RBC follows the tradition of awarding the year's most successful companies. The 2005 Company of the Year National Business Award ceremony was held at the end of last year, with 253 of Russia's largest companies representing various business spheres contesting for the right to count themselves among the best.

The annual national Company of the Year award is a unique event for the Russian business community. The top Russian business award is organized by RBC and is held under the patronage of the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Company of the Year is at the same time a chief social event in the business life of the country, and a public function drawing up the year's business results. In the seven years of its existence, the Company of the Year has developed into the most prestigious national business award. If in 1999 the nominees for the title of the best company were vying for 7 categories, this year there were 46 (23 main and 23 special categories).

The award's rules of procedure are very flexible. Owing to this, the organizers can change the number of categories from time to time. To RBC's mind, the Company of the Year should be, first and foremost, a relevant tool by which to assess the potential of companies and the business atmosphere in the country's economic sectors.

Categories change, but the philosophy of the national Company of the Year award remains unchanged from year to year. The award is only attained by the most vivid and dynamic players on the Russian market. It is democratic and unique in that the Company of the Year award is not granted for a company's aggregate merits, but for its achievements only in the previous year. A number of times its distinction has elevated new and vibrant nominees of the Russian economy to business stardom. An expert council decides whom to award. In 2005, it consisted of Galina Volchek, Alexander Venediktov, Vladimir Ginzburg, Mark Zakharov, Alexander Gordeyev, Arkady Dvorkovich, and Andrei Illarionov. The members of the expert council made sure that they singled out and acknowledged those companies that, in fact, form the new look of the Russian business, and are the true representation of the Russian market economy. Meanwhile, it makes no difference if these are fuel-and-energy giants or small companies that provide services to the public.

The gala award ceremony was attended by government officials, CEOs of leading Russian companies, experts, and well-known pubic and political figures. Among those attending were Igor Shuvalov, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Administration, Interros President Vladimir Potanin, Troika-Dialog President Ruben Vardanian, Gazprom Media General Director Nikolai Senkevich, Mikhail Barshchevsky, Governmental Envoy to the Supreme, Constitutional, and Supreme Arbitration Courts, Aeroflot General Director Valery Okulov, and other recognized national businessmen. Among the winners of the 2005 Company of the Year National Business Award were TNK BP Management, SUAL Group, Soyuz-Victan Group, the Main Administration for Services to the Diplomatic Corps of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian Railways, Golden Telecom, Aeroflot-Russian Airlines, TransTeleCom, PIOGLOBAL Asset Management, Euroset, Uralsib Bank, and others.

According to tradition, the ceremony was followed by a gala show featuring famous Russian performers. The evening was concluded with a grand fireworks finale.