Russia's wood industry stands to benefit from the country's status as a financial pariah, with domestic wood manufacture improving and exports to some markets growing as the Ruble falls in value against world currencies. 

Russia, which currently supplies about 40 percent of softwood lumber to the Chinese market, increased shipments by as much as 32 percent during the second quarter - a much greater increase than China's 19 percent overall import rise in lumber and logs in that time period. 

In its latest financial report, woodworking technology company Biesse said Russia and China were the biggest contributors to its 14.8 percent sales gains among the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China. Swiss investors recently targeted Russia's Sudoma lumber mill for investment after the government named it a "strategic project."

And two big woodworking shows recently took place in Russia. Lesprom Ural Professional last month in Yekaterinburg, a main exhibition for furniture, furniture accessories and woodworking machinery, attracted 6,000 visitors, and featured a German pavilion with 16 exhibitors, including Altendorf, Michael Weinig, Holz-Her, LEUCO, LINCK, GreCon, Hundegger, VenJacob Maschinenbau and Vollmer Werke. Also ExpoDrev Russia (shown above) was staged from September 9-12 in Krasnojarsk, Russia, drawing 4,000.