Krasnodar, March 09, 2005:Southern Telecommunications Company (“UTK”) (RTS: KUBN, KUBNP; OTC USA: STJSY), the principal fixed-line telecommunications provider for Russia’s Southern Federal District, reports that on March 5, 2005 its Board of Directors considered the proposals of the Company’s shareholders in accordance with statutory procedures and adopted the decision to approve the list of candidates to be elected to the Board of Directors and the Auditing Commission of the Company.  Members of the Board of Directors and the Auditing Commission will be elected at the next Annual General Shareholders Meeting.

Candidates for UTK’s Board of Directors:

Kuznetsov Sergey Ivanovich – First Deputy Director General, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Belov Vadim Evgenievich - Deputy Director General, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Romsky Georgy Alekseevich – General Director of "UTK" PJSC;
Panchenko Stanislav Nikolaevich - Deputy Director General, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Avdiyants Stanislav Petrosovich - Executive Director - Director of the Department for Economic and Tariff Policy, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Chechelnitsky Evgeny Aleksandrovich – Deputy head of the Federal Service for supervision in the sphere of telecommunications;
Yuriev Vladimir Pavlovich – Head of the Economy, Finance and State Property Department of the Federal Agency of Telecommunications;
Zabuzova Elena Viktorovna – Director of the Economic Planning and Budgeting Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Belyaev Konstantin Vladimirovich – Chief Accountant, “Svyazinvest” OJSC ;
Lebedev Mikhail Alekseevich – Head of the section of the Capital Investments Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC ;
Veremyanina Valentina Fedorovna – Head of the section of the Legal Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC ;
Fedorov Oleg Romanovich – Executive Director, United Financial Group, Moscow;
Kulikov Denis Viktorovich – Expert, Investor Protection Association (non-commercial organization), Moscow;
Vasilyev Mikhail Borisovich – Head of the Representative Office of “NCH Advisors Inc.” in Saint Petersburg;
Gavrilenko Anatoly Anatolievich – General Director of CJSC "Leader" (pension fund assets management company);
Brylkov Vladislav Viktorovich – Deputy General Director of CJSC "Leader" (pension fund assets management company).

Candidates for UTK’s Auditing Commission

Umnova Elena Vladimirovna – Director of the Finance Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Charkovsky Vyacheslav Yurievich – Senior expert of the Accounting Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Kovalenko Gennady Ivanovich – Head of the section of the Legal Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC;
Chernikova Tamara Alekseevna – Head of the section of the Finance Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC; ";
Loshakov Dmitry Anatolievich – Senior expert of the Economic Planning and Budgeting Department, “Svyazinvest” OJSC