At the beginning of the meeting, Alexander Khinshtein noted that the situation in the region is not simple but is improving.
The Governor began his report on the work underway in the region and the issues that need to be given attention and call for federal support by saying that much is being done to accomplish the main task set by the President, that is, to ensure a direct feedback from the people and transparent governance. In particular, a coordination council has been established to settle housing problems in the border areas. Preparations have begun to rebuild houses, with the key task being to clear the territory of mines, which involves the creation of an unprecedentedly large demining group. It comprises engineer troops, the Russian National Guard, the Emergencies Ministry and the engineer units of the armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
By now, 92 settlements have been cleared of mines and explosive device. Overall, nearly 2.7 million explosive objects have been defused. Alexander Khinshtein emphasised that full-scale restoration is impossible without completing this work first. The video and photo materials of the Defence Ministry are being used to assess the level of household destruction in the border areas which assessment commissions cannot reach for security reasons.
Replying to the President’s question about the priorities of economic revival, Alexander Khinshtein pointed out that the Government of Russia has adopted a programme for the reconstruction and development of border regions, and that it is not only important to rebuild what the enemy has destroyed but also to create conditions and competitive advantages for the region’s socioeconomic development. The Governor has asked the President to support the region’s joint work with the Government to adopt relevant decisions, in particular, on the possible creation of a free economic zone in three districts, which already have a sufficient number of potential investors. He also highlighted the importance of supporting agriculture and farms that have been damaged by the enemy, because the Kursk Region is an agricultural region and so the development of its agro-industrial complex should be given priority attention.
Special attention has been given at the meeting to the region’s efforts to protect historical memory. Alexander Khinshtein recalled that the Kursk Region is unique in this sense. It has been Russia’s outpost throughout its history, as the current developments have reaffirmed. One of the goals and tasks in this sphere is to perpetuate the memory of fallen heroes. New monuments and memorials will be erected in the region, including a combined memorial for the victims of the 20th century Nazism and the 21st century neo-Nazism. There are cemeteries where victims of the Nazis killed during the Great Patriotic War lie side by side with the civilian population killed by modern-day Nazism.
The Governor reported that 79 monuments and seven churches are already included in the White Book of Cultural Heritage Sites affected by the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Preparations are underway to convert events and locations into museums. This year, a large-scale effort has been launched to restore or repair all steles, military burials and obelisks built in commemoration of the Great Patriotic War. Other regions are helping as well, because our entire country fought in the Battle of Kursk: 20 Governors, whom Alexander Khinshtein has asked for assistance, are sending funds, and 442 monuments and military burials will be put in order before the end of this year.
At the same time, said the Governor, life goes on. New families are created and children are born. Public spaces, gardens and parks are being landscaped using investment from extrabudgetary sources. Federal theatres come on tours, with their performances being in high demand and always a great success.
Vladimir Putin commented on this by saying that people were missing great art, and, of course, this was very important for them, and, moreover, testified to the [high] intellectual level of Kursk Region residents. In this connection, the Governor remarked that the Kursk Region was the birthplace of many of Russia’s outstanding and great figures of culture and art. The Kursk Region, he said, was not just a point on the map of Russia, it was, in fact, a place of power, spiritual power included, because many Russian Orthodox saints were directly related to the Kursk soil, specifically, one of the most revered ascetics of the Russian Orthodox Church, St Seraphim of Sarov (1754–1833), was born in Kursk.
The Governor also reminded the President that in 2032, Kursk would celebrate its 1000th anniversary and that an organising committee had been established in keeping with his Executive Order. Under the plans, the focus is on restoring the city’s historical centre by this date, including the historical fortress from which the town itself originated. Like many cities, it first emerged as a fortress, as an outpost on a high riverbank at the confluence of two rivers. As of today, all previously private-owned buildings in the fortress territory of about seven hectares have been transferred to regional ownership at no cost. In accordance with the President’s instructions, the Government of Russia has allocated funds from the reserve fund towards a restoration project involving four buildings in the fortress which are cultural heritage sites. In all, there are nine cultural heritage sites there, and all of them will be put in order.
Alexander Khinshtein said that the historical fortress was a spiritual and educational, historical and cultural cluster, where, incidentally, the operating Cathedral of the Holy Sign, one of the largest cathedrals of the Russian Orthodox Church, was located. In this connection, he asked the President to support the initiative on creating a federal museum and an exhibition centre in the cluster. This plan has been coordinated with the Ministry of Culture, the State Historical Museum, the Bakhrushin Museum of Theatrical Art, and the Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Art. The Governor believes that this centre will be a powerful point of attraction.