Planning, Developing and Building Cities in Siberia

Siberia delineated from Western Russia by orange line representing Ural mountains.

Far Eastern Federal District shown separate from Siberia yet is clearly Siberia.

After his intense discussion with the Pobeda Committee yesterday, Putin held a meeting on a completely different topic, the development of Far Eastern cities, which focused on the Far Eastern cities of Anadyr, Magadan, and Yakutsk, but also reviewed the current situation in several other key cities.

There’re many spectacular photos of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, this one from late Summer.

Yakutsk in Summer with Lena River in background. Yakutsk is the coldest city in the world and is also the largest city located in continuous permafrost.

Anadyr, Russia’s easternmost town, although there’re other settlements further East that lack town status. Anadyr hosts 13,000+ people.

A portion of Magadan in Winter.

As you see from the photos, the one thing all these locations share is their Arctic location and the challenges of that geography. They are of different sizes and ages. It can be confusing as they’re both in Siberia and Russia’s Far East which have differing names in Russian historically and contemporarily. But that won’t confuse the talk that follows. At the beginning of the discussion as Putin sets the table are two links to the last two discussions (in Russian) on this topic for curious readers to explore to see how the developmental process has unfolded that are just as long as this discussion. And there are other development stories along the coast of the Arctic Ocean that aren’t part of this discussion but are also fascinating. Young and adventurous readers will be happy to know Russia offers the possibility of homesteading in its Far East. And now, development:

Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, good afternoon!

Today we will continue to discuss master plans for the development of Far Eastern cities.

Let me remind you that the decision to launch this large, comprehensive program aimed at improving the quality of life in the Far Eastern regions was made two years ago. And I must say that a lot of work has been done over the past time and certain results have already been achieved.

The first master plan was approved in September 2022 for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The city center is currently being improved, and I hope residents can see positive changes. I would also like to note that thanks to the coordinated and coordinated actions of business, the federal Government and regional authorities, the construction of a large offshore complex for transshipment of liquefied natural gas is also in full swing. This project will increase the supply of Russian LNG and will contribute to the expansion of gasification of the Kamchatka Territory, the growth of its economy and the opening of new jobs. In turn, the regional budget will be able to redirect the savings from switching from fuel oil to gas to the implementation of the master plan.

In March of this year, we reviewed the master plans of five more cities. Among them are Ulan-Ude, Chita, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and two Bam cities-Severobaikalsk and Tynda. Long-term comprehensive measures have also been taken on them, and active work has begun. I hope that in the near future citizens will also be able to see its first results.

Today's agenda includes master plans for three urban agglomerations: Anadyr, Yakutsk and Magadan.

When discussing them, I suggest that we stick to the previous order of work: first, we will identify the most acute and topical issues that concern people, highlight the key factors that hinder the development of these cities, and then outline systematic steps.

By the way, in Yakutsk, we have already started discussing individual events of the master plan with representatives of the republic at the end of May this year at the exhibition on the development of the creative economy in Russia. Then they decided to build a full-cycle film pavilion in Yakutsk. It will allow you to shoot even in the conditions of the local harsh winter, without stopping the process for this difficult climatic period. Please let us know what has already been done for this object.

In general, each of the cities under consideration has many similar problems. First of all, it is, of course, the harsh climate and difficult transport accessibility.

It is obvious that when preparing master plans for the Magadan, Yakutsk and Anadyr agglomerations, key attention should be paid to the creation of modern transport infrastructure, the development of reliable road, air and water links both with other localities in the Far East and with the whole of Russia, so that people can quickly and at a reasonable price get to the right place place, and without unnecessary transfers.

The most important task in this direction is to create an efficient transport hub in the north-east of Russia. To do this, we will have to build a bridge over the Lena River in the Yakutsk region, and we have been talking about this for a long time. Reconstruction of the Kolyma Federal Highway is also planned. Another bridge in Yakutia should be built across the Aldan River. It will provide year-round traffic on the Kolyma highway. We will also talk about this in more detail today.

I repeat: all three cities on our agenda are distinguished by harsh climatic conditions. This dictates its own restrictions in construction and affects the way of life in these cities. And our task is to create decent housing conditions and a comfortable urban environment here using modern building materials and technologies, so that people want to live here, work here, raise their children, so that young specialists come to these districts and regions.

Other priorities include providing affordable food products. Due to their geographical location, isolation from major supply centers, and rather high transportation costs, food products in these cities are more expensive than the average in Russia. Of course, everything is brought by plane. This is especially true in Anadyr and Magadan.

It is necessary to increase support for local producers and provide them with comprehensive assistance. For example, in Anadyr and Magadan, taking into account the available electricity, it will be profitable to build greenhouses. They will help to reduce the prices of vegetables and berries for local residents, in any case, to stabilize this situation here.

Further. The most important priority is to increase the availability and quality of social services and, above all, medical care.

It is necessary to use the existing developments in the field of high technologies, which allow us to conduct consultations remotely, with the involvement of qualified specialists living in other localities. And here I propose to make more active use of the successful experience of Moscow, including expanding cooperation with the capital's center for diagnostics and telemedicine. I know that such work has already begun in Anadyr.

It is clear that this will not completely cover the need for medical personnel. It is also obvious that additional solutions are needed to support the relocation of doctors, junior and secondary medical staff to these cities, including improving the system of financial incentives.

Of course, well-trained specialists are also required in other industries. They are needed to implement investment projects, to realize the rich potential of Yakutsk, Anadyr and Magadan.

We need to think about how to strengthen the vocational education system in these regions and adapt it to the current issues of key employers.

And, of course, the harsh climate of Yakutsk, Anadyr and Magadan requires special approaches to the development of these territories. At the same time, the unique nature of these places attracts tourists, this is obvious. In this sense, these territories have huge opportunities.

Of course, to increase the tourist flow, it is necessary to improve the hospitality industry, build hotels, improve the quality of service, and generally engage in landscaping.

It is known that a lot of efforts are being made to clean cities and ports from domestic and industrial garbage accumulated over the past decades. For example, in Magadan, as you know, a project is being implemented to lift flooded ships and improve the embankment, which has already become a popular place for walking and recreation. This work, of course, should be continued. This includes effectively disposing of scrap metal.

There are a lot of problems in all these points, which we will discuss now. Let's move on to the discussion.

Please, Sergey Konstantinovich Nosov.

Sergey : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

Let me introduce you to the master plan of the city of Magadan, which became the basis for forming strategic decisions for the development of the city and allowed us to evaluate its economy in a new way.

Today, Magadan is a compact and convenient city. It is home to 73 percent of the region's population. Among the significant advantages: good ecology, proximity to the Sea of Okhotsk, high salary and fast career growth. At the same time, all people plan to leave anyway.

A distinctive feature of Magadans was the delayed life syndrome. We asked ourselves: what should be done to prevent the city from becoming a watch? Public discussion, which focused on the young, economically active population, made it possible to determine the needs of residents.

People note the need to solve the following problems: bring the housing stock and social facilities into proper condition, repair roads, equip urban spaces, make them beautiful and comfortable. Then there will be much more people who want to stay here to live or move to Magadan. To solve this problem, we started developing a master plan in 2019. On behalf of Vitaly Mutko, we were allocated a grant from DOM.RF for this purpose. And then, thanks to your direct instructions and the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, using the mechanisms of national projects, the infrastructure menu, and the Far Eastern concession, we have made serious progress in this area towards practical implementation.

During this time, under the patronage of Yuri Petrovich Trutnev and the Ministry of Eastern Development, we have started construction of new modern social, transport and engineering infrastructure facilities.

One of the most striking projects of the master plan is the creation of the sea facade of the city of Magadan. The project is supposed to transform the image of Nagaevskaya Bay. Mayak Park has been created on the site of an abandoned wasteland, the embankment has been landscaped, and the pier has been updated. It is planned to continue coastal protection, construction of a yacht port for small vessels. Now all residents and guests of Kolyma come to admire Nagaev Bay, the park has become a favorite place of recreation for citizens.

An important area of Magadan's development will be the fishing port. Before the beginning of the "zero" years, the port provided a full range of ship maintenance services and hosted the fishing fleet of the Far East regions. By the beginning of the 2000s, the port's berths had fallen into disrepair, and the adjacent water area had become unsafe for navigation due to sunken ships.

I would like to thank the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin, for trusting and supporting our initiative to transfer the management of the fishing port to the region. We have developed an investment declaration, put the territory in order, and simultaneously prepare all the necessary design and technical documentation. Thanks to the "General Cleaning" program, we clean the port's water area from sunken ships. In fact, no one has dealt with this issue for 30 years. Today, for the first time in many years, small fishing vessels have the opportunity to approach its berths.

A fish cluster has been formed, investors have already invested more than 10 billion rubles, and they are ready to invest about 10 billion more in creating new, modern, high-tech production facilities. We have a unique opportunity to revive the fishing industry and once again make it important for the economy of the city and region.

I ask for your support, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, in the implementation of the project for the construction of hydraulic structures of the fishing port.

The high cost of living is one of the main reasons for the outflow of population. Almost all food products are imported. Our experience in 2021 shows that the creation of a greenhouse complex can reduce the cost of vegetables by 40 percent. In order to meet the region's demand and ensure the availability of indoor vegetables, it is necessary to build another such greenhouse complex. Now the payback period of such an object is 7-12 years, which makes this business project not the most attractive. Additional measures of state support can attract investors and make products affordable for our population.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the only alternative to sea cargo delivery is the Kolyma Federal Highway. You have given instructions to bring the Kolyma FAD into a standard state, and much is already being done. At the same time, there is a high accident rate on the highway, which indicates its condition. The ground surface, lack of fencing elements, and difficult terrain do not ensure traffic safety. I believe that the federal highway should not meet the standard of a country road, and I ask you to keep funding for work at the previously planned level.

One of the significant sections of the master plan is the development of housing construction and the creation of social infrastructure facilities. For the first time in 30 years, a new Gorokhovoye Pole microdistrict is being built in the city. I would like to thank Marat Shakirzyanovich Khusnullin and the Russian Ministry of Construction for believing in this project and supporting it.

The construction of a new microdistrict solves important problems: improving housing conditions, resettling dilapidated housing, providing rental apartments for specialists involved in the region-doctors, teachers, employees of federal agencies and qualified personnel in the real sector of the economy.

Socially significant objects are being built in the microdistrict, which are currently absent in the region. For example, an educational center for children with special needs, a rehabilitation center for disabled people. This is where the recovery will take place, including the members of the SVO. The launch of the first stage of the microdistrict is scheduled for the end of 2024.

As part of the integrated development of territories, it is necessary to build engineering and transport infrastructure, but the source of funding has not yet been determined.

I would like to ask you, Mr President, to support the creation of these facilities with federal funding.

Last October, you drew my attention to the insufficient development of social infrastructure, including for ensuring a healthy lifestyle in the region. I would like to report that the situation is changing, and the Presidential Sports Complex, which has been under construction since 2020 on your instructions, is already ready for commissioning.

On your behalf, a new maternity hospital is being built in the city. The need to build this facility has been repeatedly confirmed by the Ministry of Health.

I ask for support for these projects in terms of completing them in the FAIP [federal targeted investment program] or Federal target program format. This will make it possible to launch the maternity hospital in 2024, and the Presidential Health Center-in the near future.

On the recommendation of Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin, we update the rules for improving the territory of the city of Magadan. Yes, unfortunately, the city has abandoned buildings, unfinished buildings and structures that spoil the appearance of the city. Many of them used to belong to ministries of the Soviet Union and federal agencies. We propose to carry out work on cleaning the territory according to the principle of the "General Cleaning" program, which is being successfully implemented in the Far East.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to one more problem. In 2025, the special economic zone regime in the city of Magadan is coming to an end. This unique mode works only thanks to your support. Now the Kuriles have joined it.

But there is one subtle point. At the end of the special economic zone regime, the population who bought cars under the zone more than 10 years ago is obliged to pay customs duties for their import. This is 50 percent of all passenger cars in the city. The one-time payment to the population will amount to about 4.6 billion rubles. Extension of the zone to preserve the customs regime is the best option, according to the Federal Customs Service. I am sure that the right, wise solution will be found for both residents and businesses, as well as the region as a whole.

Summing up, I would like to note that the master plan projects will ensure the development of the city's economy and create modern, comfortable living and working conditions.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like to thank Maxim Stanislavovich [Oreshkin] and his team for their professional and caring approach to our territory, as well as Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov, VEB, DOM.Russian Federation" and KRDV [Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic]. Joint work with federal ministries and development institutes allowed us to find the best solution for Magadan. I want to say thank you for your support and attention to us.

Allow me, on behalf of all Kolyma residents, to invite you to visit Magadan, open the Presidential Sports Complex, personally see the changes in our region and appreciate the beauty of our region. I am sure you will find that the traditional response to an invitation to visit Kolyma – "you'd better come to us" - is no longer relevant.

Thanks for attention.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Sergey Konstantinovich, we have gathered today to discuss further plans for the development of these territories, which I have already mentioned, and just to clarify some things, I want to understand for myself.

You talked about the construction or development of a yacht port, or a yacht marina, or a fishing port. Are these two different things?

Sergey Nosov: They are on different sides of Nagayev Bay. The fishing port is once the famous Marchecan area, where the famous fishing flotilla was bustling with life. It was abandoned, and we started to restore it, because it is probably difficult and wrong to imagine Magadan without the fishing industry.

As for the so-called marine tourist center, in Magadan there is also no possibility to use small vessels for tourism development, and, according to all guests of Kolyma, Magadan, fishing in the waters of Nagaevskaya Bay alone is one of the most attractive and exciting. Therefore, this is a development of tourism, and it is not really connected with the fishing port.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Dmitry Nikolaevich, when we discussed this topic recently, you said that the local authorities want to turn the fishing port into a yacht marina. Did you make a mistake?

: Vladimir Vladimirovich, as for the port. Unfortunately, its current state does not allow it to receive and store catches, so almost all the catch of Magadan fishermen is sent to the port of Vladivostok. The port is really in urgent need of reconstruction, and it is necessary to modernize the infrastructure. Accordingly, two years ago, a decision was made to transfer to the region the authority to conclude a concession agreement with respect to port facilities, with subsequent registration of regional ownership rights to them. This opened up an opportunity for the region to attract private investment, and it was assumed that their amount could exceed 13 billion rubles. However, reconstruction work has not yet begun. But we know that the regional government has developed an investment declaration, which includes the main design solutions and a financial model for the modernization of port facilities.

Accordingly, if this declaration is sent to us, they will send it to the Federal Agency for Fisheries, we are ready for a dialogue, to see what can be done. If there are any calculations, we will give a more detailed answer.

Vladimir Putin: All right. You just told me that the region wants to convert the fishing port into a yacht marina. But it turns out that these are different things, right?

Dmitry Patrushev: Mr President, it turned out, yes, that these are different things, taking into account the governor's information, I accordingly provided information on the fishing port.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Sergey Konstantinovich, you requested that the fishing port be transferred to regional ownership. It was done. And now you are raising the question of how to attract federal funding for its development. And why was it necessary to transfer it to the region then?

Sergey Nosov: First of all, I repeat once again that investment declarations have been developed here, and investors are already investing in business development. We are talking about resources that are necessary for the construction of hydraulic structures, and this is actually always federal or at least regional property, because it is of strategic importance.

Vladimir Putin: So you also transferred this property.

Okay, good. We'll get back to that later.

Please, Aisen Sergeevich. Yakutia.

A. Nikolaev : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear participants of the meeting,

On your instructions, Vladimir Vladimirovich, together with the Moscow General Plan Institute, we have developed a master plan for Yakutsk – the fastest growing city in Siberia and the Far East. Since 2012, our population has grown by almost a quarter – from 296 thousand to 368 thousand people, and now even more.

In modern conditions, we see the development of Yakutsk as a management center of the largest subject of the Russian Federation with a growing industrial, logistics and creative potential, which is important for strengthening Russia's economic and cultural influence in the Asia-Pacific region and in the Arctic.

The city of Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, has all the prerequisites to become the best city in the world for living on permafrost.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, thanks to your personal support, many things have changed for the better in Yakutsk in recent years. Over the past five years, more than 40 large social infrastructure facilities have been built.

I would like to mention the opening last year of a state-of-the-art and unique cardiology center, built thanks to a single presidential grant from the Ministry of Eastern Development. The country is already experiencing a decrease in mortality from circulatory diseases by 8.5 percent – up to 326 cases per 100 thousand people compared to the same period last year.

A lot of work is being done on national projects. As part of the national project" Healthcare", the construction of a large cancer center is being completed, which is being carried out on your behalf in 2014. Construction readiness of the facility today is already 90 percent. According to the conclusion of Glavgosexpertiza dated February 21 of this year, there was an additional need related to the rise in the cost of building materials and equipment.

Pursuant to the order of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin to finance and complete the construction of the facility in 2023, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation proposed to allocate funds from the Reserve Fund. But the Government's decision has not yet been made, and Mr President, I would very much like you to give instructions to allocate 1,800 million rubles from the Reserve Fund in order to introduce the long-awaited and most important healthcare facility for the republic by the end of this year. We can definitely complete all the construction work this year.

Thanks to the project "Sport-the norm of life", construction of an indoor ice rink and a multifunctional sports hall has begun, which will be introduced in 2024, when Yakutsk will host the VIII International Games "Children of Asia".

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I thank you for supporting this large-scale project, which has been bringing together children from all over Asia and Russian regions for almost 30 years. Today it is the only international multi-sport project for children, and we are proud that it is our Russian project. Delegations from at least 35 countries are expected to attend the games, with more than 2,800 participants, including about 1,600 young athletes.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, allow me to invite you to the opening of the VIII International Games "Children of Asia". For our part, we will do everything possible to make the upcoming games the best ever.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, residents of the entire republic and, of course, the city of Yakutsk were very enthusiastic when you said at a meeting with graduates of the Higher School of Public Administration on July 4 that the bridge over the Lena River will definitely be built, and today we heard these words. For us, the construction of the Lensky Bridge is a key, supporting object of the Yakutsk master plan. Yakutsk today remains the only regional center with a population of over 200 thousand people that does not have a year-round connection, except for air, with the country's main transport network. For more than five months of the year, we are virtually isolated from the Mainland. This is a huge problem for people, and it is a brake on the fast-growing economy of the republic.

Work on the preparation of bridge platforms, reconstruction of electric and gas supply networks, fiber-optic networks is already in full swing, these works have already been completed on the left bank, and by the end of the year they will be completed on the right bank of the Lena River.

Pursuant to your instruction of November 9, 2019, the design documentation of the Lensky Bridge has been worked out in detail at the level of Marat Shakirzyanovich Khusnullin. At present, the state expertise is almost complete, and I just spoke with the head of Glavgosexpertiza [Igor] Manylov today. The cost of the bridge will be 130 billion rubles, no more, including VAT.

Taking into account the high degree of readiness of the project, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I ask you to instruct the Russian Government to determine the sources of funding from the federal budget for the construction of the Lensky Bridge in the amount of at least 65 billion rubles, or at least 50 percent of the investment volume, starting this year, as well as to provide for the allocation of funds in the form of a budget loan of 25 billion rubles to ensure the regional part of funding.

The Lensky Bridge will connect three federal and five regional highways, the Amur-Yakutsk Railway, the airport, the river port, and increase the republic's transport accessibility more than fourfold – from 20 to 87 percent. The bridge will transform Yakutsk, expand its agglomeration area and boost its economy.

With your support, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the construction and opening of the Lensky Bridge will be an event that has never been equaled in importance in the almost four-century history of Yakutsk.

Until the bridge is built, Yakutsk Airport connects the capital of the republic with the whole country all year round. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for the year 2021, when at the height of the forest fires, the first stage of the runway was certified as soon as possible on your instructions. This made it possible to reverse the most difficult situation with fires with the help of aviation and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. This year, on May 15, the final stage of the lane reconstruction began. To date, the work is at the final stage, but the deadline has already been shifted by half a month. Please instruct the Russian Ministry of Transport to take exhaustive measures to complete the construction and installation works, and the Federal Air Transport Agency to certify the Yakutsk airfield as soon as possible.

Sociological studies in the framework of preparing the master plan have shown that residents, of course, are concerned about problems related to dilapidated and dilapidated housing, the quality of roads, the improvement of the urban environment, and overcrowding of social facilities. Work is underway, and we are using all opportunities to improve the urban environment and the sustainability of life support. A decision was made to build the second stage of Yakutskaya GRES-2. We resolve issues related to waste management. Work is underway to attract a Russian environmental operator, a waste transfer station project.

In recent years, modern public spaces have been created in the city. We are designing new spaces in the city center using a special treasury loan that we have already received. The embankment of Lake Saisary is being improved. Reconstruction of the central Lenin Square and the embankment near the city beach begins this month. We plan to complete this work by the opening of the Children of Asia Games next year.

For our northern city with a short light day in winter, the illumination of the city is especially relevant. Now it is 67 percent. We plan to increase it as part of the modernization of the outdoor lighting system to 100 percent, while reducing energy consumption by almost half.

Digital security services will also be implemented. Here we intend to use the mechanism of the Far Eastern concession.

The most acute problem of the city is the growing volume of dilapidated housing for many decades. I have reported this to you, Mr Putin. Now, thanks to your instructions, the largest program of resettlement of citizens from dilapidated housing in the country is being implemented in the republic, including Yakutsk. This year, we are completing the resettlement of the fund recognized as emergency on January 1, 2017 in the city. At the same time, of course, for the complete elimination of wooden emergency housing in the Yakut urban agglomeration, it is necessary to relocate another 1,178 apartment buildings with a total area of almost half a million square meters.

To date, all available tools for integrated development of territories with the involvement of funds from the "infrastructure menu" have been used. For the engineering and social infrastructure of the first project of the Zvezdny microdistrict, we have already attracted an infrastructure budget loan of 3.7 billion rubles in 2021. More than 600 families from dilapidated homes have already been relocated to the new microdistrict, and the funds of a special treasury loan will also be used this year to renovate the Sportivny microdistrict, which is better known here in Yakutsk as the 17th quarter, where the largest number of dilapidated homes is concentrated. According to these projects, we plan to settle 219 houses with an area of 123 thousand square meters.

But this is only a partial solution to the problem. In order to implement housing projects in Yakutsk in a more expedited time frame, I request that the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation provide in the budget plans for the next years funds for the implementation of projects of integrated development of territories in terms of the costs incurred for resettling citizens from dilapidated housing. This would help solve the most long – standing request of Yakutsk residents-to raise the quality of life in the city to the proper level.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, in the city's economy, we have focused on creating new jobs in the creative sector. Our goal is to shift the focus of the city's functionality from an administrative center to a creative capital within ten years, where creative and innovative industries will occupy a significant place in the city's gross product. The ecosystem of the creative sector, whose central link is now the first creative cluster in the Far East, Kvartal Truda, built with the support of Yuri Petrovich Trutnev, will be supplemented by the Arctic Epic and Culture Center, a complex with truly world-class musical equipment and sound technologies.

During our last meeting with you in May, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, you warmly recalled your visit to the Higher School of Music in Yakutsk in 1999. I met with the staff, and the staff and students of the school were very happy to receive your order to build a new complex. We are ready to start construction in 2024 and complete it in 2026. And of course, we will all be very happy to see you at the opening of the new beautiful Higher School of Music.

For the development of additional education in Yakutsk, we are also already building a "Future Generations Park", which combines the functions of a public space and an educational center where children can learn and discover their talents from an early age.

I would like to thank you, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, for recognizing Yakut cinema and supporting the construction of a multifunctional full-cycle film pavilion in Yakutsk using the mechanisms of the Far Eastern concession. I would like to report that pre-project work is already underway, and the project team has visited the main Russian pavilions, such as Mosfilm, the Gorky Film Studio and others. The project concept has already been presented and agreed with Yakut and Far Eastern film companies, an agreement has been signed with the Ministry of Eastern Development on the use of Far Eastern concession mechanisms during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, and at the Eastern Economic Forum in a week we will sign an agreement between the Yakutia Development Corporation and Far Eastern film companies.

In general, the work is in full swing. We plan to introduce a cinema complex in 2026. As a result, our production of films in the Far East will more than double by 2030. Of course, it's not just the number of films, but also the fact that our Russian Far Eastern cinema will become more widely broadcast the Russian cultural code, including in Asian countries, where today there is a huge potential audience.

Yakutia is ready to be at the forefront of promoting Russian culture in the East, to become a pillar of Russia's cultural dominance in the global Arctic.

The multinational culture of Yakutia, along with its unique nature, is the basis of tourist opportunities. Now we are working to increase the number of tourists at least twice in the coming years. At the same time, everyone who comes to the republic necessarily gets to Yakutsk. We are planning the reconstruction of the Yakutsk International Airport terminal and the construction of two hotel complexes. To implement these projects, we are currently working on loan financing issues with VEB. RF.

To increase the tourist attractiveness of Yakutsk and preserve the historical architectural heritage of the city, as well as create conditions for small businesses, we plan to implement the project "Old Town-2". The Old Town-1 project was implemented in our country in the "zero" years.

Now we have taken the stone building of the Trinity Cathedral built in 1708 into the state ownership of the republic. It is the oldest in the east of the country. The building needs serious restoration. Design and estimate documentation is currently being developed. The cost of the work will be about 850 million rubles, and we hope for the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture in the restoration of this unique monument of Orthodox culture and architecture.

Yakutsk is the largest educational center in the north – east of the country. And we see one of the key functions of the city in training personnel for the growing economy. Investment projects on the territory of the republic declare an increasingly high need for qualified personnel, today it is already about 80 thousand specialists in the coming years. This is a huge potential for attracting people from other regions, as well as for forming a modern education system and involving young people in the development of the republic and the whole country.

As part of the creation of 25 world-class university campuses, we are currently working with the Ministry of Education and Science to create an interuniversity campus in Yakutsk and build an educational and laboratory building of the North-Eastern Federal University Medical Institute. Nine years ago, on September 1, 2014, Vladimir Vladimirovich, you visited our university and noted a leap in its development and that of the city of Yakutsk. Today, North-Eastern Federal University is working in the direction you have set, with an eye to training personnel for the modern innovative economy.

New objects of attraction for young people are planned in the developing part of the city, which in the future will become the new center of the capital of the republic. The concept of creative dominance, as I have already reported, is also supported by the Arctic Epic and Cultural Center under construction in this area, the improvement of Lake Saisary, sacred to the Sakha people, and new residential areas.

The implementation of the master plan should turn Yakutsk into a modern creative center of the Far East by 2030. A recognizable image of the northern capital will be associated with innovative economic development and high-quality urban environment. The gross urban product will increase by 42 percent: from 263 billion to 373 billion in 2021 prices. Labor productivity will increase by 24 percent, while the share of people employed in the creative sector will increase to 16 percent. These figures represent the new life of our historic city, its future and the future of new generations of its residents. The master plan provides the basis for solving all tasks in a consistent and systematic way, with increasing business and public participation in cooperation with federal authorities.

I would especially like to express my sincere gratitude to Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin, colleagues from the Russian Government. We worked very closely with DOM.RF, which is celebrating its 26th anniversary today, and with Vitaly Mutko, both in preparing the master plan and on the tools for its implementation. "VEB.Russian Federation" is actively involved in the process of attracting extra-budgetary investments. Thank you to them that our team was trained in the management training program of the 100 largest cities to launch and implement transformations in the territory. Of course, I would like to thank our relevant ministry, the Ministry of Eastern Development, which supports us in our endeavors at all stages. Thus, the master plan that we present today for your decision is the result of a huge joint work.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, in 2032 Yakutsk-the oldest city in the Russian Far East, the entire north – east of the country, and Siberia-will celebrate its 400th anniversary. Since its foundation in 1632, the history of Yakutsk has been inextricably linked with the history of the Russian state. Lensky Ostrog went from an outpost of Russian explorers and scientific expeditions to the east to one of the largest centers of the Far East. The implementation of the master plan of the Yakut agglomeration with your support will transform the city and allow it to meet the 400th anniversary of Yakutia's entry into the Russian state and the 400th anniversary of the city of Yakutsk with dignity.

Thanks for attention. The report is finished.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Alexander Sergeevich, please say a few more words about the Zhataisk shipyard.

Alexey Nikolaev: Construction was underway at the Zhatayskaya shipyard, but we had some problems due to the fact that, in our opinion, it [the object] was incorrectly included in the privatization plan during construction, and then after my appeal to the Government of the Russian Federation, this decision was canceled. But we've lost time. Now we don't have enough billion rubles to complete the construction.

Denis Manturov and I have met several times. We held our final meeting and are now asking, Mr President, that the federal package be transferred to the ownership of the republic, while we commit ourselves to attract a billion rubles and complete the construction of the Zhatai shipyard. We undertake that if we decide to transfer the stake to us in 2024, we will raise funds, and in 2025 we will put it into operation.

Dmitry : Mr President, may I ask your permission?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.

Dmitry Manturov: Thank you very much. Just a few words.

As for the Federation's obligations: we have provided 4.1 billion rubles in full, down to a penny, to the region for the construction of this shipyard. They were supposed to be finished in 2020, but the cost of construction increased by almost 1.1 billion. Last year, we raised an additional 1.1 billion rubles ourselves, but, unfortunately, the company was not able to master this.

Therefore, Aisen Sergeyevich really asked to transfer the state stake to the ownership of the republic. And when I held the meeting, I asked the region to issue appropriate guarantees this time. We received these guarantees literally today.

But I would like to immediately correct Aysen Sergeevich that we agreed not in 2025, but at the end of 2024. And the region must complete all its activities at its own expense, Mr Putin. And we have prepared the draft decree on the transfer of ownership. If you support it, we will promptly submit it to you for consideration.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Aisen Sergeevich, do you agree with these amendments?

Alexey Nikolaev: Yes, we agree, Mr President.

2025 - I meant that we will lay the first vessel at the Zhatay shipyard in 2025, and we will complete construction work in 2024.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

A. Nikolaev: I fully confirm what Denis Valentinovich [Manturov] has just said.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you very much.

Vladislav Garievich, please. Chukotka.

Vladimir : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, dear participants of the meeting, good afternoon!

As part of the program of renovation of Far Eastern cities, proposed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yuri Trutnev and supported by you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, the region has prepared a master plan for the Anadyr urban agglomeration.

The Anadyr agglomeration is an Arctic outpost of Russia in the north-east and includes three settlements. The main one is the capital of Chukotka, Anadyr. Anadyr is a modern city, home to almost 30 percent of the region's population. Representatives of different nations live in the city, including representatives of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of Chukotka – Chukchi, Eskimos, Evens, Chuvans, and Yukagirs. Interethnic relations are characterized by stability and the absence of interethnic conflicts.

The Anadyr agglomeration and the entire Chukotka Autonomous Okrug have some special features. You spoke about them today, Mr Putin. These features hinder the development of the region's economy and create a number of challenges. This is the remoteness of the territory, sub-zero average annual temperature – minus six we have an average annual temperature, a short construction season – four to five months, as well as complex logistics, sea navigation - from two to four months a year.

The region is actively developing. Major investment projects have begun to be implemented in the region, mainly in the mining industry, which are already beginning to have a healing effect on the economy of both the Anadyr agglomeration and Chukotka as a whole.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, thank you for your continued support of the Arctic regions. Your assignment to develop master plans for cities in the Far East allows us to comprehensively solve the problems of regional development and create conditions for a comfortable life for people.

I would like to emphasize that we prepared the master plan based on the expertise of relevant specialists, including relevant ministries of the Russian Federation, suggestions from residents, and collected instructions from public figures. I will highlight the main topics that most concern the residents of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The first is the low rate of housing introduction. The second is the quality of the Internet and mobile communications, issues of housing and communal services and urban improvement, and problems of transport accessibility. Master plans for the development of the Anadyr agglomeration largely solve these issues, and most importantly, solve the problems of improving the quality of life of people, attracting specialists to our region.

An urgent problem that hinders the development of the district is providing residents with high-quality and fast Internet. Federal support for the construction of an underwater high-speed communication line will make it possible to provide about 20 thousand people with high-speed Internet in 2023. This is 100 percent of the residents of the Anadyr agglomeration.

I thank the federal authorities and the Government of the Russian Federation for implementing this project. For the development of Anadyr, this is a significant step forward in eliminating digital inequality. But at the same time, 95 percent of the settlements of Chukotka still continue to receive Internet via satellite communication channels at low speed. All this affects the quality of regional governance and the quality of people's lives.

The distance of hundreds of kilometers and the lack of ground logistics between localities requires, of course, maximum digitalization. It is necessary to provide local self-government bodies with access to state information systems, improve the quality of providing public services in electronic form to the population and businesses, and continue to develop telemedicine.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like to ask you to consider continuing measures to provide high-speed Internet to the localities of Chukotka, including by relying on the existing Anadyr high-speed Internet line. This is extremely important for the development of the district.

The region pays special attention to healthcare, especially personnel policy. By the end of 2022, we are provided with 87 percent more doctors and 77 percent more secondary medical staff. We plan to reach 100 percent by 2030.

Our indicators are quite good, but at the same time there is a big problem with finding and retaining narrow specialists. There is an outflow of specialists and it is difficult to attract medical professionals due to the difficult climatic conditions and high cost of living. And here, in order to consolidate personnel in the Arctic, in addition to the existing incentive measures, I ask you to consider increasing the amount of incentive payments for medical workers working in cities with a small population.

The next issue is the food security of the region, which is mainly ensured by organizing the northern delivery by sea. 80% of the products are imported from other regions, 20% are produced independently. We have now set a course to maximize our own production capacity, and everything that we can produce ourselves should be produced by ourselves.

In 2024, we will complete the creation of poultry farms and close the demand for eggs by 100 percent. By 2025, we will launch the first poultry incubators in Chukotka and reduce the volume of imported poultry products by 65 percent.

In the period from 2023 to 2028, we plan to create a production facility for deep processing of St. John's wort and reindeer husbandry products, which will increase the range and quality of products available to residents of the district.

By 2025, it is planned to create new greenhouse complexes and modernize existing ones, which will double the growth of vegetable production.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the issue of producing our own products is extremely relevant for Chukotka, and people raise it at every meeting I have with residents. Agricultural projects in the northern territories require individual support measures not only at the initial stage, but also during the operation of production. We are counting on a positive decision to increase support from the federal budget in this area.

The next problematic issue is logistics. Anadyr is located on the opposite side of the strait from the airport, and in the off-season, until we have ice, we have problems with transporting people to the capital. The issue of transportation is of great social importance, ensuring the safety of passenger transportation through the Anadyr Estuary requires financial support for expanding and updating the fleet of vehicles. Vladimir Vladimirovich, we hope for support in the purchase of skimming boats under the state program for the development of the transport system, taking into account the use of existing support mechanisms, including preferential leasing.

And one of the key problems of our territory is housing and communal services. Negative average annual temperatures and a nine-month heating season accelerate the deterioration of public infrastructure. In our district capital, there are no single centralized sewage treatment plants. We will be able to fully resolve this issue only with support from the federal budget. We also ask you to support us in this regard.

Another important issue is the provision of housing. An insufficient amount of housing is currently being built in Anadyr. There is a great demand for housing provision, including for specialists. I have already mentioned that people call this problem one of the most serious obstacles in the development of the region. We are counting on federal support. I would like to note that we are now working constructively with DOM.Russian Federation" under the rental housing program.

The implementation of the master plan will allow achieving serious effects and results - this is a doubling of the gross urban product, a doubling of investment-up to 64 million rubles by 2030, a significant increase in wages, the creation of about three thousand jobs and the improvement of 75 percent of courtyards and urban agglomeration.

Modernization of the housing and utilities infrastructure will create conditions for the introduction of 50 thousand square meters of new housing until 2040.

A number of new social facilities will also be built, which are very necessary for residents: These are a sports complex in Anadyr, a sports hall in the urban-type settlement of Ugolnye Kopi, a multifunctional rehabilitation center in Anadyr, a center for creative industries in Anadyr, and a hotel in the urban-type settlement of Ugolnye Kopi. Thanks to the creation of these facilities, we expect that the death rate in the district will also decrease, life expectancy will increase, and the number of people who are constantly engaged in sports will increase.

In general, economic indicators will increase due to the launch of new industries, tourism, growth in business activity, and construction.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, the forecasts look quite ambitious, but they are calculated, including due to the effect of the low base in 2021. We believe in these calculations.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, in conclusion, I would like to thank Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin and his team: Yuri Petrovich Trutnev, Alexey Olegovich Chekunkov, Mikhail Albertovich Murashko for their support in developing the master plan. Thank you to all the federal authorities who helped us prepare the master plan.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, please support the master plan for the development of the Anadyr agglomeration of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug until 2030.

Thanks for attention. I finished my report.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

I have a question for Maksut Igorevich Shadaev about the Internet. Maksut Igorevich, what about high-speed Internet?

Shadaev: Mr President, over the past three years we have built underwater fiber-optic communication lines, which we were talking about, and we have spent about seven billion rubles of the federal budget on them. We have provided Internet access for 20 thousand out of 50 thousand residents.

In order to provide another 20 thousand, we need about 10-12 billion, because it is clear that we need to build already in Chukotka, difficult conditions – in general, this simply requires quite large infrastructure costs. We don't have that kind of money in our budget right now.

We have exactly the same question in Yakutia, in the north-eastern part. There, in order to provide Internet access for 70 thousand people, about six billion rubles of the federal budget are needed.

We have two such priority routes, but here you can't do without investment, because this is really very expensive construction.

Vladimir Putin: We must keep this in mind and put it into certain development plans, that's all, in a timely, simple and planned manner. Just don't forget about it and don't put it off indefinitely.

Mikhail Albertovich, head of the region, spoke about incentive payments for medical staff. What is your opinion?

Mikhail Murashko : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

What was said about staffing levels is generally positive there. But what is the difficulty? The high duration of vacations, of course, leaves its mark, plus those who leave, so you actually need to keep the staffing level close to 100 percent. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage settlements and small towns – Anadyr – which is about 15 thousand people. Therefore, we will consider. Today we have social benefits for health workers, which we have set for primary care, so we will look at our financial indicators for another nine months and give suggestions.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you.

Vitaly Gennadievich, about transport.

Vladimir : Thank you, Mr President.

I would like to give some comments.

We work closely with Nosov Sergey Konstantinovich. What he designated, the R-504 Kolyma road, Yakutsk-Magadan, is a very important project. We are engaged in the reconstruction of this road. I just want to mention it. Now Aisen Sergeyevich [Nikolaev] talked a lot about the bridge over the Lena River, but we also need a bridge over the Aldan River. The Aldan River is the second bridge that will connect Yakutsk and Magadan seamlessly by road. In this part, we are engaged. We proceed, of course, from the possibilities of the federal budget, but here we have fully agreed on everything so far.

As for Nikolaev Aisen Sergeevich, I would make two comments. The first comment is on the bridge over the Lena River. We have provided 5.2 billion rubles for 2025-2026. As for the requests for 60 billion rubles, we discussed this at a meeting with Marat Shakirzyanovich [Khusnullin]. We assumed that we would [finance] 33 percent each: the federal budget would subsidize 33 percent, the regional budget and investors. Therefore, this is a slightly smaller amount. We plan for 2027-2028 – 37.8 billion rubles. Now we are waiting for the project to be released from Glavgosexpertiza, and then we will once again return together with the Ministry of Finance and colleagues to structuring this project, because there is an investor, there is a region, and there is a federal budget. So far, the agreement was like this.

I would like to comment on the runway of Yakutsk Airport. In fact, the backlog is only 10 days, based on the fact that this is a three-year contract. We have now completed construction work and are installing lighting equipment. By the end of September, that is, during this time, we will fully complete the construction and, having received all the permits, we plan to "take off" in the second half of October this year. So, I think we will be in the plan, we will do all this.

According to Kuznetsov Vladislav Garievich. He also mentioned Anadyr Airport. We fully support you. By the way, we fully support all the initiatives and projects of all three governors.

There is also a strip of 3500 meters by 60, and the compliance period is valid until 2025. We'll see again if it can be extended further. But in any case, we will be announced within the budget cycle for 2025-2027. Approximately 6,8 billion rubles are needed to modernize this strip, which is necessary for development. We also fully support this project.

Thanks for attention.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you very much.

Colleagues, who would like to add something?

A. Siluanov : Vladimir Vladimirovich, may I?

Vladimir Putin: Please.

Alexander Siluanov: Thank you, Mr President.

Many suggestions were made. They are all quite financially intensive, so I would like to appeal to our colleagues-governors in order to correlate all these proposals with our capabilities.

All the ideas that we have heard today are in many respects, probably, almost completely consistent with our programs and national projects that we are implementing. These include roads, educational institutions, and campuses. In fact, all of this is provided for in our program assignments.

There is a whole program for the development of the Far East. The total amount of its financing for three years is 218 billion rubles, taking into account the recalculations in the increase that we have now provided.

So our suggestion is, of course, to try to keep within the design and software tools that we have, because they, these proposals, all fit into these areas. And of course, in the program of the Far East-there is a so-called single subsidy. Perhaps, together with Yuri Petrovich [Trutnev] and colleagues from the Ministry of the Far East, we will work out these proposals. But the proposals, of course, go beyond the financial possibilities, because we calculated that only what was digitized is almost 250 billion rubles from the federal budget. Therefore, the money there is, of course, rather big.

I would also like to report, Mr President, that we are fully fulfilling, even exceeding, your instructions that the Far East regions should receive at least 7.2 per cent of the total amount of transfers for investment from the federal budget for all federal transfers allocated for investment.

I report that last year this figure was 15 percent, and in previous years it was 17 percent. In other words, I want to say that we are more than twice overfulfilling the target that was set.

In conclusion: the plans were expressed as financially intensive, they just need to be worked out with the relevant departments and put into the program resources and documents that guide our activities.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Who else, please? All?

Yu.: Vladimir Vladimirovich, can I have a few words? Trutnev.

Vladimir Putin: Please, Yuri Petrovich.

Yu.Trutnev: Thank you.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

In accordance with your instructions, over the past 10 years, accelerated economic development of the Far East has been ensured. The volume of attracted investments is about 15 trillion rubles, in projects with state participation – 3.4 trillion.

At the same time, it is natural that the state of cities and social infrastructure significantly lags behind economic development. On your instructions, master plans have been developed that will allow cities to be built by 2030 in accordance with the requirements of their economic development and what cities people would like to live in.

Naturally, in response to what Anton Germanovich [Siluanov] said, the proposals take into account all the resources: the resources of the state program for the development of the Far East, the Far Eastern concession, special treasury loans, funds from investors and funds from the budgets of the Russian Federation. To this extent, we are now ready to start this work, if you make the appropriate decision.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Colleagues, everyone?

I would like to thank all of you for your constructive and meaningful suggestions. Of course, we will need to take into account what we discussed today to the maximum extent possible.

There is a lot of work ahead for the comprehensive development of the Far Eastern cities, namely those that we discussed today – Anadyr, Yakutsk and Magadan, to create attractive living conditions for people in them, to create a comfortable urban environment, to strengthen the economy and social sphere, and we should certainly start solving these tasks as soon as possible hurry up.

By the end of this year, it is necessary to prepare and approve plans for the comprehensive socio – economic development of the Magadan, Yakutsk and Anadyr agglomerations for the period up to 2030, determine sources of funding-we have just discussed this, we need to take into account all aspects of this matter, and we need to work starting from 2024.

In addition, I ask you to set the following priorities in the list of instructions.

First. We need to include in the social and economic development plan of the Yakut agglomeration measures to complete the construction of the bridge over the Lena River, we have been talking about this a lot lately, set a deadline for the completion of work, because we can't wait indefinitely, we know what a long-term construction is, and we know how the price parameters change during this long-term construction.

In addition, it is necessary to bring the road surface of the Kolyma federal highway into a standard state: what we were shown today, these pictures, and what drivers say about the roads-so it is impossible to continue economic activity here. It is necessary to speed up the construction of a bridge over the Aldan River in Yakutia, which has just been mentioned, and set specific deadlines.

I would like to repeat that these infrastructure facilities will certainly strengthen the transport and logistics capabilities of the Magadan Region and Yakutia, and provide year-round transport links in these territories.

Second. To saturate the food market of Anadyr and Magadan, I ask the Government to provide additional support for projects to create and modernize vegetable storage facilities and greenhouse complexes – this is not a private task, it is serious, so large-scale for the region as a whole-so that by 2026 the volume of growing vegetables and berries in protected ground in the Magadan Region and the Chukotka Autonomous compared to the level of 2022.

The third. In order to improve the availability and quality of medical care, I ask the cities of Magadan and Anadyr to adopt schedule plans for additional staffing of local hospitals and polyclinics with medical specialists, as well as to provide mechanisms for material incentives for their work: just now the Minister [of Health] said that he considers this possible. Please make sure that all this does not hang in the air. These measures should be implemented starting next year.

Fourth. We talked, and the Governor of the Magadan Region talked about reviving the fishing port in Magadan and preserving the volume of coastal fishing. Of course, here we need to determine the sources of financing for the construction of hydraulic structures and engineering infrastructure in this fishing port of Magadan, in order to prevent a decrease in the volume of fish caught in coastal waters, including by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

Fifth. In Magadan and Yakutsk, there is still a large amount of emergency housing stock, and this has also just been discussed. In these cities – by analogy with the decisions taken in Chita and Ulan-Ude – I ask you to complete by 2030 the resettlement of citizens from emergency housing, recognized as such on September 1 of this year.

Sixth. On the Zhatayskaya shipyard. I ask my colleagues from the Government, together with the leadership of Yakutia, to take measures to complete the first stage of its modernization. If necessary, consider the possibility of transferring a federal stake in this enterprise to the ownership of the region. We have just discussed this with the Deputy Prime Minister and the head of the region. If everyone agrees with this, we need to do it, only "on the shore" we need to agree on how we will do it. Of course, in the event of such a decision, the republic should also be responsible for completing the reconstruction of the shipyard.

Finally, I ask the Government to take control of the completion of the building complex of the Higher School of Music in Yakutia, so that talented children can study in modern, comfortable conditions. I propose to set the commissioning date until 2026. Indeed, I remember my visit to this Higher School, which makes an incredible impression when you look at how it all happens in the difficult climatic conditions in which this school operates.

I hope that the decisions taken today will generally have a positive impact on the economy and social sphere of all three cities, and will give an additional impetus to their development.

Please use the draft list of measures for the development of Anadyr, Yakutsk and Magadan, which was sent out for our meeting, as a basis for preparing the list of instructions – of course, having finalized it taking into account today's discussion.

Dear colleagues, I would like to thank you all once again for participating in our joint work today. In the near future, we will discuss master plans for a number of other cities in the Far East at the Eastern Economic Forum.

Thank you very much. All the best!