Since 1 January 2011, Latvia has doubled state guarantees on bank deposits. From now on a client of any Latvian bank in case of its failure is entitled to receiving up to €100,000 from the Latvian state, which is twice as much as the previous limit. In case if the deposit does not exceed this amount, the client will be compensated for in full. These guarantees are offered to all clients of Latvian banks including citizens of Russia and other CIS countries.

“I believe this is a highly positive decision boosting the popularity of Latvian banks particularly among Russians,” SPEAR’S Russia Editor-in-Chief and Rietumu Bank’s Supervisory Board member Alexander Gafin points out. “Russian clients are attracted to Latvian banks due to a combination of European banking standards, very high quality of service in Russian language and higher interest rates on deposits compared to those offered by Swiss and Austrian institutions.”

SPEAR’S Russia is the Russian version of the most trustworthy and influential European (London, UK) magazine for the world’s richest audience. Editor-in-Chief – Alexander Gafin, founder – PBWM Media, General Manager – Dmitry Gafin.

Creative and commercial management of the project is provided by MEDIACRAT.

MEDIACRAT has launched WatchRussia.com, its third web-based project. The website is devoted to watches and the art of watch making. The portal contains two main thematic sections. In the first and most informative the timepieces are covered: masters and factories creating them, people adoring them and the latest global developments surrounding them. The news and reviews of the two most important annual watch events in the world, the SIHH and the BaselWorld taking place in Geneva and Basel respectively, are provided in a separate special area of the website. The second main section of the portal is devoted not just to devices for timekeeping, but rather to the time itself. An attempt is made to understand and feel it in the light of cultural trends shaping and shaped by the society. Theater and cinema, painting and photography, design and architecture – all of these topics are brought up in this section of WatchRussia.com. Special attention is also given to the automotive world, haute cuisine and travel. Apart from WatchRussia.com MEDIACRAT runs two other websites: PBWM.ru, the first website in Russia devoted solely to private banking and wealth management (a PBWM Media project), and BolshoiSport.ru, focusing on sports and entertainment (a UNIMEDIA project).

In December 2010, MEDIACRAT restyled and relaunched The Legend Today, an ArArAt corporate newspaper. The publication looks at the current state of affairs in the legendary brand, interviews top managers, retells ancient Armenian legends which had inspired the creators of the famous Armenian brandy, relates the latest news, offers photographic reports about ArArAt events and promotes exciting future events.

АrАrАt is one of the key brands of Pernod Ricard Eastern Europe, an Eastern European cluster of Pernod Ricard Group, the world’s co-leader in premium wines and spirits.

Creative management of the project is provided by MEDIACRAT.