Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, views exhibition stands after the signing ceremony for Western Rapid Diameter construction, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Left: St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. 2nd right: VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin.23.12.2011#1008456
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 4th right, views exhibition stands after the signing ceremony for Western Rapid Diameter construction, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Foreground left: St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. From right: Gazprombank CEO Andrei Akimov, Vnesheconombank chairman Vladimir Dmitriyev and VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin.23.12.2011#1008455
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, background, center left, attends the signing ceremony for Western Rapid Diameter construction, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Background, center right: St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. Foreground, from left: Vnesheconombank chairman Vladimir Dmitriyev, VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin, and Gazprombank CEO Andrei Akimov.23.12.2011#1008454
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 2nd left, after the signing ceremony for Western Rapid Diameter construction, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Left: VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin. Right: Gazprombank CEO Andrei Akimov. 2nd right: St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko.23.12.2011#1008453
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, background center, attends the signing ceremony for Western Rapid Diameter construction, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Foreground, from left: VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin, St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko, and Gazprombank CEO Andrei Akimov.23.12.2011#1008452
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 2nd right, after the signing ceremony for Western Rapid Diameter construction, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Background left: Vnesheconombank chairman Vladimir Dmitriyev. Foreground left: VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin. Foreground right: St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko.23.12.2011#1008451
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008429
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008428
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008427
Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, attends a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008424
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008422
Viktor Karpeyev (2nd left), director of St. Petersburg's Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College, a state secondary vocational education school, and Sergei Borisov (3rd left), president of all-Russia public organization for small and medium businesses, Russia's Support, attend a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008421
From left: Sergei Borisov, president of all-Russia public organization for small and medium businesses, Russia's Support, and Nikolai Vinnichenko, Russian presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal District, attend a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008420
From right: Alexander Galushka, president of the Delovaya Rosiya all-Russia public organization, and Deputy Health and Social Development Minister Alexander Safonov attend a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008419
United Aircraft Corporation president Mikhail Pogosyan attends a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008418
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, chairs a meting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Background left: Education and science minister Andrei Fursenko.23.12.2011#1008417
From right: Alexander Shokрin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and Mikhail Pogosyan, president of the United Aircraft Corporation, attend a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008400
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center, chairs a meeting on training skilled personnel sought after in economy, St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011. Right: St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. Left: Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko.23.12.2011#1008399
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 2nd right, seen in a turner and miller training classroom while visiting the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008384
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center, seen in a circuit installer student training lab while visiting the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008383
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center, seen in a gym hall while visiting the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008381
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, far center, inspects a gym hall while visiting the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008380
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 2nd left, visits the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008379
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, foreground 2nd left, seen in a turner and miller training classroom while visiting the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008378
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 2nd right, seen in a swimming pool while visiting the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008377
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 2nd right, visits the Municipal Engineering Polytechnic College in St. Petersburg, December 23, 2011.23.12.2011#1008376