The Board of Directors has set the date for the extraordinary shareholders meeting of OJSC North Western Telecom, as well as the procedure and deadline for nominating candidates to the position of director general of OJSC North Western Telecom.  The meeting is to be held in absentia on September 6, 2002.  The list of individuals eligible to take part in the meeting is to be drawn up as of July 29, 2002.  The deadline for mailing ballot sheets to shareholders is August 16, 2002.  Shareholders (a shareholder) who hold at least 2 percent of the voting shares in OJSC North Western Telecom are entitled to make one nomination to the position of director general.  The deadline for submitting nominations is two weeks following the publication of the announcement in Izvestiya.  The Board of Directors is required to consider the nominations and adopt a resolution on the nominees who are to be placed on the ballot sheets no later than five days after the deadline elapses for nominating candidates.  Shareholders can familiarize themselves with information on the candidates from August 16 through September 6.  The list includes the shareholders' written consent to nominations, a draft version of items on the agenda and resolutions of the Board of Directors concerning preparations for the meeting.