About Us

Uniastrum Bank (LLC) was founded in 1994. Registered with the CBR on March 31, 1994, CBR General License no.  2771 dd. May 5, 2005.

• Overview

  Uniastrum Bank is a universal credit institution delivering a comprehensive range of high-caliber financial products and services throughout its entire network.

  Uniastrum is committed to working to the highest standards for the benefit of its customers and to ensuring that meeting their needs remains the Bank’s number one priority. Our core focus areas are the retail segment and the small and medium-sized business community.

  Uniastrum’s overriding strategic objective is to build the Bank’s business value over the long term. Ongoing priorities include:

  • moving forward with the development of a modern, customer-minded, retail and SME-focused universal bank with a strong market presence
  • converting to a corporate governance model built on world best practice with a view to tailoring risk management solutions to the modern banking environment
  • enhancing the performance of the regional network
  • working tirelessly to improve customer services by investing in bank information technologies and staff training.
• Network rollout

  In 2001 Uniastrum initiated a program geared toward expanding its network throughout the regions. By 2012 the Bank’s overall infrastructure numbered 199 offices (including 43 branches) deployed throughout 48 regions nationwide. Today Uniastrum is one of Russia’s Top-25 biggest banks in terms of network size.

  2001 saw Uniastrum open its first branch office in Ivanovo, followed in 2002 by one in Rostov-on-Don.

  In 2002 Uniastrum scaled up its regional expansion program, launching branch offices in Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl, Samara, Saratov, Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Stavropol, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Volgograd, and Novosibirsk. Between 2004 and 2007 another 26 branches were opened in different parts of the country. 2009 brought the launch of a branch in Vladivostok. Today Uniastrum’s coverage area spans 48 regions of the Russian Federation.

  Since 2010 Uniastrum has pressed ahead with plans to upgrade and revamp its banking centers with the objective of improving their performance and boosting business volumes. In 2001 six modern-style universal offices were opened in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Kursk, Kazan, and Omsk, each located and designed with customer convenience in mind. The Bank aims to continue its office upgrade program in 2012.

• Retail focus

  Uniastrum offers individual customers a broad array of state-of-the art banking products and services. The sustained uptrend in retail sales testifies to the public’s growing confidence in the Bank, as well as to its high regard for the quality of Uniastrum’s services.

  The Bank’s retail product mix includes various types of borrowing options, cash management, card issuance and administration, deposits, a wide selection of cash operations, and money transfers via the Unistream network.

  2005 brought a big jump in the number of auto loans disbursed, resulting in a 3.8-fold increase in the size of the Bank’s auto finance portfolio, which tipped the scales at around Rb 2 bn as of year-start 2006. In the two years that followed, incremental growth was in excess of 200%, expanding the portfolio to Rb 4.4 bn by January 1, 2008. In 2008 Uniastrum’s auto lending segment continued to go from strength to strength. The Bank’s results for that year show more than Rb 3.8 bn given out in auto credits, equaling a monthly average of Rb 350 mn. In 2009 the auto finance portfolio grew 20%, reaching Rb 6.8 bn as of year-start 2010. In the first half of 2010 alone Uniastrum issued 1,445 auto loans. As of April 1, 2010 its auto finance portfolio weighed in at Rb 6.8 bn.

  Figures released by RBC Ratings Agency for the first half of 2011 show Uniastrum placing among Russia’s Top-20 biggest banks by auto loan portfolio value. In summer 2011 Uniastrum kick-started a new auto finance program called U-Drive. Under the scheme borrowers can buy a new or secondhand vehicle and also receive a credit card with a spending limit equal to 10% of the principal into the bargain. Unsurprisingly, this auto loan initiative proved a winner with the motoring public, thanks in large part to the program’s competitive rates and quick, no-fuss application formalities: once the necessary supporting documents are submitted, the loan decision is issued within just 24 hours.

  In 2006 Uniastrum Bank was assigned Principal Member Status by VISA International, also becoming an affiliate member of the MasterCard payment system. As of April 1, 2010, Uniastrum distributed over 706,000 cards, 342,000 of which were issued under payroll card programs. Overall, the Bank entered into more than 3,200 payroll agreements with companies and organizations. Meantime, Uniastrum deployed 667 ATMs, and over 1,300 payment kiosks in sales and service outlets. In 2009 63 NGT cash deposit machines were deployed. In the same year the Bank disbursed Rb 1.8 bn in credit card loans, more than double the amount issued the previous year. By April 1, 2010 the figure already topped Rb 2 bn. 2009 also brought an upsurge in personal loan disbursements, which jumped 130% year-on-year to Rb 1.8 bn as of January 1, 2010, nearing the Rb 2 bn mark as of April 1, 2010. As of April 1, 2009, Uniastrum’s total card account balance came to Rb 1.5 bn, July 1 Rb 1.6 bn, October 1 Rb 2.2 bn, January 1, 2010 Rb 1.7 bn, and April 1 Rb 1.5 bn.

  Based on results prepared by RosBusinessConsulting news agency for the first half of 2011, Uniastrum is Russia’s 15th biggest bank by the number of cards in circulation. Uniastrum’s card mix features over ten different product groups, each of which is specially designed to accommodate the specific needs of a diverse customer base. Uniastrum cards are convenient and easy to use, thanks primarily to the Bank’s ramified network of in-house ATMs and payment terminals, which currently number more than 650.

  In 2007 retail deposits climbed 1.73-fold, rising from Rb 14.4 bn to Rb 24.8 bn, totaling over Rb 25 bn as of year-start 2009. Over 2009, household deposits continued to grow apace, increasing 20% to Rb 30.4 bn as of January 1, 2010. First-quarter results for 2010 revealed a sustained uptrend in retail holdings, which totaled more than Rb 31.2 bn as of April 1, 2010. In 2010 the Bank devised and launched a new line of deposit products offering assorted terms and benefits specially designed to meet the needs of its diverse clientele.

  Over 2011 Uniastrum’s retail time deposit portfolio expanded 27.5% to Rb 32.4 bn as year-start 2012. Meanwhile the number of depositors increased 16.7%, the vast majority of whom preferred to stay with the Bank after their accounts matured, opting either to renew their agreements or switch their funds to another deposit facility. In 2011 more than 90% of customers rolled over their deposits, attesting to the high level of public confidence in Uniastrum.

  According to RosBusinessConsulting, as of year-start 2012 Uniastrum is Russia’s 33rd biggest bank by total retail deposits.

• Corporate focus

  Uniastrum offers corporate clients a broad range of products and services, all of which are available to Russian and foreign businesses operating in a wide variety of sectors in all parts of the Russian Federation. Uniastrum’s corporate activities are predicated on a well-diversified spectrum of banking products and financial services designed in conjunction with top specialists at the Bank of Cyprus and are fully consistent with global quality banking benchmarks.

  Uniastrum’s corporate client services include cash management operations and competitive rates structured on the basis of in-depth market analysis and projected changes in the market environment. The Bank is part of an international correspondent bank network, enabling it to route customer interbank payment transaction in the shortest possible time region-to-region and abroad. Uniastrum’s extensive branch network significantly cuts the time taken to clear payments, while a Bank-wide standard of service ensures a high-quality, well-organized service.

  Uniastrum’s flexible deposit range for the corporate segment features several types of time deposits in rubles, as well as in foreign currency. Terms and benefits vary, including, for example, special top-up facilities, early withdrawals, full or partial withdrawals, and choice of how and when the accrued interest is paid out.

  Uniastrum Bank’s commitment to harnessing only the very latest IT solutions and the launch of its remote banking system Internet Bank Client make it easier for customers to manage their accounts online, as well to receive up-to-the-minute details of their account balances by telephone or facsimile communication. Needless to say, confidentiality and information security are paramount. In order to enhance the security of Internet Bank transactions, in 2011 Uniastrum incorporated the use of session keys randomly generated using a one-time eToken password.

  Uniastrum Bank’s conspicuous advantage on the corporate lending market derives primarily from its provision of targeted long-term investment loans whose competitive interest rates are determined on a per-client basis using risk profiling. This, combined with the application of state-of-the-art methodologies in accessing credit risk, has resulted in a higher-quality corporate lending portfolio.

• Small Business focus

  In line with its wider strategic objectives, Uniastrum affords special emphasis to supporting Russia’s small business community. Thanks to their ability to relocate and to adapt quickly to changes in the economic landscape, small entrepreneurs have become one of the Bank’s most durable client segments.

  Uniastrum provides small businesses and sole proprietors with a wide selection of credit and deposit products, incorporating a rich variety of programs and lending schemes tailored to their objectives and projects. Notable benefits of the Bank’s SB credit programs include generous repayment periods and competitive interest rates.

  Figures for the first half of 2011 compiled by independent ratings agencies RBC Rating and Expert RA show Uniastrum placing among the country’s Top-10 most popular small business lenders.

  Uniastrum’s small enterprise clients come from a wide range of economic sectors, such as, among others, trade, the food and processing industries, transport, and services.

  2011 saw the Bank design and launch Smart Loan, a universal multi-program credit package for small business owners and sole proprietors. This exclusive lending initiative includes tailored programs for specific business sectors, as well as special offers for clients with a positive credit history. A Small Business Smart Loan is a unique type of credit structuring kit which helps borrower enterprises assisted by a Uniastrum loan officer put together a credit facility that best suits the customer’s requirements. Conspicuous benefits of the Bank’s Smart Loan option are budget-friendly interest rates, generous payback periods, special terms for certain business sectors, and favorable conditions for renegotiating loans with other banks.

  Since the second half of 2009 Uniastrum has remained one of Russia’s top small business financers, expanding its credit portfolio year-on-year. In 2011 the portfolio grew 49% to Rb 13 bn as of January 1, 2012. In the reporting year, the Bank disbursed Rb 8.5 bn to small enterprise, up 22% on the prior-year result.

• The Bank of Cyprus Group
  

  On October 31, 2008 the Bank of Cyprus Group acquired an 80 percent stake in Uniastrum Bank for $567 mn. Established in 1899, the Group is a major international holding commanding leadership positions in the banking and financial services sector in Cyprus and Greece and over 30% of the domestic banking market. As a result of the transaction, Uniastrum’s charter capital increased by $50 mn. The Group’s purchase of an 80% interest in the Bank remains the biggest investment in the Russian banking sector by a Cypriot or Greek financial institution. The transaction was finalized once permission was granted by the central banks of Cyprus and Russia, as well as by Russia’s Antimonopoly Service.

  On November 19, 2008, against the backdrop of official talks between the Russian President, Dmitri Medvedev, and the President of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, Uniastrum Bank and the Bank of Cyprus Group signed a Memorandum to implement a joint three-year (2009-2011) SME lending program in Russia worth 15 billion rubles.

• Awards

  2006: “Company of the Year” annual national award for “Winning Business Strategy”

  2007: “Banking” award for “Successful Branch Network Expansion”; National Banking Award for “Most Dynamic-Growth Bank”

  2008: “Banking” gold award for “Successful SME Lending”

  June 2008: “Best Russian Brand” award for being one of the county’s most recognizable brands.

  March 2009: “Finance” award for “Successful Retail Deposit Operations”

  2010: “Financial Olympus” national award “SME Bank Creditor”

  End 2011: For the third time Uniastrum received one of the banking sector’s most prestigious accolades, the National Banking Award. The panel of judges also honored the Bank with a special “Best Retail Creditor” award for “Achievement in Retail Lending”

• Corporate Social Responsibility

  Uniastrum Bank plays an active role in charitable programs and social initiatives aimed at addressing the healthcare and educational needs of the more vulnerable members of society. In November 2009 Uniastrum Bank set up a Community Board reporting to the Board of Directors. The Community Board is tasked with furthering the Bank’s socially responsible schemes, whose aim is to enhance public prosperity and improve society. The Board is made up of well-known politicians and public figures.

  Uniastrum Bank plays an active part in and sits on the Board of Trustees of the “Big Break” Orphan Education Endowment Fund. For more than three years Uniastrum Bank has helped and been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Big Break Endowment Fund, which assists orphans and former children’s home residents find their way in life, obtain a good education, expand their horizons, develop self-confidence, and gain experience prior to relying on their own abilities. The Fund also helps adults who have undertaken to care for and bring up orphaned children. Big Break’s accumulated knowledge and its methods have proved of great interest to teachers, social workers and psychologists working with orphans in different parts of Russia.

  In 2010 Uniastrum Bank focused its charitable work on marking 65 years since Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. The Bank allocated Rb 10 mn in targeted assistance to GPW veterans. Uniastrum also marked Victory Day by sponsoring a series of charity concerts in a number of Russian cities given by the celebrated violinist and honored artist of the Russian Federation Dmitri Kogan.

  In 2011 Uniastrum’s charity work turned its focus to helping children. In March 2011, Uniastrum Bank and the Bank of Cyprus, organized holidays in Cyprus for over 50 families hit by summer wildfires caused by a freak heat wave in summer 2010. In line with this charity initiative, families from the Volgograd, Ryazan and Moscow region enjoyed holidays on the island. 200 participants of the initiative, one half of which were children, spent one week in a comfortable family hotel situated on a picturesque shoreline not far from the holiday resort of Ayia Napa and visited Cyprus’s main cities. On March 9 Russian families met with Archbishop Chrysostomos II, head of the Church of Cyprus, and the wife of the Cypriot President, Elsie Christofia.

  In 2011 year Uniastrum Bank began sponsoring a long-term social project entitled “Sambo for Kids”. The project’s overriding goal and strategic objective is to revive the patriotic sports movement “Young Sambo Wrestler”, which in Soviet times numbered more than 600 clubs, to expand its geographical scope to that of the 1980s, and to ensure that the project is accorded national status. The project aims to unite young sportsmen all over Russia, including members of sports clubs, youngsters from children’s homes, boarding schools, and cadet corps with a view to encouraging them to take up the Russian martial art of sambo.

  In September 2011, supported by the Cyprus Tourism Organization, Uniastrum Bank and web portal Banki.ru, organized an online competition for children called Sunny Island. The contest consisted of several stages organized simultaneously for two groups of youngsters aged 6-8 and 9-12, respectively. In order to take part, entrants were asked to register at www.sunnyisland.banki.ru between September 26 and November 18, complete an entry form and upload onto the website their drawing of a sunny island depicting images such as the sea, sun, bread, grapes, oranges, olive trees, history and culture, myths and legends, people, arts and crafts, the Mediterranean, and Cyprus.

  The contest consisted of 8 selection stages. Every week an online vote on the contest website was held to decide the interim results, with the entries receiving the greatest number of votes winning a place in the semifinal. Based on the results of the semifinal, the best 10 drawings were decided by visitors to the site. First and second place were determined by a panel of judges on the December 22, while third, fourth and fifth place in each age category was decided by online voting. The panel of judges includes Uniastrum Bank President Gagik Zakaryan, Bank.ru CVO Yelena Ishcheeva, as well as the celebrities Dmitri Dibrov, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Boris Grachevsky, and Tatiana Vedeneeva.

  The Sunny Island contest attracted more than 1,500 children, a total of 1,657 entries, and around 89,000 votes. Every day the competition website attracted over 1,500 visitors.

  The prizes included a holiday to Cyprus for two, Apple ipads, professional art kits, photo albums, and graphics tablets. Each week a drawing kit was awarded for the best 10 entries. Also in December a special prize draw was held for all entrants. As well as prizes, on December 14 Cyprus’s Ambassador to Russia Petros Kestoras and his wife Maria personally welcomed youngsters who had taken part in the nationwide online drawing contest Sunny Island at their residence in Moscow. In his message of greeting Mr. Kestoras noted that the ultimate purpose of the contest accorded perfectly with the official policy of the Cypriot Embassy in Moscow, namely to work to strengthen and extend the already close and friendly ties between Cyprus and Russia.