In the book "Russia 2010," which offers alternative visions of Russia in the years ahead, Moscow-based Inkombank announces the acquisition of the United States' seventh-largest bank.


In reality, the Russian bank's president, Vladimir Vinogradov, is no less ambitious.


"My civic responsibility consists of making Inkombank into the Deutsche Bank of this country in five to 10 years," he said in a recent interview.


Inkombank's potential acquisitiveness was highlighted in Daniel Yergin and Thane Gustafson's futurology book "Russia 2010 and What it Means for the World" that attempts to say what will happen to Russia in the next 15 or so years. It was published earlier this year.


But so far Vinogradov runs only the second largest Russian commercial bank, with assets of 14.05 trillion rubles ($3.12 billion).


It is small in international terms but has seen explosive growth in the past year, with 1994 pretax profits up more than eight times to 290 billion rubles.


Deutsche, one of Europe's biggest commercial banks, had assets of 632 billion marks ($456 billion) at the end of June. Pretax profits were 3.2 billion marks in 1994.


"I think my task is important. A country like Russia should have its Deutsche Bank and maybe not just one," Vinogradov said.


Inkombank plans to sell new shares equivalent to nearly a quarter of its capital to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and to "one of the biggest German banks."


"This work is under way and it is unlikely to be completed this year," Vinogradov said. It also plans to issue American Depository Receipts, bearer documents allowing trading in its shares in the United States, worth about $30 million.


Vinogradov, 39, is one of the stars of Russia's emerging economy, traveling the world to promote his bank.


He began his career as a specialist in aircraft engines, and a model of Russia's new Tupolev Tu-204 airliner stands on a bookcase in his office. An unfurled Russian flag and a photograph of President Boris Yeltsin hang on one wall.


Vinogradov turned to banking in 1987 and rose to be senior economist in the Soviet Promstroibank before helping found Inkombank in 1988.


The Russian banking system has some way to go to catch up with Germany's.


Many of the 2,500 or so lenders are little more than currency exchange shops that have been able to turn a profit in speculation against the ruble.


Retail banking is in its infancy, and bankers and economists are constantly dreaming up schemes to persuade Russians to take their savings from under the mattresses and bank them.


But things are changing. Russian banks started issuing credit cards two years ago, and the first cash machines are appearing on the streets. Branch offices are decorated in gilt and shiny wood in an effort to lure customers through the doors.


Refurbished bank buildings stand out in the grim Moscow cityscape. Inkombank, like other institutions, is also active in charity work, funding hospitals and even restoring churches.


But the system took a jolt in August when the entire interbank market froze as Moscow commercial banks were hit by a sudden crisis of liquidity and confidence. Many banks simply stopped lending to each other, fearing they would not be repaid.


Vinogradov said that after the crisis, Inkombank had around $60 million frozen in accounts of banks that had lost liquidity.


"Over the past month, a colossal amount of work has been done to get this money back and now our losses are the equivalent of $7 million," he said. He thought these losses could eventually be cut to some $3 million to $4 million.


Most economists believe the credit crunch will herald a much-needed shakeout in the banking system. The process is already under way, with bigger institutions swallowing weaker ones. The central bank has withdrawn several banks' licenses.


"I think a process of recovery has begun and we are beginning to meet Western standards," Vinogradov said.


Inkombank was one of a group of powerful banks that earlier this year offered to manage state-owned shares in exchange for loans to the government. It later pulled out of the scheme.


"The government plans to take credits from banks in exchange for shares which banks will not own but will only hold in trust. This is not full collateral," Vinogradov said.


The government hopes the scheme will raise three trillion rubles ($670 million) this year.


Vinogradov's name has been linked with the highest banking position in the land -- head of the central bank.


Some Russian bankers have said the central bank should be led by someone from within the commercial banking sector, and parliament has refused to confirm the current acting head, Tatyana Paramonova, in her post.


Vinogradov, a strong critic of central bank policy, denied that he opposes Paramonova but said he had agreed, after being asked many times by banking colleagues, to be "third or fifth candidate" on a list to head the central bank.


However, he said he had no plans to change jobs.


"I know what needs to be done," he said, "and I think it would now be difficult to find someone who knew better than me what needs to be done to make my bank into a Deutsche Bank."