Local community support projects

EVRAZ recognises that development and further improving connections with local communities is a win-win process and therefore a strategic priority. The Group supports regional and federal conferences and initiatives, as well as numerous cultural and social activities, including environmental protection and sports projects.

Community engagement

In 2021 an array of regional events took place with the support of EVRAZ. These included the sixth cross-divisional risk management symposium for risk managers from the Urals, Siberia and Coal divisions; the Minute of Technofame contest of innovative ideas for students and undergraduates from top universities in the Urals; and the 59th EVRAZ "Your Challenge" Scientific and Technical Conference to name but a few

We also participated in the following events at the federal level:

• The Innoprom 2021 international expo in Yekaterinburg.
• The WorldSkills Hi-Tech Championship 2021.
• The RAISE RANEPA All-Russian accelerator for social initiatives.
• The CompTech 2021 winter school.
• The St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
• The Community Forum organised by the Russian Civic Chamber.

Charity and sponsorship projects

The Group has several major programmes that invest in local communities, including EVRAZ for Kids, EVRAZ for Cities and EVRAZ for Sports. In addition, we promote various other initiatives, such as the EVRAZ City of Friends — City of Ideas grant contest, as well as regular volunteer activities within the EVRAZ volunteer’s project.

EVRAZ for Kids

EVRAZ actively collaborates with academic institutions. Together they carry out numerous federal youth programmes. Moreover, other important steps are made by the Group such as purchasing essential school supplies and sports equipment, awarding scholarships, providing vocational guidance for students, offering training under the WorldSkills methodology, and organising study sessions for students and internships for graduates. Special attention is paid to the projects of providing support to children with special needs and in orphanages; for example, the assistance and rehabilitation programmes for children with cerebral palsy are implemented because of the Group’s financial support.

EVRAZ for Cities

The major investments made by EVRAZ are directed towards renovating urban infrastructure in the cities and towns of the Company’s operation. The results of joint efforts of the Company and local authorities include the upgrading of medical, educational, and cultural infrastructures in local communities leading to a significant improvement in the quality of life for citizens.

EVRAZ participated in the following activities under the EVRAZ for Cities programme:

• The Group transported crushed and building stone to the city of Kachkanar for road reconstruction and infrastructure improvement in the Kemerovo region.
• The Company employees planted 300 trees in Novokuznetsk’s Zavodskoy and Central districts as part of the region’s 300^th-anniversary celebrations.
• Medical equipment (5 ventilators, 20 patient monitors, 19 functional beds, 160 thousand units of PPE) and X-ray diagnostic and portable complexes were provided for the hospitals in Nizhniy Tagil.
• The building structure of Platinskaya Comprehensive School in Nizhnyaya Tura (Sverdlovsk area) was restored with the support of EVRAZ.
• In Kachkanar, the facades of city facilities were restored, the civil registration office was repaired, and the design work for a pathway to the Zvyozdochka ski-roller track was completed.

The following key activities were supported within the EVRAZ for Kids programme:

• The Outreach rehabilitation project in the Sverdlovsk region, called Live Baby aimed at organising rehabilitation classes at home.
• Modern equipment for adaptive physical education was purchased, including the Stabilomer complex for children with disabilities in Nizhniy Tagil.
• A modern assembly hall, a playground with outdoor exercise equipment, as well as a summer day camp for children with disabilities were organised in Kachkanar school for special kids.
• The Group financed the publication of the 45 sets of polysensory books for children with visual impairments in the Kemerovo region and the 50 sets in the Tula region.
• The Group provided financial support to the 18th All-Russian Open Field Olympiad for Young Geologists which was held online for teams from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.

EVRAZ for Sports

A healthy lifestyle is a priority for EVRAZ and therefore employees, their families and individuals of nearby communities are encouraged to exercise. We invest in improvements to sports infrastructure, support amateur and professional teams and sponsor federal and regional sports activities.

We took part in the following events within the scope of the EVRAZ for Sport programme:

• In Novokuznetsk, EVRAZ assisted in arranging the Russia-wide ski race Ski Track of Russia, the Cross the Nation National Running Day, the track and Kuznetsk Fortress – 1618 field race, the Russian Azimuth Russia-wide orienteering campaign, and city sports days for people with disabilities.
• EVRAZ continued to sponsor the Uralochka professional volleyball club, the Ural Football Club and the Metallurg hockey team.
• The Group supports the Olimp sports school in Kachkanar in participating in different mini-football competitions and organising Russian-wide competitions in this sport.
• EVRAZ became a sponsor of the Arsenal football team in Tula. Moreover, EVRAZ sponsored the training activities for Paralympic athletes from Tula to participate in skiing races.

EVRAZ: City of Friends – City of Ideas

The annual EVRAZ: City of Friends – City of Ideas grant contest is another component of the Group’s contribution to local communities. Under the auspices of this programme social activists are empowered with the resources and skills to implement meaningful projects related to improving public spaces and protecting the environment:

• Within the Health at Home programme, elderly and disabled residents of Novokuznetsk’s Central District receive physiotherapy and rehabilitation at their homes.
• The Ecology of Industrial Heritage with Good Hands and Modern Technology grant project will be undertaken by volunteers on the territory of the Old Demidov Plant eco-industrial techno-park of the Gornozavodskoy Ural in Nizhniy Tagil.

Other key projects of the EVRAZ: City of Friends – City of Ideas grant programme:

• Blogger’s Day – a two-days forum held at the Siberian State Industrial University.
• Providing computer literacy trainings for elderly and disabled people in the Zavodsky district.
• School No. 26 in Novokuznetsk has opened a new sports hall for children with disabilities.
• ART-Living Room project – the construction of a modern creative exhibition place for residents’ cultural enjoyment.
• Development of the Exploratorium – an interactive natural science and educational platform.

EVRAZ volunteers

The EVRAZ volunteers project is another important project that concerns assisting vulnerable individuals and social entities, as well as organising sports and cultural activities in local communities. It operates and develops without any special policies and on an entirely voluntary basis.

Ecology in the focus of communications

For instance, EVRAZ partnered with the Vedomosti for the Green is the New Black campaign: in that special issue of the newspaper, corporates and independent experts discussed what businesses and communities could do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environmental situation in the relevant regions. In partnership with Forbes, we launched the Industry of the Future special project, showcasing EVRAZ’s cutting-edge technologies and the unique beauty of the Siberian and Urals ecosystems that we want to preserve for a better future.