After the discovery of oil fields, Baku became a special place, where various economic and political interests of international coalitions, industrial clans and leaders were concentrated and clashed. VK begins publishing chapters from the book by Ismail Agakishiyev "History of the Baku Oil Industry and the Second Oil Boom (second half of the 19th century - beginning of the 20thcentury)" The book presents a historical analysis of the emergence and current state of the Azerbaijani oil industry.
In 1995, the oil company LUKOIL witnessed major structural changes. In the opinion of the vice-president of LUKOIL, the director general of LUKOIL - Western Siberia, Semyon Vainshtok, it was dictated by the "growth of the company as a result of new enterprises and an increase in the number of large-scale projects, including foreign ones, which require a revision of the former structure in view of maintaining effective management of all its composite parts." A single management of the complex of enterprises included in LUKOIL-Western Siberia was established. LUKOIL also included Permneft. LUKOIL was the first company in Russia to develop and launch a comprehensive program aimed at independently overcoming the financial difficulties that, to some extent, were faced by most refineries.
The LUKOIL company has always paid great attention to strengthening cultural ties between Russia and Azerbaijan. A wonderful Russian publication called "Nashe Naslediye" [Our Heritage], dedicated to the culture of Russia, is very popular in Azerbaijan. Performances of leading Russian artists have been organized in Baku. LUKOIL participated in the publication of works of Azerbaijani scholars in Russia. Particularly noteworthy is the financial support by LUKOIL for the Independent Association of Researchers of Azerbaijani History. LUKOIL has financed the publication of a book of a legendary historian, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Zia Buniatov. It was the first publication of a critical study of the work of Ali ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi, private secretary to the last representative of the Khwarazmian dynasty, Sultan Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu in Azerbaijan (in addition to the Arabic text the book contains a translation into Russian and comments). The book was the result of 20 years of research by the academician, who in 1988 had already given the manuscript to the publishing house Nauka. It was supposed to be published in 1992, but that did not happen due to infamous events. Yet LUKOIL has turned the dreams of the scholar into reality. The company has spent 45 thousand dollars on the publication of the book. The president of the company, Vladimir Alekperov, was present at the presentation of the book, which took place on April 4, 1996 at the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. Expressing his gratitude to the company, the distinguished academician noted that "the description of history which took place 600 years ago by an eyewitness is of particular interest."
As a result of the joint efforts of LUKOIL and the Italian oil company Agip, six tons of medical supplies worth a total of 300 thousand dollars were delivered to Baku. One third of this medicine was given to the oil workers hospital. The Russian community in Azerbaijan was also in the focus of the company. The LUKOIL company helped her in publishing newspapers, and conducting a number of events. In June 1996 LUKOIL was the first foreign oil company operating in Azerbaijan to establish a charitable foundation, which brought together all the philanthropic activities of LUKOIL and structured them. The fund united more than 150 employees of the company's subsidiaries, while its highest governing body - the board of trustees - was chaired by the director general of LUKOIL, Baky Fikret Aliyev and the CEO of the fund, Sergei Sosnovtsev. Rustam Bagirov was appointed general representative of the foundation. Over the years, the foundation has implemented a range of events in the framework of charity programs among the poor classes of society, families of refugees, families of those killed in the war, refugee children and war invalids. The treatment of citizens was financed. For example, 100 thousand dollars were allocated to the operation and treatment of one of the patients. The foundation rendered assistance to the families of those killed in a terrorist attack in the Baku metro.
The charity fund pays great attention to cultural programs. The most significant initiatives were the financing of a TV festival of "Brain Ring," of a series of international meetings of the Baku KVN comedy team, the publication of various editions of Russian and Azerbaijani authors, the organization of concerts of bands from Russia and Azerbaijan and the funding of a trip of the famous children's ensemble "Dzhudzhalyarim" in Turkey. The foundation has published a two-volume encyclopedia of the Azerbaijani national epic "Dede Gorgud". In response to the address of the Ambassador of Russia to Azerbaijan, A. Blokhin, to the president of LUKOIL, the board of trustees of the Baku charitable fund took the decision to renovate School № 1 (in 1997 it celebrated its centenary), which required $100,000. The fund also financed the renovation of the Vurgun Russian Drama Theatre.
On October 1st 1999 in Baku the president of LUKOIL celebrated the opening of a new office building. Previously, the company's headquarters had been located in the former Heigel Hotel. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. The head of the Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus, Shaykh al- Islam A. Pashazade, and the head of the Baku Caspian Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, Bishop Alexander, gave their blessings.
According to V. Alekperov, the activities of LUKOIL in Baku are fully supported by "governmental bodies in Russia. We work in close cooperation with the Embassy of Russia in Azerbaijan in this field." It is in this context that the company has been working in an international consortium to develop the Azeri, Chirag and deepwater Gunashli oil fields. On September 20th 1994 Russia and Azerbaijan signed an oil contract. According to Alekperov, in the project LUKOIL "is fully responsible for financing 10% of the total costs involved in all activities of the consortium of foreign companies in Azerbaijan. Representatives of the companies are members of the committee of the contract and the management committee."
