A new financial year has started in Russia. There is such a tradition in the West to celebrate a new business season. We marked this occasion Russian-style together with RBC (RosBusinessConsulting): on a large scale, in grand fashion, and with singing and dancing. Anna Astakhova and Alyona Antonova raised their champagne glasses to festive cheer at RBC's reception in Moscow's Gostiny Dvor and observed as guests negotiated projects for the year to come.

Gostiny Dvor suited the occasion perfectly. Around one thousand RBC friends in suit and tie arm in arm with ladies in evening dresses descended the venue's marble stairs to be greeted at the bottom by models treating guests to oriental sweets. There were fountains that served champagne at the bottom of the stairs.

Some visitors (probably those of tougher physical stature) treated themselves to somewhat stronger drinks: Hennessy and Imperia Vodka. Lighting their thick cigars, top-echelon state department officials and businessmen struck up conversations. Among those attending were Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko, politician and businessman Konstantin Borovoi, lawyer Pavel Astakhov with wife, lawyer of status Mikhail Barshchevsky and his associate Natalya Barshchevskaya.

When the evening's atmosphere became more relaxed, the event's hosts decided it was time to hand out prizes - if anything, as a token of appreciation for accepting the invitation to come to the event. Fashion designer Slava Zaitsev won an exact copy of an Audi A8 car, artist Nikas Safronov got a tour package, Tver Region Governor Dmitry Zelenin carried away tea and an airline ticket to London.

The saying "procrastination brings loss" proved true at this event: TV presenter Nikolai Drozdov had got carried away in a conversation and was late to pick up a cheese basket he had won. Advisor to the Russian President, writer Anatoly Pristavkin and wife were disappointed not to have won a trip to China. They did, however, promise to Vensky Bal (Viennese Ball) General Director Alexander Smagin to waltz through the tour to give novices a master class or two, if they won next season.

RBC General Director Yury Rovensky went up to every guest and greeted each one of them warmly as though welcoming them to his own house, which probably contributed to the atmosphere of a home celebration. Meanwhile, congratulatory messages were read from the state from Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov, State Duma Deputy Speaker Lyubov Sliska, IT and Communications Minister Leonid Reyman, and Moscow Region Governor Boris Gromov.