Mr. Shvydkoy. Among other bright persons of the year 2003 were Alexey Miller (Gazprom) Valery Okulov (Aeroflot), Ruben Vardanyan (Troika Dialog)... The Grand Prix was given to Russian Central Election Commission Chairman Alexander Veshnyakov, businessman Sergey Maslov and Krasnodar regional governor Alexander Tkachyov.

Alas, Yury Rovensky, the host of the event and the head of RBC, was unnoticed by many guests. Meanwhile, he seemed to be more anxious than anybody else. Standing at the end of the hall he was rubbing his hands: "Will everything be all right?" It was all right.

The direct objectives of the project such as to define persons who were the brightest in 2003 and to attract positive public attention to them have been achieved. The aims of promoting Russia's integration in the world information and economic community, uniting of civil society, businesses and state authorities have been reached too on the whole. Now RBC is preparing for the Person of the Year 2004 Award.

Oleg Roldugin