On September 1, Moscow's Gostiny Dvor hosted an event celebrating the beginning of a new business season. This occasion coincided with the anniversary of Russia's first business channel, RBC TV.

It has never been a custom to mark the beginning of a new business season in Russia. However, three years ago something significant happened in the life of Russian business, when the first Russian business channel RBC TV launched its broadcasting. Now RBC TV's birthday is one of the biggest high-life events in Moscow. "We didn't want to do yet another corporate outing," said RBC General Director Yury Rovensky. "We want to make a present for all of our friends."

RBC TV has turned into one of the main attributes of business style. The channel's expertise is recognized by politicians and businessmen in Russia and abroad. Major companies' chief executives act as experts in its programs. "The launch of a television channel that specializes in covering Russia's economic events and trends was an outstanding event for this country. Over the past three years, I'm sure that even the most convinced pessimists who thought that Russia wasn't ready yet for such a TV channel, have changed their minds," Federal Financial Markets Service chief Oleg Vyugin said in his congratulatory speech.

This year, the number of those invited to the function reached an all time high of 2,000 people. There were only VIPs attending the event - distinguished political, business and public figures. Among them, First Deputy Chairwoman of the Central Bank Tatiana Paramonova, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko, deputy chief of the Russian environmental watchdog Rostprirodnadzor Oleg Mitvol, Governor of the Tver region Dmitry Zelenin, head of the Federal Agency for Special Economic Zone Management Yury Zhdanov, member of the State Duma committee for credit organizations and financial markets Vladimir Tarachev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wimm-Bill-Dann David Yakobashvili, Norilsk Nickel Vice President Vladimir Engelsberg, the Russian President's Representative in the Constitutional Court Mikhail Barshchevsky, Public Chamber member and lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, lawyer Pavel Astakhov, fashion designers Slava Zaitsev and Helen Yarmak, TV presenter Nikolai Drozdov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Sergei Kapitsa, and many others. Vladislav Surkov, the deputy chief of staff of the Russian President's Executive Office, congratulated the TV channel by saying that "it was only thanks to the professionalism of its executives and staff, its unwavering strategy and a precisely defined topical niche, that not only did the channel become a remarkable phenomenon in Russia's television industry in such a short time, but also won the confidence of its colleagues and sealed its viewers' attention."

The reception was put together in grand fashion. The entire space at Gostiny Dvor was decorated in autumn harvest holiday style, symbolizing the "Indian summer" - a season of harvest, the gathering of crops of the past year. Guests were treated to champagne from fountains, entertained by theatrical shows with stilt-walking clowns and giveaways. One of the lucky winners was Dmitry Zelenin, who got tickets to London. Nikolai Drozdov won a holiday at the Foresta Tropicana Hotel in a Moscow suburb. Slava Zaitsev received a collector's series Audi car. And Tatiana Paramonova won an Oranta insurance policy.

In the opinion of most guests, we have a rather difficult year ahead of us. "What else do you expect?" Mikhail Barshchevsky asked rhetorically. "This will be a pre-election year, after all!" Konstantin Borovoy was certain that "we are up against a big, serious crisis", as oil prices continue to fall. According to Borovoy's estimates, a barrel of crude oil will cost no more than $55 barrel by the end of the year. Igor Bunich, the Director of the Center for Political Technologies, advised that attention be paid 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. There is a danger that they may leave the political arena for an extended period."

The evening closed with a fabulous dinner and a gala concert. It began with music by the legendary Sergei Mazayev and the Ivanov Brothers' VIP JAZZ ORCHESTRA. This was followed by performances from Bolshoi Theater stars and young Narodny Artist (the Russian "Pop Idol") project participants. Next up, Helen Yarmak presented her new collection. And the night ended with a grand fire show.