The state award of the Italian Republic, the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy (Ordine della Stella d’Italia nel grado di Cavaliere), was granted to the Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Bank Mikhail Alekseev. The awarding ceremony took place at the Embassy of Italy on May 13, 2016. Cesare Maria Ragaglini the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Russia presented the Order in a solemn atmosphere.

«Since the beginning of my work in Moscow I saw how willingly Mikhail Alekseev paid attention to all Embassy initiatives, whether it was economic, cultural or artistic event. Let me also add that it is a real pleasure for me personally and my staff to talk with Mikhail on finance topics, to find out his view on the state of economic relations between our countries», said Cesare Maria Ragaglini, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Russia, at the ceremony.

The Order is awarded to Italian citizens residing abroad and foreigners for outstanding achievements in the development of friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and other countries, as well as for the development of ties with Italy. The award is signed by the President of Italy on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs after consulting the Council of the Order.

Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Bank Mikhail Yurievich Alekseev was awarded the Knight of the Order for exceptional contribution to the development of Russian-Italian relations in financial and economic sphere, as well as support of the organization of cultural events that help to strengthen the ties between Russia and Italy.

Professional career of Mr. Alekseev has associated with Italy for many years — since 2008 he has been a head of UniCredit Bank, the largest bank with foreign participation in Russia representing the Italian UniCredit Group in the country. UniCredit Bank is an active and successful participant in the cultural and social life of the community, following the model of UniCredit corporate social responsibility. As a part of the European banking group, for which Italy and Russia — among the key markets, the Bank is committed to the strengthening of Russian-Italian relations as in business area as in art and culture. Thanks to its 27 years of experience in the financial sector and strong positions in the Russian banking market UniCredit Bank is a key partner for 80% of the total number of Italian companies operating in Russia. Mikhail Alekseev contributed to this activity in the financial industry, taking active part in supporting a productive business relationship between the companies in Russia and Italy, which was also confirmed by the nomination of public award «Golden Bridge» for his contribution to the Italian-Russian relations. In terms of cultural relations, he has also dedicated some of his photographic projects to Italy. Photos by Mr. Alekseev were presented in the book «House of Berg», published by the Embassy of Italy in Moscow.