With the government grappling with sanctions and austerity, and Russia's economy only meekly emerging from a recession, budget contributions from Gazprom in the form of dividends are more important than ever. The sprawling business, which controls the world's largest reserve of natural gas, is 50 percent owned by the government, with the remainder trading on exchanges in London and Moscow. Wary of its politicized management, though, investors have mostly stayed away in recent years. From a peak market capitalization of $367 billion in May 2008, Gazprom's value has plummeted, sitting at around $52 billion on Monday.