Presentation to and Conversation with Presidential Prize Winners in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists

Part Two of the Science and Education Day Celebration and a long read

As noted in the previous article, Russia has an annual contest that results in awards for the winners in science and related innovations, which the Kremlin describes as:

The Presidential Prize was established in 2008 and is awarded for the results of research that makes a significant contribution to the development of science, the development of samples of new equipment and advanced technologies that ensure the innovative development of the economy and social sphere, strengthening the country's defense capability.

And this aims at young scientists, which is a somewhat relative term as some winners have been in their early thirties. What follows is the awards ceremony and then the conversation Putin had with the winners. The prize is 5 million rubles.

Vladimir Putin: Dear friends, good afternoon!

I am very glad to see you all.

We have a good tradition: on the eve of the Day of Russian Science, a pleasant, warm, solemn ceremony is held. Prizes for scientific achievements are awarded to young people--bright, talented representatives of the younger generation of researchers.

Before we move on to the official part, the actual award ceremony, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on the upcoming holiday and please convey my most sincere gratitude to your school teachers–-this is where it all starts–-teachers and professors, research supervisors, colleagues in laboratories and research centers, because, as a rule, everyone is happy with this event. Achievements are made together with your colleagues. I send best wishes to all those who, like you, have dedicated their lives to the search for new knowledge, education, service to progress and, ultimately, of course, to their country, their people.

You are making your way in science at a challenging time Like the generation of Russian nuclear scientists and space explorers, you and your peers, current graduate students, will have to solve really large-scale, inspiring, truly historical tasks in their scale. We are talking about creating solutions and products that will surpass their foreign counterparts and ensure the country's technological leadership in key, promising areas.

Russia needs your and your colleagues' discoveries, inventions, and real scientific contributions to achieving national development goals. To do this, you have the main thing: the support of your mentors—representatives of our outstanding scientific schools—and, of course, of course, your talent, fundamental knowledge, and desire to become pioneers. [2023 was declared the Year of Teachers and Mentors]

With the help of your own non-standard, unique solutions, you need to create innovative products and thereby go ahead and break ahead. Such leadership ambitions of our young researchers are one of the most important conditions for Russia's scientific and technological superiority, which we should certainly strive for and will continue to strive for. This is the goal we set for ourselves in a number of areas, and we want the whole country and the younger generation to know about your achievements and be proud of our national science.

In this regard, there is an idea to create a special exhibition at the site of the National Center "Russia", so that its visitors–-both our citizens and foreign guests–-can better get acquainted with the achievements of our laureates, with the best projects of young scientists in Russia.

It is important not only to increase public respect, the authority of a new generation of researchers, to promote your work. Of course, decent financial support is also very important–-without this, as you know, nothing can be done.

In this regard, I would like to say a few words about the Russian Science Foundation. I would like to note that since 2018, and it [the competition] has been in effect since that time, the winners of the presidential grant competition of the Foundation, which includes almost 25 thousand researchers under the age of 35, there is a certain gradation–-up to 33 years, up to 35—you probably know, have received over 45 billion rubles to support their projects.

The fact that you have achieved high scientific results, have gone from being a novice researcher to leading successful research teams, shows that the Foundation's tools are working, and they are generally acceptable and effective.

I also think it is very important to note that the vast majority of participants in the Foundation's grant program continue to build their scientific careers in Russia. If I remember correctly, about 58 percent. Some researchers remain in their research institutions, some move to other Russian institutions horizontally, a small number go abroad—somewhere, in my opinion, about five to seven percent, about the same number is now returning to Russia.

We will continue to create conditions for talented scientists and specialists to realize their creative potential for the benefit of our Motherland and our citizens at home.

I would like to add that in accordance with the new strategy of the Foundation, the range of grants for young scientists will be expanded starting this year. Now, with its support, they will be able to lead research groups not only in research centers, but also in high-tech enterprises.

By the way, I would like to note that young scientists are already actively involved in the Foundation's applied projects, which are jointly financed by our leading companies, such as SIBUR, R-Pharm, EFKO and some others. They support research, act as technology customers, conduct sample testing at their sites, and form production facilities in a timely manner for the commercial release of new products.

We will definitely use such an effective model of cooperation between science and business in the implementation of national projects of technological leadership.

Together with domestic companies, we will concentrate the necessary resources on the development of science to strengthen the scientific foundation of technological development, and by 2030 we will increase domestic research and development expenditures to at least two percent of GDP. This will allow Russia to become one of the world's leading countries in terms of science funding, primarily from the state budget. And with the connection of our major technology partners, this volume will increase. [2024 GDP of 200 Trillion rubles would provide 4 Trillion rubles for R&D, while 2030 GDP will likely be much higher.]

I speak in such detail about our plans so that both you and your colleagues will know and be sure that in the scientific sphere, as in all other areas, we are planning prospects for years and decades to come. We believe that science and its achievements are a fundamental issue for Russia's sovereignty and future, and they determine our development, our security and, most importantly, the quality of life of our citizens. Because great scientific discoveries always create new opportunities for people, and I very much look forward to your participation in this creative and interesting work, yours and all your colleagues.

Dear friends!

Introducing you, today's laureates, I am pleased to note that young scientists are channeling their strength and talents, boldly taking responsibility for those areas of scientific knowledge where we intend to achieve technological superiority and become one of the world leaders.

Thus, the results of many years of research conducted by Elena Korochkina are important for ensuring food security in our country. The winner developed feed additives, as well as technologies for breeding and accelerated reproduction of farm animals aimed at developing the reproductive potential of domestic livestock production.

Natalia Cherkashina's research interests include the creation of new materials that are needed for further space exploration. The type of polymer composites proposed by the laureate successfully copes with the task of long-term protection of astronauts and electronic equipment from radiation from space. Such solutions can be considered for use in the lunar program, for the implementation of projects in deep space, and, of course, used on earth in complex technological programs of the nuclear industry.

Another development in the field of materials science, but already for radio-electronic devices, belongs to Vadim Popkov and Kirill Martinson. A team of young scientists proposed an original domestic technology for creating critical materials for the industrial production of radio communication and navigation systems, which is important not only for wide civilian applications, but also for the national security sector.

Among today's laureates is Konstantin Dmitrievich Titov. It conducts scientific research in a strategic area, develops special complexes and electronic warfare equipment, and makes a significant contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability.

In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to one more point that I consider important. It is gratifying that today's laureates manage not only to reach scientific heights, but also to build strong large families and raise children. This is a very good help in life in general and in achieving professional success in particular.

I wish you all the best and congratulate you on today's laureates ' badges and awards.

All the best to you. Thanks for attention.

(Awards ceremony.)

Dear friends!

I congratulate you again. I invite you to tea: we'll sit down for a while and talk. [My Emphasis]

Those smiling faces at the top of the page produced the marvels Putin revealed. The 15-minute video reveals how pleased Putin is to meet and award these five young adults. And yes, as they sit at a table with President Putin and somewhat shyly talk about their research, they should certainly be proud of themselves and rejoice that they live in a nation that supports and greatly values their accomplishments.

To explain the first bit of conversation, Russia has relied on imported semen for the propagation of its dairy and beef herds and is very intent on continuing its adherence to non-GMO processes.

(To E. Korochkina.)Vladimir Putin: I looked at the certificates and realized that you have both meat and dairy farming. So we're going to have real bulls, right? How much will they weigh?

E. Korochkina: Up to 1 ton should definitely.

Vladimir Putin: One bull–-up to a ton?

E. Korochkina: Yes, it is gaining up to a ton of live weight.

Vladimir Putin: How long has it been gaining a ton?

Elena Korochkina: From birth, we raise such bulls up to one year. Then they gain sexual maturity, and we begin to use their reproductive potential, and then they build up mass, that is, not immediately.

Vladimir Putin: That is, in a year they increase their mass to a ton?

Elena Korochkina: No, they increase their weight to 500 kilograms per year.

Vladimir Putin: It's decent. We didn't have such people before in animal husbandry?

Elena Korochkina: We have such bulls, we have breeding reproducers, breeding centers where we are engaged in breeding in our livestock industry.

Vladimir Putin: I understand that. But these bulls you're talking about, which are growing up to a ton, do we already have them?

E. Korochkina: There is.

Vladimir Putin: What is the appeal of your developments?

Elena Korochkina: My task is to preserve their genetic potential.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

On behalf of all the laureates, I would like to express my gratitude to you and the Presidential Council for Science and Education for your appreciation of our scientific contribution.

Thank you for your attention and for the established system of support for young scientists.

Vladimir Putin: Elena Alexandrovna, thank you very much for your words of gratitude.

Just tell me in plain, normal language about your bulls. It's really interesting, honestly. This is really important for solving all sorts of food issues. We've never had anything like this before, up to a ton in weight. We bought everything from abroad.

Elena Korochkina: Can I tell you a little bit about my path and how I came to be a bull producer?

Vladimir Putin: Come on, come on. Please, please.

Elena Korochkina: To begin with, I come from Siberia, from the small industrial town of Nazarovo.

Vladimir Putin: Where is it? Krasnoyarsk Territory?

E. Korochkina: Krasnoyarsk Region. I graduated from Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University, specialty--veterinary doctor. Upon graduation, I already understood that I wanted to do science, and I chose the scientific school of the St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine, which is the ancestor of scientific education in Russia.

Vladimir Putin: Elena, are you a professor yet?

Elena Korochkina: Yes, I am a professor.

Vladimir Putin: Doctor, yes?

E. Korochkina: Doctor of Veterinary Sciences.

Vladimir Putin: Such a young woman. When did you manage to arrange everything? Both the doctor and the professor.

Elena Korochkina: With the support of the Innovation Promotion Foundation and the UMNIK program, I started doing my doctoral work and developed a line of vitamin and mineral preparations for preserving the health, reproduction and productivity of high-yielding cows.

I would like to express my special gratitude to the Minister of Agriculture Oksana Nikolaevna Lut for channeling her energy into the development of the industry, and for contributing to research at livestock production sites.

Of course, I was very lucky, because I met and carried out my work under the guidance of my supervisor, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kirill Vladimirovich Plemyashov. I express my deep gratitude to him for his faith in me.

My husband and I took part in the work of leading farms in the Leningrad region, in the program (it is federal, targeted) "Integrated development of agricultural territories". This is a very important program, with the help of which we solved the housing problem of our young family.

Vladimir Putin: Where did you work? In what household?

Elena Korochkina: We worked in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad Region, this is the Polyany SEC. We also worked at the Gomontovo breeding plant, which is the leading farm in Russia, and they have record milk yields.

Vladimir Putin: Economy, without reaching Vyborg, between Vyborg and St. Petersburg?

Elena Korochkina: Yes.

And, having completed the production cycle, I realized that it is important not only to realize the potential of the animal, but also to preserve its genetic potential. Therefore, with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation, I have carried out a number of works to improve optimization protocols, protocols for cryopreservation of genetic material, and developed a trace component cryoprotector for effective cryopreservation of farm animal semen.

The results obtained are important elements of a large project carried out by our scientific team, which is aimed at forming the genetic independence of domestic dairy farming.

Vladimir Putin: This is a different direction. So this is dairy farming?

E. Korochkina: This is dairy farming, yes, and we need to create a breeding core of Holstein cows in order to be genetically independent.

Vladimir Putin: Is this an increase in the number of milk yields and volumes? Or is it an increase in fat content and quality for the production of some dairy products, including cheese?

Elena Korochkina: We must work in both directions, but mainly for quality, processing, and cheese production. At the same time, for manufacturers, of course, it is very important to remember about the quantity. And creating an animal with advanced genetics for Russian animal husbandry is our main task.

Vladimir Putin: But these breeds of cows that give this milk the right fat content for cheese production, they were bought from us mainly in Germany, Holstein, and in Denmark, right?

E. Korochkina: The Ayrshire breed is also for making cheese…

Vladimir Putin: In Denmark, right?

Elena Korochkina: Yes, in Denmark.

Vladimir Putin: Which is better, Danish or Holstein, German?

Elena Korochkina: I believe that the Holstein ones. They are the future. We need to focus on the development of dairy farming and the breeding of Holstein cattle.

Vladimir Putin: We're already doing this, right? Are the farms you mentioned and where you worked already being grown there?

E. Korochkina: They are growing it, yes. We need to work out a unified system for breeding breeding animals and then create breeding centers for keeping breeding bulls. This is the only way we can be genetically independent in terms of dairy farming in Russia, including by using the genomic assessment method.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I get it. Elena, please tell me, what time do you think these prospects are? To achieve this independence, in this case in the genetic field of animal husbandry, what are the prospects for how long? How long will it take for us to feel completely sovereign, so to speak, in this area?

Elena Korochkina: I think it will take 5 to 10 years.

Vladimir Putin: 5-10 years.

Elena Korochkina: Yes, we agree with the Ministry of Agriculture, they are already actively working in this direction. Still, I would like to point out that we need to unite–-this is very important.

Vladimir Putin: Unite with whom?

E. Korochkina: There should be a single database, so that there should be a single system not only for recording animals, but also for studying their genotype, and collecting these data in one system is not isolated, but in a single system.

Vladimir Putin: Unite with whom?

E. Korochkina: Join forces with various organizations that conduct research on…

Vladimir Putin: Such research is carried out in Russia, isn't it?

Elena Korochkina: Yes, such research and data collection is direct.

Vladimir Putin: They're creating a bank, aren't they?

Elena Korochkina: You can call it a bank, a data bank. And of course, we need to work hard in this direction. That is, everyone should be interested.

Vladimir Putin: And how many such centers do we currently have where such research is conducted?

Elena Korochkina: There are probably three key centers. But I know for sure that we have companies that do. They go to farms and collect data. This is a very important chain here. They compare the data they have with the data they have received.

Vladimir Putin: What departments do they work for?

E. Korochkina: Ministry of Agriculture.

Vladimir Putin: Is this all within the ministry?

Elena Korochkina: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: I heard that you praised the Minister of Agriculture, she will surely hear about it, but we will definitely talk about it. I will definitely talk to the Deputy Prime Minister in charge, and with her.

So you think we should just combine all these efforts? I still believe that everything should work as it does, but there should be a unifying center that coordinates these activities.

Elena Korochkina: Can I add more? Not just a center that would coordinate. This center should also include production workers, that is, those people who know these cows. Of course, not from every farm, but from key farms to take production workers. That is, it is such a supervisory committee.

We receive a subsidy, and we have to report for it, report on how many animals are progenotyped, what reference base we have today, and what real number of animals it is. This is very important. And already on the basis of this reference population, we can carry out further work on creating genetic independence.

Vladimir Putin: Have you ever been in contact with anyone at the Ministry of Agriculture?

Elena Korochkina: I communicate only through my supervisor, who is also the rector of the University of Veterinary Medicine.

Vladimir Putin: I will now ask the minister to talk to her. I think that she is also an energetic person, very immersed in this area, of course, talk to her today. Ok? I think she'll be interested to hear it, too.

Elena Korochkina: Yes, thank you.

Vladimir Putin: We're organizing it now. Agreed.

Vladimir Popkov: Mr President, I would like to join in the words of gratitude that Elena Alexandrovna has already expressed.

I understand that we don't have a lot of time, but I would like to briefly thank my people, who greatly influenced the possibility of doing this work. First of all, my institute is the A. F. Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Viktorovich Ivanov, and my teachers: These are Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor V. Gusarov, Professor Oksana V. Almyasheva. And I would like to thank my first and only chemistry teacher, Larisa Alekseyeva, for guiding me on this path.

Since we received the award together with Kirill Dmitrievich, I would like to talk a little bit not about the topic of the work, but about a more general topic that unites, in general, all of us. This is a question of training personnel, highly qualified personnel.

I have come this way myself, and in my opinion, Russia has a fairly clear system for maintaining and developing scientific personnel. I started my work with the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), received a youth grant, and then an initiative grant.

Vladimir Putin: The youth level is up to 33 years old, in my opinion, yes?

Vladimir Popkov: Yes, they were back in the 2010s.

Then there was the presidential grant program, and I had both individual and group grants for a research group. After gaining some experience in both teaching and administrative work, managing teams, I managed to participate in the youth laboratory competition at the end of 2018 and win this competition. Now this laboratory is located at Fiztech (Institute of Physics and Technology) actively working. Kirill Dmitrievich is also present in our laboratory, and we are actively working with him.

Our activity did not go unnoticed and at the end of last year I was invited to the strategic level of the personnel reserve program. I have successfully completed this event. It so happened that the end of the event, the most important and crucial moment, the protection of projects overlapped with our event, and therefore my team, without me, in fact, defended the project before a harsh commission headed by Andrey Alexandrovich.

A. Fursenko: She protected me.

Vladimir Popkov: We defended it, and very good questions were asked. In fact, our project is to almost double the time required for the release of highly qualified personnel in key areas in all industries, but we considered the energy sector because we have a team of energy specialists.

We see the realization of this opportunity in combining not only science and industry during R & D but also connecting to this activity the issue of creating new educational programs, which are certainly being created now, but a little bit in isolation from what is actually happening at the forefront of technological development and those developments, which are being maintained.

I also know about this topic firsthand, since I participate in two projects under the Ministry of Industry and Trade for development in the field of hydrogen energy. And I think that this would be a very good solution, which would complement the set of measures that are already being adopted and implemented in the Russian Federation to support young professionals, not only scientists, but also those who are more interested in applied work.

Vladimir Putin: You said that this happens to a certain extent in isolation from real life, as it were. Separate from what?

Vladimir Popkov: I'll explain. We are talking here about training highly qualified personnel in advanced areas, and the educational programs that are currently available, they are mainly focused on those industries that already exist in Russia. And innovative production facilities that were not here before, here is a program for obtaining personnel to ensure the scaling, implementation, expansion and operation of these technologies, they do not exist, and they appear after a very long time. That is, first there is production, this production manager says that personnel are needed, reports this, the program begins to be developed, and after a certain number of years, until a person passes either a bachelor's degree or a specialty, he has the first personnel.

Therefore, this path is very long. And it turns out that the technology appears quite quickly, and staffing is a little late. And we suggest that we just put these processes in parallel a little bit.

Vladimir Putin: There are two agencies that should work here: the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.…

Vladimir Popkov: Not necessarily. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is just an example. Because funding in different directions goes to different areas. In other words, the most important thing here is the Ministry of Education and Science. Some of the tools already exist that allow you to organize this activity, including the science and innovation domain and programs of advanced engineering schools. The whole question is to fine-tune them somehow and introduce certain measures that will allow us to have not only a set of documentation for implementation at the end of R & D, but also an educational program that will be immediately implemented in this advanced engineering school, for example, or in another university.

Therefore, I think it would be a good addition, and our team is still in contact and is very interested in implementing this work, if it is interesting.

Vladimir Putin: Vadim Igorevich, I suggest the same thing as in the case of Elena Alexandrovna: I will now talk to my colleague, you will also talk to him, and then I will return to this issue with the minister himself. I think that for people who sit in the office, naturally, they are engaged in the industry every day, but nevertheless such live things will be useful. Now we will decide. Talk to him, and then we'll talk about it together, okay?

Vladimir Popkov: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

Konstantin Martinson: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

I can't help but thank you for the opportunity to meet today and discuss a number of issues.

I will probably have a topic that will somewhat continue the theme of Vadim Igorevich, but he considered this issue globally, and I am more down-to-earth about the topic for which we received the award.

It so happens that in addition to academic studies at the Institute of Physics and Technology, I also work at the Almaz-Antey Concern Research Institute for Applied Materials Science. In this regard, I cannot but highlight the huge role played by the North-West Regional Center of the Almaz-Antey Concern-Obukhov Plant and personally General Director Mikhail Lvovich Podvyaznikov and Director of the Research Institute of Applied Materials Science Lyubov Nefedova in the implementation of our project.

It is due to the close relationship between academic science and industry that production has become possible, and the introduction of technology, and its development, and, in fact, industrial testing.

In this regard, I cannot but thank you and the Government for the efforts that are being made to heighten and strengthen this relationship between science and production. These include grants from the Russian Science Foundation, specialized ones such as microelectronics, a number of programs of the Innovation Promotion Fund, various targeted programs of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defense, and the Startup as a Diploma program, if we talk about the educational field. Last but not least, thanks to these programs, of which I myself was the winner, we were able to establish a connection with the Obukhov plant and, in fact, develop this technology. I very much hope that efforts to strengthen this relationship will continue and only expand, because…

Vladimir Putin: Once again, the interaction between who and who?

K. Martinson: Science and industry, production.

Vladimir Putin: Specifically, science is very broad.

K. Martinson: Academic science.

Vladimir Putin: Well, specifically.

A. Fursenko: Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology, this is their laboratory.

Vladimir Putin: Who else? Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology and Almaz-Antey?

Konstantin Martinson: Almaz-Antey, yes, the Obukhov plant. Mikhail Lvovich personally asked me to tell you that he would be glad if you would visit our factory again.

Vladimir Putin: I will come, I am in constant contact with him. Yan Valentinovich, yes, the head of Almaz-Antey?

K. Martinson: Yes. Well, this is the main one for us…

Vladimir Putin: Yes, yes, I am in constant contact with him, we maintain relations.

Konstantin Martinson: Another point I would like to mention is the basic departments. We have a basic department at the Obukhov Plant, and the Institute of Physics and Technology has a basic department together with the Institute of Technology, with your native State University, Polytech. Of course, the presence of basic departments plays a very important and positive role in the involvement of students and young people from the student's bench in science and production. I am a good example of such a person, that is, Vadim Igorevich and I (this is one of my two scientific supervisors, the other is Igor Panteleev, to whom I also thank you). If it wasn't for Vadim Igorevich, who was then a graduate student, and I was a student, who knows, I would have gone to science. Therefore, basic departments in academic institutions and in production really help to involve young people in science and industry from the very beginning, and, most importantly, to reduce this acclimatization period that a new specialist needs. Therefore, in Russia we have a number of basic departments and just a department that deals with ceramics and silicates. But I would like to see either a department or, better yet, a center that specializes in ferrites and ceramic materials based on them, just the materials for which we received the award.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, what should be the most important thing there–-ferrites or some other materials, it's not for me to determine. And I will definitely talk to Yan Valentinovich so that he pays additional attention to these basic departments, but just like with other colleagues, we will definitely talk through the Ministry of Industry and Trade, through Rostec. They work, and they work, as I see, the examples are good, successfully. I realized that this is an important area.

Konstantin Martinson: Thank you very much to Almaz-Antey; they helped us a lot.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, this is not one of our leading enterprises, but one of our leading associations. They work well, right on the edge of those problems that are most relevant today. Constantly in search, constantly offer new interesting solutions. The fact that Yan Valentinovich and I are in constant contact already shows this, we actually call him on the phone, and we discuss some issues directly.

As for the basic departments, I have heard that I will definitely talk to him. Are you in St. Petersburg?

K. Martinson: Yes. Northwest region.

Vladimir Putin: If you come back, he will find you.

You are welcome.

Natalia Cherkashina: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

My name is Natalia Cherkashina. I was born and raised in Belgorod. After university, I was lucky enough to meet my future supervisor, the head of our scientific school, Professor Pavlenko Vyacheslav Ivanovich, to whom I just got into graduate school. Vyacheslav Ivanovich shared with me all his experience and invaluable knowledge, for which I am very grateful to him.

I've worked my way up from assistant to lead researcher. Currently, I am the head of the youth laboratory at our university in Belgorod. The management of our university has always supported our topic on space materials science, as well as provided opportunities for professional growth for young scientists in general, for which we thank them very much.

In general, my work is devoted to the development of radiation-protective polymer composites for the protection of astronauts and radio-electronic equipment during a long orbital flight. The use of our materials will allow, firstly, to significantly increase the time spent by astronauts in orbit, which is especially important for the lunar program, as well as to use conventional industrial chips, which are many times cheaper than space electronics. My research was supported by four grants from the Russian Science Foundation, and I was a supervisor in three of them.

The materials developed by us have a complex of radiation protection characteristics in relation to the entire spectrum of cosmic radiation: protons, electrons, and gamma radiation. After our materials passed all ground tests in various simulating installations of outer space, we conducted testing in space. From 2022 to 2024, our materials were tested on the Russian segment of the International Space Station as part of the Protective Composite target program. The materials were located in the astronauts' cabin, which is now the most vulnerable place in terms of radiation in space.

I would like to note and thank the management of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center of the State Corporation Roscosmos for their effective work on the Russian segment of the ISS. Flight tests have confirmed the high radiation protection characteristics of the material developed by us.

Further research will focus on the development of materials that can be used not only inside the habitable compartments of space stations, but also outside. We are now faced with the task of increasing the radiation protection characteristics of neutron radiation.

I combine my scientific work with the role of a mother. I have three children, the youngest son is five months old. I came to Moscow with him for the award ceremony, and now he is with his grandmother, for which I thank her very much, and for her understanding and help. And my eldest son and daughter, along with my husband, are already waiting for me in Belgorod with the award. Many thanks to them for their understanding and support.

Vladimir Putin: I agree with what you said.

Natalia Igorevna, can you please tell me if today's modern radiation-protective composites will allow, say, cows to fly to Mars and return? Or bunnies? Or cats? Or dogs?

Natalia Cherkashina: Why not? Of course they will.

Vladimir Putin: Why not? Because the farther into space, the more dangerous the radiation.

Natalia Cherkashina: Of course. The fact of the matter is that it is necessary to increase radiation protection.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, that's why I'm asking. How long is the flight to Mars? Six months? Back and forth.

N. Cherkashina: Yes, of course, the level of radiation there is completely different. Therefore, even on the Russian orbital Station, the dose load for astronauts will already be about 30 percent higher compared to the ISS, if you compare it.

Vladimir Putin: Why not?

N. Cherkashina: Height.

Vladimir Putin: The orbit will be different.

N. Cherkashina: The orbit will be different, yes. That is, it is planned that our Russian orbital station, which will…

Vladimir Putin: But all the same, in near space, oddly enough, for people who do not do this, there are still certain protective forces of the Earth. But then there, to the moon, to Mars…

N. Cherkashina: The point is that the level of radiation there is much higher, of course, but here you can also use varying the thickness of the radiation shield.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, yes.

N. Cherkashina: Of course, it will increase the weight, of course. Each lift of one extra kilo is worth its weight in gold, of course. That is why we suggest using polymer composites, they are lighter, they will be smaller in volume and, accordingly, their efficiency will be very high. Our flight tests have confirmed high radiation protection characteristics.

Vladimir Putin: That's why I'm asking.

N. Cherkashina: So far, we are protecting astronauts, but if there is a need to send cows to space, we will consider it.

Vladimir Putin: No, I'm talking about some biological objects.

Natalia Cherkashina: I understand.

Vladimir Putin: I was joking about cows, we need cows here to make cheese and milk. But will a human fly, or just a living organism with modern radiation-protective composites? Probably not after all.

N. Cherkashina: It's not just about radiation protection. The fact is that in any case it is necessary to consider the complex. Being in zero gravity, the astronaut's muscles atrophy, that is, it is a complex of everything. But in principle, we now expect to use our materials exactly at the height where the Russian orbital station is planned. That is, too far away, to Mars, we have not yet planned. But everything is still ahead, and we will continue to continue our research. Perhaps the following materials will already be more highly effective; science does not stand still.

Vladimir Putin: That's what I wanted to hear. Today it is clear that there are no such materials, but in general, Natalia Igorevna believes that this is possible.

Natalia Cherkashina: Of course, yes, we will work on it.

Vladimir Putin: What I mean is, you know? Do you hear that people abroad and here are talking about the possibility of exploring Mars? Yes. But to date, there are no such materials.

N. Cherkashina: Not yet.

Vladimir Putin: But they are possible.

N. Cherkashina: They are possible, and we will try to ensure that Russia is the first to do so.

Vladimir Putin: Then we will have something to work with and offer our potential partners in space.

Natalia Cherkashina: Of course, we will try our best.

Vladimir Putin: It's clear. OK, good luck.

Alexey Fursenko: Mr President, I just wanted to say that this is across the poles, where the magnetic lines diverge, and when the work was evaluated, Solovyov and Krikalev were specifically called and asked. We have confirmed that indeed this material, so to speak, significantly promotes our ability to protect astronauts at a variety of values, not only in height, but also in a different level of inclination. This is the cosmonauts' assessment.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Am I arguing? I ask Natalia Igorevna how she is… I'm not arguing with you.

A. Fursenko: No, I say, so to speak, that there was a question from other people, not just developers.

Vladimir Putin: Good. But we don't talk to other people now, they are not there, they are respected people. I was just interested to hear Natalia's opinion.

Okay, good. Thank you very much.

Please!

Konstantin Titov: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

I would like to join in the words of gratitude. Indeed, it is a great honor to receive such a high award.

We are engaged in the development of electronic warfare systems and equipment. My work is directly devoted to the development of one of the promising areas in this area. Of course, such big works are not done alone.

Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and superiors for their full support. These are the head of the Institute of Electronic Warfare Balybin Vladimir Aleksandrovich, the head of the electronic warfare troops Lastochkin Yuri Illarionovich and the head of the Air Force Academy Zibrov Gennady Vasilyevich. I think you know many of them personally.

I would also like to express my special thanks to my permanent scientific supervisor, currently a scientific consultant, Head of the Department of Radiophysics of Voronezh State University, Yuri Korchagin.

I myself graduated from this very university, gave an excellent fundamental education, defended my PhD thesis there, but somewhat shifted the vector of my scientific research.

I was attracted to this direction because we cannot afford to develop equipment that is relevant only according to existing modern standards. In fact, we are engaged in the development of future technology, that is, we have to analyze trends in the development of modern technologies, determine, build forecasts, and calculate the probability of using certain means. And already on the basis of these data, conduct your own analytical and experimental research, develop equipment, test it, and apply it.

It is clear that in difficult times and the probability can be greater than one, and Pi is equal to four. However, the institute has been successfully operating for 65 years, this year it will celebrate its anniversary, electronic warfare as a whole is more than 120 years old, and we are able to form a timely and often proactive response to threats to the country's defense capability, primarily through close cooperation with enterprises of the military-industrial complex, as well as people who directly operate this equipment as well as at the expense of powerful scientific schools that have already been successfully operating for decades.

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

You said electronic warfare is already 120 years old?

Konstantin Titov: Yes, this year there will be 121, slightly less than radio communications in principle.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course. An extremely important area today.

You have just mentioned the development of future technology. As a specialist, you understand. I am not an expert in this field, but based on what life presents to us, I see that the future is coming now. As we speak, the future has already arrived.

Konstantin Titov: All right.

Vladimir Putin: We are continuing, and it is now coming, coming and coming. And in this regard, it is extremely important to give a proactive response, as you said, to look beyond the horizon and work on these frontiers, on this perspective. Because if we are talking about electronic warfare in relation to security issues, and this is exactly the case, then reducing losses directly depends on the results of your work.

Konstantin Titov: Exactly so.

Vladimir Putin: This is directly related and directly dependent. And what is important, when I said that the future is coming now, it is happening in this very real-time mode.

Konstantin Titov: I would even like to point out that, perhaps, big words, but in fact it does not occur, and we create it ourselves.

Vladimir Putin: If we don't create it, then we start losing.

Konstantin Titov: But we can't prevent it.

Vladimir Putin: Because it is still being created, but then it will not be created by us and in all the areas that we are currently talking about. I already say without any irony: in the field of animal husbandry, in the field of breeding, in the field of radio-electronic protection, materials, in your field, everywhere the future is being created now.

And our task and goal is to work proactively. You're generally good at it. And just for that, I want to thank you, your colleagues, academic supervisors, teachers, mentors, and just the people who work together with you.

I want to thank you and wish you every success. I congratulate you on the winners. [My Emphasis]

A very important point I want to make certain readers understand is the critical importance of mentors for all these scientists, and that Russia/Putin was visionary enough to recognize their importance by dedicating an entire year to their celebration. Even before becoming involved in education, mentoring’s importance was made clear to me as I was constantly working/managing the same age group during my career in food services, most of whom wanted to explore some other career but still needed/wanted direction. And people who were associated with good mentoring will usually become good mentors. And such relations don’t develop in a society that’s constantly being atomized via promotion of individual over community.

When a people are already divided, it’s easier to divide them further. And we ought to be able to see that happening. Think of how odd you’ll be seen when you root for both teams to win the Superbowl or any other championship in sport. Western civilization demands there be a winner and a loser—no ties, no dual winners. And we see that to a much lesser degree in the East, but it’s still there, implying it’s universal. Will it be possible for Win-Win philosophy to overcome Zero-sum and establish peaceful harmony? IMO, making a radioactive resistant polymer will be easier.

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