Published in “Oil Industry” Magazine, № 12/2004   Fuel and Energy Complex in Birthdays Four years ago one of Andrei Maximov's partners - a representative of a large foreign company - complained that his assistants spent too much time for searching the information on birthdays of his partners and colleagues in Russia . This short conversation gave a stimulus to creation of new products of Maximov Publication series, the latest of them is devoted to fuel and energy complex in Russia . That's why we asked several question to Olga Kachinskaya – Head of the Project on Birthday Calendars. - What is a birthday calendar? - The new publication is a desk calendar containing almost a thousand of the most influential state leaders, businessmen and top-managers of fuel and energy complex in Russia . Every page includes dates and corresponding names and photos of people born in this particular month. There are lists of names, job titles and companies on the back of each page. They have references to the source of contact information required for congratulations. For the sake of convenience the calendar has name index. It should be noted that large anniversaries and corporative birthdays are also shown there. - What can one use the calendar for? - It's a rhetorical question. Every business is made by people. And every person should have holidays – New Year, Victory Day, women and men days - and of course birthdays. Our calendar is a special tool for establishing and strengthening the relations between professionals of fuel and energy complex. It's a pleasure for everybody to be unexpectedly congratulated on his/her birthday. The one who says the other way round is likely to be cunning. - Which way can one be included in a calendar? - There's nothing easier and nothing more difficult. We employ a group of experts who according to multiple ratings compile lists of the best people in a particular field. Actually we make influence ratings in fuel and energy complex. If you're the best then you're automatically placed in the calendar, if not yet then you won't be there. - There are up to 6 persons for each date in the calendar, but you place only one photo. What way do you decide whose photo to place? - It's very difficult to make such a decision. There're a lot of criteria – those who have anniversaries, women and men who are photogenic (surely one should enjoy the use of a calendar). It's very important not to offend anybody; each page should include people engaged in oil, gas, nuclear, coal industries, electric power generation and of course state authorities in the field of fuel and energy complex. And finally we take into account the preferences of our Editor-in-Chief Andrei Maximov. He always has a lot of thoughts on the question who should be placed on photo and who would be just in a line. As a whole the principle of social fairness is observed in our calendars. - You created a wonderful calendar. Does it have any shortcomings? - Too few women ( laughing ). We always did our best and if we had to choose between men and women we solved the question in favor of fair sex. But of course it's not a secret that fuel and energy complex is a business of real men. - What other calendars does your series include? - First of all it's “State and Business in Russia ” which contains birthdays of more than a thousand of the most famous Russian state authorities, politicians and heads of companies and enterprises. Among industrial calendars - except for the one devoted to fuel and energy complex - we released “Communications and Information” calendar this year. It's devoted to a thousand of the most powerful state leaders, businessmen and top-managers in the field of Russian telecommunications and IT. - Where can one get a calendar? - You are welcome to call us in Moscow + 7 (495)727-0260 and ask the subscription card, go to Internet-shop at www.maximov.com or visit our office ( 12 Rozhdestvenka St .). Irina Zakharova