The transformation of Ural was announced (process, but not the inter-regional pol iti cal movement with the same name which played the considerable role in the country political life in the 90s of the last century, is meant).
The voluminous narration about the Middle Urals is begun by “the story about time and about oneself of one of the political long-livers of Russia — the governor of Sverdlovsk region Edward Rossel”.

E. Rossel tells about the Ural Mountains as “an industrial ridge of Russia”, being at the helm of

the region during the years he passed the hardest stage of economics reforming.

As though responding those who likes to talk about the protracted process of reforming of domestic economics, E.

Rossel says, “It seems to me, th at changes in the society is not a process at all. It is the condition in which it should be permanently adapting to changing conditions and factors …”
Nevertheless it is logical to speak about the results obtained by the region during already executed reforms.

It is called “the most vigorous region of Russia”. It is asserted that nowadays Sverdlovsk region can really be called one of the richest in Russia. Being the fifth on population (about 4,5 million people), the Middle Urals take the third place in Russia on the volume of

industrial production and the fourth on the volume of retail trade.

Industrial production develops with growth rate which one and a half times higher than the average all over the country, and computers and equipment production for the first half of 2007 grew by 60% if compared to the last year.

It is told that if St.-Petersburg became “the window to Europe” for Russia, than Yekaterinburg, that was founded 19 years later than the North Capital, became not less important for the country as “the window to Asia”. The choice of the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk region as a site for the regular summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2009 became a new evidence of it.

The Sverdlovsk region is included to the project of development of the International transport passageway ?2 which will solidly tie Europe to East Asia.

The Sverdlovsk railway goes across three time zones, the rivers Ob, Irtysh, and Kama, the border between Europe and Asia, and northwards crosses the Polar circle.

In the first half of 2007 by the Sverdlovsk railway it was transported 33,5 million tons of goods and train departures raised by 100 if compared to the same period of last year. In Yekaterinburg the line of interurban subway will be started up in perspective that will connect it with

the northern satellite town Upper Pyshma.

The capital of the Middle Urals is connected by “air bridge” with 40 countries of the world, and the project of rearrangement and developing of international airport Koltsovo became the first successfully realized in Ural District mega project of the private-state partnership.

Investments into building are RUR 700 millions ($28 millions)

For seven months of 2007 the South Ural mortgage lending agency (SU MLA) has directed more than RUR 700 millions ($28million) for housing development in Chelyabinsk region. It is twice more than the similar index of last year.
As it was reported by SU MLA, the construction of 62 objects with the participation of

SU MLA is conducted.

Now the agency participates in investment of residential real estate objects in Kopeisk, Korkino, Tchebarkul, Kyshtym, Sosnovsky and Uvelsky regions, Juzhnouralsk, Zlatoust, Upper Ufaley, Ozersk, Ust-Katav, Satka, Emanzhelinsk, Miass.

The agency is building owner and builder of 14 objects situated on the territory of Tchebarkul, Kyshtym, Juzhnouralsk, Uvelsky region, Zlatoust, Magnitogorsk.
In total in 2007 SU MLA is going to invest in housing development 1 billion 622 million rubles ($64,88 millions), 30% of them will be directed to low-rise apartment building.
With the participation of SU MLA it is planned to bring into service 38 high-rise apartment buildings and 244 cottages that in total makes 250 thousand square meters.
At the same time the price for square meter in “mortgage” apartments will be by 5-10% below a middle market price, existing in city or in region.
Last year with the participation of the public corporation «SU MLA» more than 200 thousand square meters of accommodation were built in 17 municipal districts of the region.

RUR 900 million rubles ($36 million) were invested.