The "Ost-West" Association is one of the most influential business structures in the city: today it embraces over 40 enterprises. The initiative of joining together belonged to Valentin Kovalevsky, the Association's President, who, in 1989, opened the Schwabsky Domik restaurant, one of the first joint ventures in Russia.
The idea of forming the Association was dictated by the wish to survive and to have the chance of operating normally in the very complicated situation in the Russian market. At the same time, the purpose of the Association was to stimulate and develop the restaurant business and the art of cuisine in the best traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia.
The "Ost-West" development strategy is based on two main principles: firstly, the Association's enterprises traditionally specialize in commerce and gastronomy, and secondly, they form a multi-level structure, reflecting the interests of different strata of society.
Today the Association embraces restaurants, cafes, bars, night clubs, trade houses, beauty salons and a sports club. "Ost-West" is a non-profit Association executing certain functions as a holding company. Its major activities are consultations on investment policy, planning, taxation, marketing and auditing. The Association finances new projects, renders legal assistance to its members in complicated cases. A mutual assistance system exists in the Association: enterprises operating more successfully give credit to the developing ones on a mutually advantageous basis.
The Association invests considerable sums in the city's infrastructure. Opening its enterprises in the center of St. Petersburg, as well as on the outskirts, "Ost-West" undertakes capital repair works and restoration of the buildings, which are to house new establishments. The volume of the total investment of the "Ost-West" Association had reached more than $15 million by 2004. During 15 years the "Ost-West" enterprises assigned more than $7 million for taxes and other payments to budgets of different levels as well as to non-budget funds. The "Ost-West" enterprises gave the city around 1,5 thousand jobs.
The Association carries out a vast charity programme: to support handicapped people, the needy, educational institutions and for other charity purposes it spent over $2 million. During the years of its existence the "Ost-West" association has gained an excellent reputation.
Constantly developing itself, the "Ost-West" Association simultaneously strives to create a new cultural level of the city in full accordance with its motto: "Elite. Proper. Reasonable. 'Ost-West’ Association".
The idea of forming the Association was dictated by the wish to survive and to have the chance of operating normally in the very complicated situation in the Russian market. At the same time, the purpose of the Association was to stimulate and develop the restaurant business and the art of cuisine in the best traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia.
The "Ost-West" development strategy is based on two main principles: firstly, the Association's enterprises traditionally specialize in commerce and gastronomy, and secondly, they form a multi-level structure, reflecting the interests of different strata of society.
Today the Association embraces restaurants, cafes, bars, night clubs, trade houses, beauty salons and a sports club. "Ost-West" is a non-profit Association executing certain functions as a holding company. Its major activities are consultations on investment policy, planning, taxation, marketing and auditing. The Association finances new projects, renders legal assistance to its members in complicated cases. A mutual assistance system exists in the Association: enterprises operating more successfully give credit to the developing ones on a mutually advantageous basis.
The Association invests considerable sums in the city's infrastructure. Opening its enterprises in the center of St. Petersburg, as well as on the outskirts, "Ost-West" undertakes capital repair works and restoration of the buildings, which are to house new establishments. The volume of the total investment of the "Ost-West" Association had reached more than $15 million by 2004. During 15 years the "Ost-West" enterprises assigned more than $7 million for taxes and other payments to budgets of different levels as well as to non-budget funds. The "Ost-West" enterprises gave the city around 1,5 thousand jobs.
The Association carries out a vast charity programme: to support handicapped people, the needy, educational institutions and for other charity purposes it spent over $2 million. During the years of its existence the "Ost-West" association has gained an excellent reputation.
Constantly developing itself, the "Ost-West" Association simultaneously strives to create a new cultural level of the city in full accordance with its motto: "Elite. Proper. Reasonable. 'Ost-West’ Association".
