OREANDA-NEWS. March 05, 2010. Mr. Maxim Chernin, CEO of IC Allianz ROSNO Life, and Igor Podzigun, Director General of the Russian Culture Fund (RCF), have signed a cooperation agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to join efforts of the company and the Fund with regard to supporting orphan children and children from poor families under the social project "Podarok Rebenku" (Gift to a Child) implemented by Allianz ROSNO Life since 2008. The Agreement will enable the project to engage those children who are most talented in art, from various Russian regions. The agreement signing ceremony was held on 03 March in the A.P. Chekhov Home Museum, reported the press-centre of ROSNO.

Implemented by Allianz ROSNO Life since 2008, the social project "Gift to a Child" aims to attract charity funds to accumulative life insurance to the benefit of orphaned children and homeless children.

Pursuant to the project, benefactors (whether private individuals or companies), instead of direct monetary contributions, buy accumulative life insurance policies in favour of the children selected for participation by education departments or special authorized funds. Allianz ROSNO Life acts as a guarantor in terms of forming and accumulating funds with subsequent payment of the final amount to the children participating in the project. The main idea behind the project is that, once the child turns 18, he or she receives the adult’s starting capital that can be spent in any of the following ways: university tuition, necessary medical treatment, first installment for the purchased housing; or furtherance of musical, art and other talents.

Overall, in 2008 and 2009, about 100 children received accumulative life insurance policies under the project "Gift to a Child". In May 2009, the project "Gift to a Child" was awarded with Russia’s sole national insurance premium "Golden Salamander" in the nomination "Social Project of the Year 2008".

The solemn ceremony dedicated to the signing of the agreement was attended by Mr. Igor Podzigun, Director General of RCF, Ms. Larisa Nazarova, manager of the project "RCF Scholars", Mr. Hannes Chopra, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Allianz ROSNO Life, head of Allianz Eurasia and CEO of ROSNO, and Mr. Maxim Chernin, CEO of Allianz ROSNO Life.

During the solemn ceremony, two children — the first project participants from the Russian Culture Fund (12-year old Anton Konovalov, a pupil of the regional specialized musical school of the city of Kurgan, laureate of numerous musical awards for piano play, who is an orphan, and a 11-year old Pavlik Lushakov, a pupil of the Children’s Musical School No.2 of the city of Kirov, laureate of city, regional and international piano contests, who grows in a poor multichildren family — were awarded the accumulative life insurance policies. This gift to the boys was made by IC ROSNO and Mr. Leonid Yafarkin, benefactor from the city of Kirov . Upon their coming of age, both boys will receive a starting capital in the total amount of over 300 thousand roubles.

Mr. Maxim Chernin, CEO of Allianz ROSNO Life, commented on the essence of the project implemented by the company as follows: "Life insurance is a manifestation of love. Our project "Podarok Rebenku" (Gift to a Child), through its accumulative life insurance policy, enables benefactors to provide targeted assistance to a particular child chosen by themselves — for his or her talent and achievements, for the kindness of his or her eyes, for the smile, for his or her destiny, which due to some reasons has not been too gracious. I am confident that the support of the Russian Culture Fund will enable us to do even more for those children who need help very much, and in 2010 even more talented children will join our project".