"One of the benefits of Sberbank, on a par with public confidence, is the vast inherited chain of branches. It is, however, something of a burden because some branches operate at a loss. Sberbank cannot abolish this chain. In a way, you pay for government support by maintaining this chain. We cannot afford to close local Sberbank offices before there are other opportunities for quality bank services in every Russian town and village."
Vladimir Putin At the meeting with Sberbank top managers