President Congratulates Gas Workers On Gas Field Commissioning

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated gas workers on the commissioning of the Zapolyarnoye gas deposit. During a visit to the field, the head of state stressed that this was "a serious event not only for the gas industry, but for the entire country." Putin was interested in the working conditions and life of the gas workers. The president, in particular, said that the "human factor" was extremely important in the organisation of the work. Vladimir Putin visited a new hostel for workers. He was interested in who built it and which materials were used. Putin was told that the building was constructed out of materials that could withstand the extreme cold. They were designed in Moscow and St. Petersburg-based institutes. Accordingly, a square metre of such housing costs about a thousand dollars.