Russia's Polyus Gold posts 85 pct profit fall

* Writes off $472 mln after gold price slide

* On track to produce up to 1.65 mln oz in 2014 (Adds details, context)

MOSCOW, March 25 (Reuters) - Russia's biggest gold miner Polyus Gold (MCX: PLZL.ME - news) posted an 85 percent fall in full-year profit, hit by a $472 million impairment charge because of the plunge in gold prices last year, the company said on Tuesday.

Polyus said its average gold price fell 17 percent in 2013 and profit from continuing operations dropped to $143 million, against $965 million in 2012.

Without the write-offs, primarily related to its Nezhdaninskoye, Degdekanskoye and Kuranakh deposits in Russia, the company's profit from continuing operations would have fallen 42 percent to $564 million.

Its 2013 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for the impairment charge, were down 30 percent to $910 million, beating the concensus forecast of $859 million in a Reuters poll of analysts.

Polyus, part-owned by businessman Suleiman Kerimov, added that it remains on track to produce between 1.58 million troy ounces and 1.65 million ounces in 2014. Its 2013 gold sales were down 14 percent at $2.3 billion. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by David Goodman)