In his remarks, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko said that fighters and veterans have demonstrated keen interest in enrolling for the programme during the second application period, and that they have a lot of experience in public administration and the knowledge they need to succeed. He noted that the share of applicants awarded the Hero of Russia title increased by 53.5 percent compared to the first enrolment campaign and reached 51, while the share of those awarded four Orders of Courage surged by a factor of 18. There was also a nine-fold increase in the number of applicants holding three Orders of Courage each, and a 47-fold increase for holders of two such orders. Sergei Kiriyenko said that selecting the worthiest candidates would be a real challenge, considering that the programme received over 65,500 applications.
Rector of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) Alexei Komissarov said that the programme participants will study spacial planning, social policy and the basics of economic development of territories.
Hero of Russia, Senator Alexander Karelin took the floor to emphasise the importance of bringing the programme to the regional level, saying that initiatives replicating the Time of Heroes programme will create an entire class of modern managers and administrators with unique expertise who are true patriots of Russia.
As many as 22 graduates from the programme’s first class have already received their appointments. Maria Kostyuk, who heads the Time of Heroes programme, became Acting Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region.