CONFERENCE SITE AND DATES The Conference will be held from August 30 to September 3, 2004 in the Building of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow. It is located in a beautiful site close to the Center of Moscow-city, Leninskii Prospect and Moskva-river. The address of the Conference site is: 32A, Leninskii Prosp., Moscow 117993, Russia. TRANSPORTATION On August 29 (Sunday) and 30 (Monday) and after the Conference, the Local Organizing Committee will provide international airports - hotel transfer for the participants. The participants are requested to inform the Conference organizers about the arrival time and flight number in advance. Also, the participants will be provided with transportation from the President Hotel to the Conference site as well as to the Social events sites. ACCOMMODATION In August, Moscow is crowded with tourists, and hotel accommodation in the city is problematic. Therefore, the Local Organizing Committee reserved a limited number of rooms in the President Hotel (****) and Sputnik Hotel (***) (see the map). The rates are shown below: President Hotel(BB) Standard Single USD 165 De Lux Single USD 185 De Lux Double USD 205 Junior Suite Single USD 255 Junior Suite Double USD 285 Sputnik Hotel (without breakfast) Standard Single USD 74 Standard Double USD 96 The indicated rates include a special discount given for the Local Organizing Committee. To reserve a room, please contact the Local Organizing Committee via e-mail (nas@ism.ac.ru) or fax (7-495-962-8040/8025) and advise of the dates of your stay and the room category before July 1, 2004. The e-mail confirmation from the Local Organizing Committee will guarantee the hotel reservation. No advance payment is required. VISA FORMALITIES A valid passport and visa are required to enter the Russian Federation. In the majority of countries, such a visa can be obtained from a Russian Consulate on the basis of a formal invitation letter issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Organizing Committee will provide assistance in arranging such an invitation letter for you. Please e-mail a scanned copy of the first page (with photo) of your passport to the Local Organizing Committee (please check the quality of the copy: it should be very clear, otherwise you will be asked to provide a better copy) and e-mail the following personal data (see the Visa Application Form): (1) first name, (2) middle name, (3) last name, (4) sex, (5) date of birth, (6) place of birth, (7) country of birth, (8) citizenship, (9) country and city of permanent residency, (10) passport number, (11) date of passport issue, (12) passport expiration date, (13) affiliation, (14) position, (15) official address (zip code, country, city, street, house/apt., phone, fax - mandatory!), (16) home address, (17) period of stay in the Russian Federation, (18) cities you are planning to visit (Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc., but no more than 5), (19) city where you are planning to apply for visa (city in your country where a Russian Consulate is located). Please, provide this information for all accompanying persons. According to current regulations, we should submit this information to local authorities not earlier than 45 days and not later than 30 days before your visit. Taking into account that some additional paperwork is required, your personal data and a copy of the first page of your passport should be received before July 5, 2004. With later submissions, we cannot guarantee a timely receipt of the formal invitation. The original formal invitation letter will be send to you by express mail. Please provide a correct and complete mailing address to avoid delivery delay. The costs of formal invitation letter and express mailing are included in the Registration Fee. CONFERENCE LANGUAGE All presentations at the Conference will be in English. VIDEO - AUDIO FACILITIES Media-projector and overhead will be available for presentations. Please inform the Organizing Committee in advance if other facilities are required. REGISTRATION FEE Participants USD 500 before July 1, 2004 USD 550 after July 1, 2004 Students USD 300 before July 1, 2004 USD 330 after July 1, 2004 Accompanying persons USD 250 before July 1, 2004 USD 275 after July 1, 2004 The Registration Fee should be transferred in US dollars (or equivalent) to: Beneficiary IEF-Traveller Address 119119, Moscow, Leninsky pr.42, 32-33 Beneficiary account 40702840304203000002 Beneficiary bank ALFA-BANK, Moscow 107078, ul. Mashi Poryvaevoi, 9 S.W.I.F.T. ALFARUMM 1. Correspondent bank of beneficiary's bank JP Morgan CHASE BANK, New York4 New York Plaza, New York, N.Y., 10004, USA S.W.I.F.T. CHAS US 33 Account in corresp. bank № 400927098 2. Correspondent bank of beneficiary's bank IGN BANK,ViennaTuchlauben 8/4 floor,P.O. Box 152A-1011 Vienna, Austria S.W.I.F.T. INGB AT WW Account in corresp. bank № 471268001 WELCOME PARTY The Welcome Party (August 30, 2004) will be held aboard a comfortable ship which will give a wonderful opportunity to see the hystorical sites on scenic banks of the Moskva-river. CONFERENCE BANQUET The Conference Banquet for the participants and accompanying persons (September 2, 2004) will be held in Tsaritsino, a picturesque site of Moscow with a palace and park complex of the XVIII century. The following social events (covered by the Registration Fee) are planned: August 31, 2004 Music Night (with snack-bar) in the A. Borodin Hall of the D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia; September 1 Moscow sightseeing bus tour: Red Square, Novodevichii monastery, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, memorial complex on Poklonnaya Gora, panorama of Moscow from the Vorob'yovi Gori. There is an option to arrange the following social events (not covered by the Registration Fee): Tour to the Moscow Kremlin - a masterpiece of the world culture and Russian architecture, the center of political, spiritual and cultural life of Russia, Uspenskii, Blagoveshchenskii and Arkhangel'skii Cathedrals located in the Kremlin. Rate for one person - USD 36. Tour to the Moscow Kremlin, Uspenskii Cathedral and Oruzheinaya Palata (the Armory) - the oldest museum exhibiting a wonderful collection of domestic and foreign pieces of arts and crafts. Rate for one person - USD 58. Tour to the State Tret'yakov Gallery exhibiting a wonderful collection of Russian icons and the best collection of Russian painting of XVIII-XIX centuries. Tour to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts - one of the biggest museums of world art in Russia, exhibiting collections of domestic and Europe painting. Rate for one person - USD 25. You can also reserve various tours as well as tickets to the Bolshoi Theater after the Conference. Please, send your requests to the official tour-operator of the Conference in advance to: International Ecological Foundation - Traveler Leninskii pr. 42, suite 32-33, Moscow 117119, Russia Ph.: 7-495-938-7319 Ph./FAX: 7-495-1370636. E-mail:meftra@rinet.ru Please, register for the Conference at the assembly hall entrance, Building A, floor 3, Building of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 9 am, August 30, 2004. Please, note that to enter the Building of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences you will have to present your picture ID (passport) to the security officer.