Expobank
Corporate brand
UnclaimedExpobank is a Russian commercial bank serving corporate, small-business, retail, automotive-finance and investment-banking customers.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Expobank is a Russian commercial banking brand headquartered in Moscow. Established in 1994, it operates as Expobank JSC and is described as a subsidiary of Expobank LLC, a company registered in Cyprus. Its business spans corporate banking for large enterprises, services for small and medium-sized businesses, retail banking, automobile lending, investment banking, asset management and advisory work on mergers, acquisitions and complex structured transactions. The bank has developed largely through acquisitions and integrations. In 2008 it was purchased by the British Barclays Group and renamed Barclays Bank LLC. Investors including Igor Kim acquired the business from Barclays in 2011. The transaction was recognized as a 2011 deal of the year in the mergers-and-acquisitions market, and the institution returned to the Expobank name during a rebranding completed in early 2012. Expobank subsequently expanded through a series of regional and international-bank acquisitions. It acquired Sibbusinessbank in 2012 and consolidated Stromcombank into its Krasnoyarsk branch in 2013. In 2014 it purchased the Czech subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and renamed it Expobank CZ. The Russian bank also acquired MAK-Bank from diamond producer ALROSA in 2015, followed by the Russian subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland in a transaction agreed in 2015 and completed in 2016. In 2017 it completed the acquisition of Yapi Kredi Bank Moscow, which was integrated into Expobank in 2018. A controlling interest in Kurskprombank was agreed in 2019, with the bank merging into Expobank in 2020. The institution has presented itself as a diversified, acquisition-driven bank with capabilities extending beyond traditional deposit and lending products. In 2020 it became the first Russian bank reported to have extended a loan secured by a digital asset. In 2021 it completed its conversion from a limited liability company into a joint-stock company, a change intended to support greater transparency, stronger ratings and further growth. Expobank has a branch presence in major Russian cities, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Kursk, Voronezh, Oryol, Bryansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Belgorod, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Surgut, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Its reported credit assessments have included ruA- from Expert RA and A-.ru from the National Credit Ratings agency, both with stable outlooks. The bank's international relationships have also shaped its recent history. In February 2024, Russian authorities authorized Expobank to acquire the Russian business of HSBC. The sale had reportedly been agreed in 2022 but required regulatory approval. Expobank was designated by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control in December 2023 under Executive Order 14024 for operating in, or having operated in, Russia's financial-services sector. A limited wind-down authorization was issued through March 21, 2024, allowing specified account closures and related transactions subject to blocking requirements. These sanctions materially affect the bank's international operating environment.
History
Expobank was founded in 1994 in Russia and developed into a commercial bank with activities covering corporate, SME and retail customers. Its later identity reflects several ownership changes and a sustained acquisition program. In 2008 Barclays Group acquired the bank and renamed it Barclays Bank LLC. Three years later, investors including Igor Kim bought the business from Barclays. The transaction received recognition in the Russian M&A market, and the bank completed a return to the Expobank name in early 2012. The first major phase of expansion involved Russian regional institutions. Expobank acquired all shares of Sibbusinessbank in September 2012. In December of the same year it agreed to consolidate assets with Stromcombank. Stromcombank continued as Expobank's branch in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and the merger was completed in March 2013. Expobank then expanded outside Russia. In September 2014 it completed the acquisition of LBBW Bank CZ, the Czech subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg. The acquired institution was rebranded Expobank CZ during 2014. In March 2015 the bank announced the acquisition of MAK-Bank from ALROSA, the Russian diamond-mining company; the institution was merged into Expobank in June 2015. Later that year Expobank agreed to acquire the Russian subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The transaction closed in April 2016 and was subsequently recognized by EMEA Finance as a deal of the year for 2015. In December 2017 Expobank completed the acquisition of Yapi Kredi Bank Moscow from Turkey's Yapi Kredi Bankası. Yapi Kredi had entered the Russian market first through a representative office in 1988 and later received a Russian banking license. Its Russian banking operation was integrated into Expobank in 2018. The acquisition strategy continued with Kurskprombank. In 2019 Expobank agreed to purchase a controlling stake in the regional bank, which had operated for more than two decades and was described as the largest bank in Russia's Black Earth region by assets. Kurskprombank was merged into Expobank in January 2020 and continued as the Central Black Earth Region Branch under the Expobank brand. The bank also pursued newer forms of financial activity. In August 2020 it was reported to have become the first Russian bank to issue a loan secured by a digital asset. In August 2021 Expobank completed a legal reorganization from a limited liability company into a joint-stock company. The stated objectives included improving transparency, supporting ratings and enabling continued organic growth. Expobank's business includes lending and payments for large companies and SMEs, retail services, car finance, investment banking, asset management and advisory services for acquisitions and structured transactions. Its branch network extends across many of Russia's largest cities. The bank has received Russian credit assessments including ruA- from Expert RA and A-.ru from the National Credit Ratings agency, each reported with a stable outlook. The bank's recent history has been affected by geopolitical restrictions. In December 2023 OFAC designated Expobank under Executive Order 14024 for activity in Russia's financial-services sector. A time-limited authorization permitted certain wind-down transactions and account closures through March 21, 2024, subject to blocking rules for payments involving sanctioned parties. In February 2024 Russian authorities authorized Expobank to acquire HSBC's Russian division. The transaction had reportedly been agreed in 2022, but regulatory permission was required. These developments place Expobank's current operations within a heavily restricted Russian banking environment.
- 2024
HSBC Russian business acquisition authorized
[1]Russian authorities authorized Expobank to acquire HSBC's Russian division.
- 2023
Designated under U.S. Russia-related sanctions
[1]OFAC designated Expobank under Executive Order 14024 for activity in Russia's financial-services sector.
- 2021
Reorganized as a joint-stock company
[1]Expobank completed its conversion from a limited liability company into a joint-stock company.
- 2020
Kurskprombank merged and digital-asset-backed loan issued
[1]Kurskprombank was merged into Expobank, and Expobank was reported to have issued Russia's first loan secured by a digital asset.
- 2019
Kurskprombank controlling stake agreed
[1]Expobank agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Kurskprombank.
- 2018
Yapi Kredi integrated
[1]Yapi Kredi Bank Moscow was merged into Expobank.
- 2017
Yapi Kredi Bank Moscow acquisition completed
[1]Expobank completed the acquisition of Yapi Kredi Bank Moscow.
- 2016
RBS Russian subsidiary acquired
[1]The acquisition of the Royal Bank of Scotland's Russian subsidiary was completed.
- 2015
MAK-Bank and RBS transactions
[1]Expobank acquired MAK-Bank from ALROSA and agreed to purchase the Russian subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
- 2014
Czech subsidiary acquired and rebranded
[1]Expobank acquired LBBW Bank CZ and renamed it Expobank CZ.
Products and positioning
A diversified Russian commercial bank combining corporate and retail banking with automobile finance, investment banking, asset management and transaction advisory. Its growth profile has been shaped by repeated acquisitions and the integration of regional and foreign-owned banking businesses.
Banking
Corporate banking
Services for large corporate customers, including lending, account services and transaction support. Expobank also advises corporate clients on complex structured transactions and mergers and acquisitions.
Banking
SME banking
Banking and financing services for small and medium-sized enterprises. The offering forms part of Expobank's broader commercial-banking franchise and regional branch network.
Banking
Retail banking
Consumer-facing banking services for individual customers. Specific current products are not detailed in the supplied reference material.
Consumer finance
Automobile lending
Vehicle-finance products for retail customers, identified as one of Expobank's principal business lines.
Investment banking
Investment banking and advisory
Investment-banking capabilities include mergers-and-acquisitions execution, advisory support and assistance with complex structured transactions.
Asset management
Asset management
Asset-management services are included within Expobank's stated financial-services scope, although the supplied material does not specify individual funds or products.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2024
Acquisition of HSBC's Russian division authorizedM&ABackground
Expobank had reportedly reached an agreement to acquire HSBC's Russian business in 2022, but the transaction required Russian government authorization.
Action taken
Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized Expobank to acquire the division.
Aftermath
The acquisition received regulatory approval in February 2024. The supplied material does not establish the final closing date or purchase consideration.
2021
Conversion into a joint-stock companyStrategyBackground
Expobank pursued a legal restructuring intended to strengthen transparency, ratings and its capacity for continued growth.
Action taken
The bank changed its legal form from a limited liability company to a joint-stock company.
Aftermath
The reorganization was completed in August 2021. The supplied material does not quantify its subsequent financial effects.
2020
Loan secured by a digital assetOtherBackground
Expobank sought to apply emerging digital-asset infrastructure to secured lending in Russia.
Action taken
The bank extended a loan secured by a digital asset and was reported as the first Russian bank to do so.
Aftermath
The transaction was presented as a notable innovation in the Russian banking market; further commercial scale or financial results are not specified.
Sources1 sources
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