**Exhibit 12.1**

I, Dmitry Ye. Yerokhin, certify that:

1.                 I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of OpenJoint Stock Company Long-Distance and International TelecommunicationsRostelecom;

2.                 Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untruestatement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to makethe statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statementswere made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.                 Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financialinformation included in this report, fairly present in all material respectsthe financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company asof, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.                 The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible forestablishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined inExchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for thecompany and have:

(a)          Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused suchdisclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, toensure that material information relating to the company, including itsconsolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)         Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls andprocedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectivenessof the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period coveredby this report based on such evaluation; and

(c)          Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internalcontrol over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by theannual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely tomaterially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.                 The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, basedon our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, tothe company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board ofdirectors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)          All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the designor operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonablylikely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarizeand report financial information; and

(b)         Anyfraud, whether or not material, that involves Rostelecom’s management or otheremployees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control overfinancial reporting.
| Date: June 30, 2006 |                                 |
|--------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|                          | /s/ Dmitry Ye. Yerokhin              |   |
|                     | Dmitry Ye. Yerokhin                  |
|                     | General Director (CEO) of            |
|                     | OJSC Long-Distance and International |
|                     | Telecommunications Rostelecom        |

 

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