The start of a new business season was celebrated at Moscow's Gostiny Dvor on September 1. A reception was organized in connection with the third anniversary of the Russian business television channel RBC TV's launch.

The function was put together in grand style: with Cinzano Asti fountains, sweepstakes, exquisite appetizers and a fancy car show. The new-generation Audi Coupe TT attracted major attention, considering that its Russian launch took place literally days ago at the Moscow International Motor Show. Guests were examining the red convertible, peering through the windows at its interior, and listening in to the hosts' jokes (the channel's presenters Maria Stroyeva and Oleg Bogdanov), who kept on giving recklessly bold forecasts: in 10 years we will see Lada Kalina drivers win a Formula-1 race, which will be taking place in Moscow's Nagatino Flood Plain.

"We are glad that our friends whom we are already used to seeing on TV as experts have finally managed to get together in one place and engage in live dialogue," RBC General Director Yury Rovensky commented as he was greeting guests. Among RBC TV's friends attending the event were Tatiana Paramonova, Alexander Yakovenko, Oleg Mitvol, Dmitry Zelenin, Yury Zhdanov, Vladimir Tarachev, David Yakobashvili, Vladimir Engelsberg, Mikhail Barshchevsky, Vyacheslav Zaitsev, Helen Yarmak, Nikolai Drozdov, Sergei Kapitsa, and other distinguished political, business and public figures.

The reception at Gostiny Dvor began with welcome cocktails and sweepstakes. Dmitry Zelenin was one of the lucky winners of tickets to London. He promised he would bring back extra investment resources to his region. Nikolai Drozdov took home a holiday package at the Foresta Tropicana Hotel tropical resort in a Moscow suburb. Vyacheslav Zaitsev got an Audi collector's car. And Tatiana Paramonova won an Oranta insurance policy.

Alongside all the cheerful excitement on account of the fortunate prizewinners, guests pronounced toasts to give their best wishes to RBC TV, and listened to congratulatory telegrams from Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, the Russian President's Deputy Chief of Staff Vladislav Surkov, and Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov being read from the stage. Among others, Sergei Mironov, the chairman of the Russian Federal Assembly's upper house, pointed out in his message that "in its three years of broadcasting, RBC TV has managed to become one of the most popular channels that produce quality and straight-to-the-point materials on Russia's politics and economy." In turn, Central Election Commission chairman Alexander Veshnyakov indicated in his note that "in the past three years since RBC TV's launch, the channel has established itself as a credible source of quality, professionally prepared information. The channel has created an audience of its own, won its viewers' trust, and taken a firm grip on a stand-alone niche on the mass media market."

Following the reading of the greeting telegrams, guests raised toasts to wish every success to the business television channel and did not hold back kind words to congratulate its founders. Fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev spoke in his passionate manner: "It may be said today that RBC TV is a gift from above, and every encounter with it always brings fortune." Zelenin confessed that "the business channel is helping everyone: not just business, but, speaking for myself, governors." Lawyer Anatoly Kucherena called on guests to learn from and switch to RBC TV more. "The television channel is accomplishing a very important mission - that of an enlightener in society," he announced.

While waiting for tables to be served, guests exchanged their forecasts for the upcoming business season. The evening's hosts sounded an optimistic note by making fairly upbeat forward-looking statements. After applauding one of the presenters' many futurological sketches ("Russia's largest mobile communications service provider "The Big Troika" has completed a friendly takeover of the company Vodafone and all the related rebranding. And now its striped egg brand may be seen in even the most remote regions of old Europe"), guests began giving their own outlooks for the coming business year. Mikhail Barshchevsky, for one, admitted that he was not anticipating any good things to come of the following year. "Well, what do you expect?" he asked rhetorically. "This will be the pre-election year, after all!" Igor Bunich, the Director of the Center for Political Technologies, drew everyone's attention to politics, where, in his opinion, "highly intensive activity" was in store." "The coming fall season will give the country's political life a new push," he said. "There will be a lot of intrigue, which will primarily affect the future of the country's political parties. One of the key concerns lies in the future of the Russian liberals. There is a danger that they may leave the political arena for a rather extended period." Konstantin Borovoi was amiable and stately smoking his Hoyo de Monterrey cigar and smiling, but he also gave apocalyptic forecasts: oil prices have started to tumble, and we still do not have a working economy. "We are on a threshold of a great and serious crisis," he said. According to his estimates, crude oil will cost no more than $55 per barrel by the year's end.

And this was when guests were told that dinner was about to be served and asked to take their seats. The gala concert began with music by the legendary Sergei Mazayev and the Ivanov Brothers' VIP JAZZ ORCHESTRA. The evening continued with performances by Bolshoi Theater stars and young Narodny Artist (the Russian "Pop Idol") project participants. Next up, Helen Yarmak presented her new fur coat collection. And the night closed with a grand fire show and an 80-kilogram cake, which was rolled out to a song titled "Fire It Up!". Forgetting about their diets, guests tried to have at least one slice of cake for luck, because it had written on it: "Millions make millions with us!" As one Russian saying goes: "As you celebrate New Year's so will you spend it."