Website of the President of Russia: Commissions and Councils

Winners of 2025 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists announced

2026-02-04T17:21:40+04:00

The names of the winners were announced at a press conference held by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko and Chair of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in Science and Education under the Presidential Council for Science and Education Nikita Marchenkov.

Established in 2008, the prize is awarded to young Russian researchers for making a significant contribution to developing domestic science and creating new equipment and technologies for promoting innovative social and economic development, as well as strengthening Russia’s defence capability.

Since 2019, every prize winner receives an amount equal to five million rubles.

Meeting of Council for Science and Education

2025-02-10T20:44:42+04:00

Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Presidential Council for Science and Education, via videoconference. The discussion focused on ways of ensuring a sufficient number of trained engineers for the priority areas of scientific and technological development.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues,

This meeting is taking place ahead of Russian Science Day. First of all, I congratulate you, our country’s scientists, research teams, and technology teams on this holiday, and wish you successful and productive work for the benefit of Russia and all our people.

Increasing the role of science in addressing national goals was discussed in detail at the last meeting of our Council. Today, we will focus on technical education and training engineering staff and highly skilled workers for Russia’s priority areas of scientific and technological development, in which new national projects of technological leadership are being launched.

At the end of last year, the Government and the Russian Academy of Sciences were instructed to significantly expand the list of these issues and to add additional measures in order to ensure not just self-sufficiency of the country in the most important sectors, but the superiority of domestic knowledge-intensive technologies and products in critical areas.

To reiterate, the goal is very specific: Russia must be competitive in key areas of technological development. To achieve this, we need specialists that are capable of generating unique solutions, including for new emerging industries, and are properly trained to use advanced design and construction methods.

I would like to add that blue-collar professions in the manufacturing industry and many other sectors also require increased technological aptitudes in operating sophisticated systems and engineering competencies. Training such specialists is a matter of prime importance for all levels of education.

I would like to emphasise that in recent years we have been systematically engaged in improving our schools, colleges and universities. However, the situation in the economy and global competition is changing fast. Given the acute shortage of personnel, which is quite sensitive for manufacturing enterprises, we need to take outside-the-box, often extraordinary steps already now.

The participation of the entire professional community really matters. That is why an interagency working group has been created to draft a substantive agenda for our Council, which includes representatives from leading schools, universities, and research institutes, as well as officials from the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and business leaders.

I expect our colleagues to continue to monitor the situation regarding engineering education and prepare their proposals on this matter. Among other things, it is essential to adjust existing mechanisms of cooperation between regions, education systems, domestic companies and enterprises, and create new ones.

It is important to establish an ongoing exchange of the most effective practices. First of all, steps need to be taken to create an integrated, comprehensive system for training personnel for the technology sector – from school to university. Many of the Russian regions with a high concentration of industry have positive and much needed experience in this respect. We need to study their practices and spreads them.

There is another important point I would like to make. In addition to addressing current objectives and those of the immediate future, we need to create a reserve of competences for years to come, so that today’s schoolchildren, university students, postgraduates, as well as educational institutions – schools, colleges, and universities – would be ready to meet future challenges, handle rapid technological changes, and remain in the lead in the global competition even 15–20 years from now. This goal should be incorporated into the logic that guides our actions, and we should include it the new Education Development Strategy until 2040.

Importantly, we must take this overarching approach: our technical education should be, above all, fundamental, which is in line with Russian traditions and the best international practices that have proven their effectiveness. I am referring to the necessary baggage of knowledge in maths and science that students gain at school, as early as in grades 5–9. Experts believe that this is the most important period in fostering future tech specialists.

The quality of teaching these disciplines should be consistently high – not just in several top schools, but throughout the country. For this purpose, as it has been said many times, we need to increase the number of subject teachers and improve the quality of their training.

It is important that children become fascinated with maths and natural science subjects. At present, many of them often lose interest at the early stages of studying them. This certainly does not mean that our children lack talent or ability to excel in maths or science. One of the reasons for their lack of interest, as teachers themselves say, is the content of primary and basic school curricula.

The mathematics and natural science curricula need to be comprehensively reviewed and updated, to balance the amount of material, to make it easy to understand, clear and, most importantly, interesting for children of appropriate age. I ask the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education, and leading Russian educational and research organisations to address these challenges.

Colleagues,

In recent years, a series of systemic decisions have been adopted to enhance the quality of vocational training for engineers and technical workers.

This year marks the conclusion of the experimental phase of the Professionalitet project, which has been implemented since 2022 based on close cooperation between educational institutions and enterprises in key economic sectors. I consider it imperative to codify this model of secondary vocational education – with mandatory participation of businesses – into legislation.

This is particularly critical as the project is expanding significantly, extending to new industries. By the end of 2026, colleges and technical schools from all Russian regions will participate in it, and by 2030, two million students will be enrolled under the Professionalitet framework.

Regarding higher education, a decision was made in 2023 to introduce variable study durations across all disciplines, tailored to specific professions, industries, and labour market demands, while ensuring the attainment of comprehensive, accredited higher education qualifications.

Undoubtedly, these reforms must be substantiated with tangible content. To achieve this – amid rapid technological advancement – we must fundamentally re-evaluate the composition of curricula, the very mechanisms of instruction, and the scale and structure of workforce training, including, of course, what we are currently discussing: engineering personnel.

The Government – in collaboration with regional authorities and employers – has developed a five-year forecast of recruitment needs across the entire economy. This has been broken down by specific territories, industries, and professions. While substantial effort has been made, we are just at the beginning of the road.

We must now precisely identify additional personnel needs in order to attain technological leadership and implement corresponding national projects. The forecast must be expanded and refined, after which it can be employed to define the public enrolment parameters for colleges and universities. As agreed, this process will be conducted annually.

It is vital that state-funded placements in engineering disciplines are not diluted within general allocations but distributed strictly according to the needs of enterprises and industries, including those to be established from scratch under national technological leadership projects.

Consequently, in the shortest possible time, we must establish mechanisms for allocating so-called admission control figures and communicate them to specific educational institutions. Priority for state-funded placements must be granted to universities and colleges demonstrating superior training results – that is, leaders distinguished by graduates’ competitive salaries and employment in their field of study.

It is necessary to properly fine-tune the way the training process at higher education institutions is organised. The share of practical training in modern design and construction tools, which are already in use at specific enterprises, should be increased by an order of magnitude.

At the same time, outdated, sometimes obsolete courses and programmes that do not meet the needs of the economy must be removed. By the way, this is one of the key reasons for some students losing interest in their future professions and even making them drop out of educational institutions altogether.

In some engineering fields, up to 40 percent of students remain with incomplete higher education. These data – I think you will agree with me – speak volumes and simply reduce to zero our personnel training plans, which I just mentioned. I would like the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to submit proposals to improve this situation.

There is more to it. Combining learning and working has become the usual thing for a large number of students. The young people’s push to stand firm on their own feet and to try their hand in the real-life production process certainly deserves respect and, of course, must be supported in every way. In this regard, I have two proposals to make.

First of all, I believe it is necessary to introduce individual curricula for students whose current jobs are in the field of their future specialty, and to use hybrid formats of education, which – I emphasise – should not affect the thorough and fundamental nature of their studies, or the quality of training.

My other proposal concerns an option of phased-in professional training when developing the regulatory framework for a new national higher school model. This means that upon completion of a certain cycle, a student shall be entitled to undergo certification and obtain a professional credit and – if they wish so – to start working, and to continue studying later under basic or specialised higher education programmes. The same opportunities should be available to graduates of technical schools and colleges who may want to become engineers and to get higher education in the future.

In general, it is necessary to create conditions for continuous competence building of blue-collar workers, engineers and, of course, technical discipline teachers themselves. Technologies, equipment, machines, and software are making rapid strides and get updated now and then. Competitive domestic solutions and systems are becoming available. According to experts, anywhere from one third to one half of engineers and technicians who are already employed need to take advanced training courses.

In this regard, I am expecting you to come up with specific proposals to update and to significantly improve the quality and scope of additional professional development training.

Let us discuss these matters. If there is anything else you would like to discuss on top of that, you are welcome to do so, because this is an open discussion.

Our next speaker is CEO of Geoscan Group of Companies Pavel Stepanov, who also represents the interagency working group, and is a member of the Council for Science and Education.

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Vladimir Putin: I would like to thank everyone for today’s work and for the substantive discussion.

Obviously, many of the proposals made today cannot be implemented by the relevant ministries alone – it is important for the entire Government to work in solidarity, also involving the professional community in the regions and businesses.

This is what I think we need to focus on specifically.

First, the foundations for the country’s technological leadership are primarily laid by educators, which means that teacher training programmes at universities need to seriously increase requirements for potential students aspiring to work as teachers of mathematics, physics, biology, or chemistry. In general, we need to achieve a higher quality of pedagogical and subject training for future teachers.

As you know, many programmes at classical universities are now adding pedagogical modules. I agree with the proposal to introduce similar courses in all technical universities from 2026, so that future mathematicians, physicists and engineers can obtain teaching qualifications if they wish. The modules should be available free of charge, and moreover, such students should be entitled to higher academic scholarships.

It is extremely important to stimulate children’s interest in science and engineering, and to support relevant initiatives coming from the scientific and professional community or public organisations, including the most massive youth movement – the Movement of the First. Our colleagues who spoke today shared their proposals, and we need to provide them with the necessary assistance.

Second, I ask the Government to update the five-year forecast of the economy’s demand for various personnel. I just mentioned this briefly, but we need to look into the substance of the issue and take into account our plans to increase labour productivity and robotisation.

The success of national projects focused on technological leadership, as well as state and business programmes aimed at the country’s spatial development, relies on effective staffing. Therefore, it is essential to establish clear objectives for specific colleges, universities, and higher education institutions as a whole.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, a new model for planning admission quotas should be developed. Applications from vocational education institutions for budget-funded places must receive backing from regional authorities and key employers. If a university or college demonstrates strong outcomes in employment training – I already mentioned this before – particularly in technological fields relevant to national projects, it should be prioritised for budget placements, including through direct government contracts.

Third, I ask the Government to implement a comprehensive set of decisions aimed at improving the quality of paid university admissions. In 2026, the process should follow new rules. These changes should prevent over-recruitment in fields that are not in demand by the economy or labour market, which we have discussed extensively. Specifically, training in such professions should not be allowed in non-specialised universities or their branches. I will not go into the specifics now, but sometimes it simply appears inappropriate, and the quality of training of specialists whom ultimately no one needs is subpar.

I fully support the proposals made by Valery Falkov [Minister of Science and Higher Education]. The key point is that preferential educational loans, with a three percent interest rate subsidised by the federal budget, should only be available for priority training areas and specialties that are essential for the state. Such a decision must undoubtedly be made.

Next. Today, we have extensively discussed the experience of leading universities and corporate educational centres. All best practices must be consolidated to ensure that cutting-edge knowledge and methodologies are accessible to educators at other technical universities and faculties, as well as to their students and postgraduate researchers.

In this regard, I believe it is necessary to develop exemplary curricula for engineering disciplines and facilitate the exchange of leading lectures on fundamental and specialised subjects across educational institutions. This entails creating a unified intellectual repository for Russia in the field of engineering education.

Broadly speaking, disjointed efforts in this sphere are unacceptable. I agree with those who have emphasised the need to consolidate resources and cultivate an environment where continuous development becomes both a norm and a vital imperative for every student and specialist. We must create corresponding opportunities for this collectively.

This includes establishing a system for internships in the real economy – a point reiterated repeatedly today by myself and by our colleagues – and organising dedicated platforms nationwide where engineers and industry practitioners can come together to devise solutions for complex technological challenges.

Undoubtedly, it is imperative to fully leverage supplementary professional education to address the shortage of engineering personnel. A comprehensive system for upskilling not only engineering and technical specialists but also instructors of specialised disciplines must be established, utilising the infrastructure of higher education institutions, colleges, corporate universities, and sectoral training centres.

I want to emphasise that these are just a few priorities for our forthcoming work. I instruct my colleagues from the Presidential Executive Office to review all proposals raised today and compile an exhaustive list of instructions within the next fortnight.

Additionally, the Future Technologies Forum is scheduled for the third decade of February. It will focus on the pivotal, cross-cutting theme of chemistry and advanced materials. We will definitely revisit personnel training matters in detail during this event.

I would like to thank you all for your participation and for the proposals put forward today. As Mikhail Kovalchuk [President of the National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute] rightly noted – particularly regarding personnel development – we must cultivate professionals by employing all modern means to achieve definitive outcomes.

Thank you very much. I wish you all the best!

Winners of 2024 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists announced

2025-02-10T17:10:01+04:00

Since 2019, every prize winner receives an amount equal to five million rubles.

Council for Science and Education meeting

2024-06-17T10:30:29+04:00

Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Council for Science and Education, in Dubna.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, good afternoon,

We are meeting in Dubna, one of the Russian science cities. You know that its entire history is an excellent example of the concentrated efforts of the state, scientists, engineering and educational schools, economic sectors and, without exaggeration, the entire society in areas that are crucial for the security and sovereignty of the country.

In this sense, it is emblematic that it is here in Dubna that we will talk about scientific and technological priorities of the current complicated and challenging period of Russia’s development.

According to my instructions, the Government and the Russian Academy of Sciences have compiled a list of knowledge-intensive technologies that are essential for Russia. In fact, these are direct and specific tasks for the Russian science, education system, and tech businesses. Almost everything depends on solving these tasks: the implementation of our current plans and aspirations, and, of course, the historical prospects of the Russian state without exaggeration. I am saying this without unnecessary enthusiasm or exaggeration.

But before we get down to our work, I would like to congratulate the Council members, the domestic and foreign scientific community and, of course, the staff of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research on a truly significant event. Work to launch the NICA technological project has just started.

Before the Council meeting, I discussed NICA’s enormous capabilities with scientists from Dubna and other centres. The head of the project and the centre described in detail how fundamental and applied research will develop to have the most positive impact on the development of science in our country.

This is our great competitive advantage. We need to use it to create sovereign and original end-to-end designs that are sought-after in all areas of life, as well as other critical products and services to overall strengthen our leadership position in a number of areas.

Let me remind you that these are the provisions envisaged in the updated Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development. When developing this document, we were guided by the following approach: international cooperation opens up numerous opportunities for Russia, and we will promote it despite the restrictions that they are trying to impose on us from abroad. We will nevertheless develop our contacts, but we must rely primarily on ourselves and on our science, and not just rely, but also to develop it, above all.

This is why it is so important that our scientists are moving forward reaching new heights. As you know, yesterday we presented the National Awards in science and technology to Russian scientists. They came first in the world in a number of areas. I would like to once again thank you and all your colleagues for outstanding achievements.

It is crucial that all our fundamental scientific groundwork should gain traction and create new industries and markets in Russia. National technological sovereignty projects are being prepared for launch in order to do this.

Today, I would like to highlight their scientific component, which, let me stress this, must serve as a foundation for achieving breakthrough results in the interests of Russian families, our economy and social sphere, as well as to strengthen Russia’s defence capabilities and security.

This is what I would like to highlight.

First, now clear requirements for the final results of technological national projects must be determined when developing them, these being specific products and services created with the use of the essential knowledge-intensive technologies. It is critical to set objective, yet strict deadlines for the implementation of these decisions, starting from laying scientific groundwork to testing the technology and using it in mass manufacturing.

Second, three years ago, we began to build an entire system for planning and managing scientific and technological development. The Council for Science and Education was vested with the authority to develop all strategic decisions in science and technology, and the government Commission for Scientific and Technological Development was granted operational management rights in science and technology policy.

Now, we have to ensure effective management of the national technological sovereignty projects’ scientific blocks. They must be aligned as smoothly as possible, which requires detailed cooperation between agencies, research institutes, universities, enterprises, and high-tech companies. Our entire scientific, technological, educational, and production potential must be pooled together. Multi-tasking and diluting resources are unacceptable.

In this regard, the situation when dozens of organisations are engaged in one scientific topic, with varying degrees of success, while other areas that are no less important for Russia remain uncovered, raises concern. Therefore I would like to ask you to once again look carefully into the overall planning and implementation of research and development projects. I would like to hear your specific proposals on this matter.

There is nothing unusual about it. We have seen all of that back in the Soviet times. It may not be a bad thing when several centres focus on the same project. It creates competition that gives rise to interesting products. But you should not spread yourself thin. That is the point. It is a fine line, where you need to stick to the golden middle.

Next, personnel training is critical not only for the technological projects, but for all national projects as well. Consolidating efforts at all levels of education matters. We have been discussing the fact that we need more than individual high-performance physics and mathematics schools. What really matters is to achieve a high level of training in mathematics, physics and other natural science disciplines everywhere, in major cities and small towns alike. The head of this centre was appalled to share with me today that a survey among schoolchildren revealed that the majority of high school students want to be what?

Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Grigory Trubnikov: Bloggers.

Vladimir Putin: Bloggers.

Mr Sadovnichy, they want to be bloggers. Not scholars.

You know, this is the spirit of the time. Some time ago, things were even worse, and we know what children wanted to be.

However, the interest in science and higher education is on the rise, and we are aware of it. There are statistical data to corroborate it. These trends should be supported.

To reiterate, we need to improve this situation dramatically, and do so soon, meaning that all the necessary systemic solutions must be incorporated into the pending Youth and Children national project now. I want the Government and the Presidium of the Council on Science and Education to keep a close eye on this work.

The issue is about improving the quality of teacher training and building mechanisms to attract talented university graduates to work at schools, and to expand the opportunities for retraining teachers, including at the leading universities, research organisations and technology-driven businesses.

Funding the research comes fourth. The mechanisms for allocating funds to pay for advanced research should be more convenient and flexible. What we need here is clarity, transparency and objectivity rather than bureaucratic formalism. Importantly, the researchers should have clear perspectives and be in a position to make long-term plans.

In this regard, financial planning of the budgetary spending on scientific research should cover the horizon of at least six years, and even longer, if necessary. The planning horizon for scientific research – people here know this better than I – should be extended: the further out it goes, the more effective the end result will be.

To reiterate, in the Address, and then in the May Executive Order, we laid it out clearly that, by 2030, we would increase domestic spending on research and design to at least 2 percent of GDP. I am fully aware that this is not enough, but you must strive to get there. Once you do, you must go further, no questions asked, including with the use of a twofold increase in investment in research and technology by private businesses.

Please submit specific proposals concerning the mechanisms for enlisting the participation of the companies in the expedited creation of advanced domestic solutions at every phase of the process. It is crucial to use the experience gained by the Russian Science Foundation, and federal scientific and technical programmes in agriculture, genetics, and so on.

Fifth, the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) should play a crucial role at all phases of forming and implementing national technological sovereignty projects. Among other things, such national projects should be thoroughly examined by the RAS. The President of the Russian Academy of Sciences raised this question during our recent meeting when we discussed these matters. I fully support it.

I would also like to remind you that we have expanded the role of the RAS in providing scientific and methodological guidance when it comes to the activities pursued by academic research institutes regardless of their departmental affiliation. I would like President of the RAS Gennady Krasnikov to update us on how the Academy is going about this work. We discussed this earlier, and I am sure the president is ready for it.

Friends,

We recently talked with our colleagues in the Government and the governors about the importance for all of us to work in a special “combat” mode. I hope that you will be working like this in your respective spheres as well. This applies particularly to research. For the first time in contemporary history, we are integrating the work of scientists as closely as possible as part of our technological national projects, in order to achieve the national development goals. As I said, this is a completely logical decision.

Of course, I am aware of issues that have to do with fundamental research, as we said just now. It is a separate matter. Nevertheless, this kind of research also generates a host of issues that are relevant to the real world in one way or another.

In the context of sanctions and growing technological competition, every research institute, every research team, every member of the Academy of Sciences, professor and researcher, as well as postgraduate students must contribute to the common cause. Simply put, it is imperative that you not only do what you enjoy and are capable of, or what is prestigious and profitable, but also what the country needs.

On the other hand, in addition to addressing current and future-oriented tasks, the Russian scientific community must prepare the groundwork for creating goods and services of the next technological generation, as I have said just now, and explore new unchartered horizons. This means that fundamental research must be carried out in Russia equally broadly, not just in the interests of the country, but for the international scientific community, backed by Russia’s entire scientific infrastructure industry, and in close international cooperation with those who are ready for this and willing to work with us. There are not just many of them; they constitute the majority in the world.

In this connection, I would like to tell you about a decision we have recently made. The mega-grant programme will be considerably expanded; its funding increased; new research fields included; and more efficient grant distribution tools through the Russian Science Foundation suggested. These measures will allow us to support new large-scale research projects and to attract leading professionals to Russia from various countries, just as we have been doing recently. Relevant instructions will be issued to the Government. In fact, we are discussing this issue with our colleagues, and we are in agreement. Naturally, we will closely monitor the implementation of this programme.

Mr Chernyshenko, you have the floor. Go ahead, please.

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Vladimir Putin signed executive orders on National Awards of the Russian Federation

2024-06-12T11:34:53+04:00

The President signed executive orders on awarding the 2023 Russian Federation National Awards in science and technology, literature and the arts, and outstanding achievements in human rights and charity work.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Awards in Literature and the Arts have been awarded to Ildar Abdrazakov, Andrei Korobtsov and Konstantin Fomin, as well as Olga Taratynova and Boris Igdalov.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Awards in science and technology have been awarded to Mikhail Kovalchuk, Yevgeny Adamov and Vladimir Asmolov; Sergei Gauthier, Marina Minina and Mogeli Khubutiya; as well as Pyotr Chumakov.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Award for outstanding achievements in human rights have been awarded to Yulia Belekhova.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Award for outstanding achievements in charity work has been awarded on Nikolai Slabzhanin.

As per tradition, the President will present the National Awards on Russia Day, June 12.

Meeting of the Council for Science and Education

2024-02-08T22:00:23+04:00

On Russian Science Day, Vladimir Putin is holding a meeting of the Presidential Council for Science and Education via video conference. The agenda includes the revised Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation, financial support for Russian science, and advancing the activities of the Russian Science Foundation.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.

As is customary, we are holding this council meeting on Russian Science Day which was established to commemorate the founding of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which turns 300 years today.

Before we get to work, I would like to wish a happy professional holiday to the council members and your colleagues, in fact, all Russian scientists, and offer my best wishes on the occasion of the academy’s anniversary to you and all our people whose interests science is meant to serve. Three hundred years is a big round number. In the truest sense of the word, science is the bedrock of growth and progress. The research and technology sphere is crucial for achieving our national goals, improving quality of life, and ensuring our country’s security, sovereignty and self-sufficiency.

In light of new challenges and goals, we need to identify the best approaches, principles, and areas of work in fundamental research and applied innovations for the years to come.

As a reminder, we agreed to amend the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development at the previous council meeting. I propose discussing its revised version today.

Following our discussion, please update and amend it accordingly and, within a week, submit for signature the draft Executive Order approving this key document. To reiterate, we agreed that in terms of its importance this document is tantamount to the National Security Strategy.

It is critically important in this regard that the decision to amend the strategy was made based on the profound political and technological transformations underway around the world and the unprecedented sanctions pressure on our country.

It is also obvious that the priorities of scientific and technological advancement should be closely linked to key economic, social and security challenges and objectives, should promote and ensure Russia’s sovereignty in every sense: a sovereign state, values, industry and definitely technology.

I would like to reiterate: we need to provide ourselves with our own technologies, key components, materials, tools and equipment in every key area – in every domain important for the country’s development and for improving its citizens’ quality of life – to be able to manufacture the entire range of necessary products. But in markets where we have, or will have, unique competencies, we need to aim for leading global positions.

These approaches, which are clearly stated in the updated draft Strategy, should guide us in the implementation of our scientific and technological agenda.

In this regard, I believe it expedient to compile an updated list of the most important and necessary science-intensive technologies and generally actualise the priorities for domestic science.

I ask the Government together and the Presidium of the Council for Science and Education to draft relevant proposals, while also taking into account the long-term forecast of scientific and technological development. We will review this work at the next meeting of the Council in summer.

Colleagues,

The priorities outlined in the draft Strategy clearly require fundamentally new approaches to the financing of science.

I would like to highlight something obvious but really important: any scientific programme’s efficiency should be measured by products, technologies, and qualitative changes in the economy and in people’s lives.

I can say that we already have success stories where such significant and much needed results were achieved through joint efforts by the state, science and business.

I can cite many examples, but with regard to food security, Russian scientists and breeders have achieved outstanding success. After we lost much of our breeding industry in the 1990s, we are now witnessing an increase in the number of domestic poultry farms breeding our own meat breed of chickens, known as Smena-9.

There is another major achievement in a whole different area which is nuclear energy. Rosatom has begun assembling the world’s first nuclear waste-free energy complex with a closed fuel cycle which relies on groundbreaking principles and the latest environmentally friendly technology based on conventional nuclear energy, and thermonuclear energy.

We must achieve substantial and convincing results in other areas of our economy as well. All-round support must be provided to the efforts to achieve them and to comply with the deadlines, including the use of effective mechanisms for appropriating funds dedicated to scientific research.

In this regard, I would like to discuss the Russian Science Foundation. We will discuss the strategy to promote its activities today as well. Notably, the foundation is usually very selective with regard to projects and research outcomes and boasts best practices when it comes to scientific expertise, so it is critically important for it to continue to operate as an effective vehicle for supporting researchers, including young researchers who are beginning their careers.

We have expanded the foundation’s mandate. In addition to supporting fundamental research, it has been funding key applied projects since 2023.

It has material results to show in this department as well. Last year, innovative technical solutions made it possible to significantly increase the production of super-high-frequency electronic equipment. The first items based on domestically produced photonic integrated circuits will go to market, and Russia will improve its self-sufficiency in electronics. The Government is working hard on these matters.

These impressive results were due to the fruitful cooperation with major companies and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, among other things. And so I ask other ministries, government agencies, and state corporations to cooperate with the Russian Science Foundation more actively, to build long-term partnerships.

In this regard, I propose that civilian science projects be selected on a competitive basis by the Russian Science Foundation. This is the first point.

Second. I believe we need to increase funding for applied projects supported by the foundation, but not by redistributing state science and technology programme resources – we need to explore other funding options.

I know this may be challenging, as I was talking with the Government about the budget only yesterday. We discussed our priorities, so I know. But still, we need to think about it, and we need to move in this direction, while keeping unchanged the amount of support for the foundation’s fundamental programmes.

I would like to make a general comment about the financing of domestic science. Russia is one of the leading countries in terms of public spending on science. I cannot say where exactly we stand in this, but in general this is true – Russia occupies one of the top spots. Furthermore, I would like to note that the total amount of government spending on civilian research and development will exceed 1.5 trillion rubles in the next three years.

In this year’s budget, we have added allocations for the development of science. But anyone familiar with the funding process or with science, can see that in real terms, spending on science is slightly down this year, adjusted for inflation, and it is also a smaller percentage of GDP.

Therefore, I ask the Government to consider expanding financial support for Russian science. This is a very important issue. It is of fundamental importance, crucial for progress in every area. Our national development goals, the ones we keep talking about, as we should, are also unlikely to be met without solving the challenges in the domain that we are discussing today. It is unlikely that we will be able to achieve these goals, the high bar we have set for ourselves.

Let us move on to the agenda.

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Winners of 2023 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists announced

2024-02-07T16:17:01+04:00

The names of the winners were announced by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko and Chair of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Sphere of Science and Education under the Presidential Council for Science and Education Nikita Marchenkov.

The prize, established in 2008, is awarded to young Russian scientists for making a significant contribution to developing domestic science, and creating new equipment and technologies that ensure the innovative development of the economy and the social sphere, as well as strengthening Russia’s defence capability.

Earlier in the day, Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Awarding the 2023 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists.

Winners of 2022 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2023-06-09T21:36:59+04:00

Winners of the 2022 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, human rights, charity work, and humanitarian activity have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko, Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy, Presidential Adviser and Chair of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev.

As per tradition, the President will present the National Awards on Russia Day, June 12.

Meeting of the Council for Science and Education

2023-02-12T11:33:05+04:00

The President held a meeting of the Council for Science and Education on implementing strategic initiatives in the scientific and technological spheres.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

First, I would like to congratulate you and your colleagues on your professional holiday – Russian Science Day – and wish you new, great successes for the benefit of Russia and our people.

By tradition, today we honour our young scientists, winners of the prize in science and innovation. After the festive ceremony, we had a detailed conversation. We mainly talked about ways of ensuring the implementation of new, breakthrough developments as soon as possible so they can promote and strengthen the sovereignty and security of our country, improve the living standards of our people.

With this logic, I suggest discussing in detail the further steps of building up Russia’s scientific and technological potential. Naturally, we will review how the current policies are being implemented. Today’s difficult situation shows that these decisions were absolutely correct. I am primarily referring to the creation of an integral system for planning and managing our scientific and technological development.

We have made a number of important steps in this area in the past two years.

First, the Council for Science and Education has been given the authority to draft strategic decisions in the scientific and technological sphere, including defining the priorities.

Second, under the guidance of the Council Presidium, work is underway on upgrading the approaches and the very methodology of scientific and technological forecasting and on preparing a long-term forecast.

Third, a special body has been formed under the Government, the Commission for Scientific and Technological Development. Its main function is to coordinate the actions of the ministries, departments and high-tech companies on implementing the integrated State Programme for the Development of Science and Technology. It has consolidated all funds for civilian R&D in accordance with the adopted decisions.

Fourth, we have already begun implementing federal scientific and technical programmes and major innovation projects. They should result in the creation of our own high-tech solutions in agriculture and genetics, as well as the creation of a national climate monitoring system, and the construction and operation of large, world-class research facilities, which will also make it possible to create new medicines and materials among other things.

We are concentrating the capabilities of the federal budget and our companies on these important areas for the development of Russia. Let me add that the Russian Science Foundation will become an additional source of funding for these important initiatives in engineering development and technological projects. The relevant legislative decisions have already been made.

I would also like to draw the Government’s attention to the fact that it is necessary to expedite the approval of the most important innovative projects on creating a system for rapid response to infectious diseases, as we have discussed many times, as well as on creating new sources of energy, including energy distribution and storage.

Colleagues, such complex scientific and technological projects are a visible example of combining the capabilities of the state, science and business in the key areas that are most important for the country.

Obviously, under no circumstances should we scatter our efforts, means, and resources. We must focus on achieving national development goals, considering the factors of external pressure, which means that we must be extremely careful in choosing our scientific and technological priorities.

First of all, it is important to focus on technologies and products that will make it possible to ensure the operation of healthcare, housing and utilities sector, energy, key industries, and the security sector, ensure territorial integrity of Russia.

In these areas, we must have our own competencies and basic technologies. We cannot afford to risk critical dependence on foreign institutions in these sensitive issues. I am also referring to the element base and technology for work with genetic resources. And of course, it is necessary to move more actively to the creation of competitive products based on existing, unique domestic innovations, for example, in nuclear energy with a closed fuel cycle, as well as hypersonic technologies, and other things.

Once again: we need to concentrate our human, financial and infrastructure resources on a clearly defined set of priorities. In this regard, I consider it necessary to make some amendments to the fundamental document – the National Scientific and Technological Development Strategy. It was adopted in 2016, if I am not mistaken, and the situation has changed since then.

Also, in this vein, I propose revising our approaches to the activities of the integrated State Programme for the Development of Science and Technology in terms of R&D, specialist training, and improving the quality of our higher education.

It must be admitted that unfortunately, there is often a substitution of tasks. All efforts are directed towards controlling the current activities of participants in the scientific and technological areas, to ensure the implementation of so-called events, and formally report on allocated funds and their use, on grants or the laboratories created.

But we understand that these are only tools, the means to achieving the goals, but we need practical, final results that the country, the economy and our people are waiting for. This includes advanced equipment, components, products and services that are competitive in both domestic and foreign markets, technical solutions that will allow us, as I have said, to start, in a force majeure situation, our own production of crucial products, and have personnel that are able to create and work with the latest technology.

Our entire state policy in science and technology should be clearly oriented towards the achievement of these substantive results.

First, it is necessary to carefully and attentively set objectives for research and technology projects, introduce mechanisms for objective review and, of course – I consider this of fundamental importance – ensure a strict link with the programmes to develop the regions, the domestic economy, and the social sphere, and above all to ensure that the regions, state corporations, enterprises, and private companies really become qualified customers for research and technology with stable, guaranteed domestic demand for the achievements of domestic science.

Again, these goals were determined some time ago, and have been laid out. We need to pursue them, we need to do this on a daily basis. Of course, I would like to hear substantive proposals on this.

Let's discuss all these questions. I give the floor to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

Please, Mr Chernyshenko.

<…>

Vladimir Putin: I would like to thank everyone for your work today. We are meeting on your special day – Science Day. We have had a detailed, specific and constructive conversation. Many proposals were made to organise our work properly and, probably, in the best way.

There were some fundamental proposals including expertise, scientific management, the instrument base and organising work in many other areas.

One of the key issues came up naturally – it concern what is in demand today. Of course, under the current conditions, when we must quickly resolve the problems of import substitution, applied science seems to move to the fore. But I would like to reassure those that are concerned that we will not pay enough attention to the fundamental sciences. This is not so. We understand perfectly well, we realise that fundamental science is a fertile soil for everything – both real production and the applied sciences. This is beyond doubt. It is no problem that at first glance, some research seems to produce no specific results in industrial production.

The question lies in the expertise we discussed in one way or other. The researchers themselves, respected researchers say that in reality all science is applied. We discussed this today with the young people, young researchers. All science is applied and the only question is when different discoveries and achievements will be used. But they will be used eventually.

We understand this, and we know that it is not worth mentioning. Everyone here today, in their places of work or corresponding centres, know this better than I do. But of course, we would like the import substitution that we are talking about to move ahead at a brisk pace. We are not cutting any funding for this, and I would like to emphasise that again.

Of course, it is necessary to be careful about spending budget funds. We need to attract, as the Finance Minister [Anton Siluanov] said, not only budget funds but also funding from other sources. We need to step up our work with businesses and with Russia’s regions. But there is no doubt that government funding must be used efficiently. Nothing will be forgotten. We will work in all these areas.

Russia has a very good foundation, a very good base for continuing research in all areas that are in demand today, and in the long historical perspective. Russian science has always been distinguished by its ability to look to the future. We have a wonderful school and we will do all we can to develop it. In the meantime, I would like to ask Mr Fursenko [Presidential Aide and Secretary of the Presidential Council for Science and Education] to sum up today’s proposals, prepare a draft of today’s decisions and coordinate it with the Government and the concerned departments.

I would like to thank all of you for your work today and wish you the best.

Happy Science Day to you once again! All the best!

Winners of 2022 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists announced

2023-02-07T16:46:39+04:00

Winners of 2021 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2022-06-09T21:43:29+04:00

Winners of the 2021 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, human rights and charity work have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy, Presidential Adviser and Chair of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev and Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy.

As per tradition, the President will present the National Awards on Russia Day, June 12.

Winners of 2021 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists announced

2022-02-09T19:41:04+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On Awarding the 2021 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists.

Deputy Chief of the Presidential Directorate for Science and Education Policy Denis Sekirinsky, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeyev and Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Sphere of Science and Education under the Presidential Council for Science and Education Nikita Marchenkov announced the winners’ names at a news conference.

The annual prize for young scientists was established in 2008. It is awarded for meaningful contributions to advancing Russian science, for creating new equipment and technologies that can boost the innovative development of the economy and social sphere, as well as strengthen the national defence capability.

* * *

Executive Order On Awarding the 2021 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists:

Having considered the proposals of the Presidential Council for Science and Education, the President has resolved:

To award the 2021 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists and the Honorary Title of Holder of the Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists to:

Alexandra Dubrovina, PhD (Biology), senior researcher at the Federal Scientific Centre of East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity at the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, for the development of innovative approaches to the induction of RNA interference and the directed regulation of plant genes;

Arseny Kubryakov, PhD (Physics and Mathematics), lead researcher at the Marine Hydrophysical Institute Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, for achievements in the study of the dynamics of ocean processes and their effect on the biological characteristics of marine ecosystems;

Leonid Skripnikov, PhD (Physics and Mathematics), a senior researcher at the B.P. Konstantinov St Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Kurchatov Institute National Research Centre, for a series of papers promoting the theory of the electronic structure of heavy element compounds in search of new physics and studies of the nucleus structure.

Joint meeting of the State Council and the Council for Science and Education

2022-01-17T14:45:55+04:00

Vladimir Putin held, via videoconference, a joint meeting of the State Council and the Presidential Council for Science and Education. The participants discussed the results of the Year of Science and Technology in Russia and the further development of the country’s scientific potential.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues, friends.

Today we are holding a joint meeting of the State Council and the Council for Science and Education. It is being attended by the heads of regions and political parties, representatives of our science and research community, members of the Government and the Security Council.

This expanded meeting is held on the occasion of the end of the Year of Science and Technology. We will sum up the results and discuss our joint plans for the further development of science in general and of scientific education, taking into account the huge attention given to the achievements of our scientists by our society and citizens.

Of course, we also need to consider the growing public demand for modernisation of our cities and all other residential areas based on the latest technological and environmental standards and the comprehensive use of cutting-edge scientific research achievements in everyday life.

In this context, one more important issue on our agenda – further steps to build up the innovation potential of Russian regions as a key condition of wellbeing and a high quality of life for people across our vast country.

This is not just about creating new knowledge and technology. Again, it is extremely important to use these directly in practical terms in healthcare and education, on transport and utility infrastructure, in resolving environmental, social and other socially important tasks.

I will say again that Russia and our regions can only develop together with science. This is why for two decades we have consistently tried to expand the scientific geography of the country, focusing on the formation of advanced research infrastructure and the strengthening of universities in the regions. As a result, the number of universities engaged in research has increased almost three-fold.

Research and backbone universities in the regions of the Federation have become real flagships for whole territories.

Joint objectives are already uniting research universities, institutes and companies from different regions of Russia. We will certainly encourage such cooperation in the future as well, because our enormous country badly needs distributed scientific development, as we have said many times. Not some individual centres located in just a few areas but a truly integral space covering the entire country– as Academician Vernadsky used to say, an area of scientific pursuit, creative solutions, education, support and encouragement of the talents of advanced technical business. This is the approach that lies at the foundation of research and educational centres in the world and is vital for implementing federal programmes on genetics and agriculture.

I know that important and innovative projects of national significance will receive a broad regional dimension. They will be aimed at resolving medical and pharmaceutical goals, as well as problems related to climate change and development of new energy sources.

What do I consider extremely important? We can set ambitious research goals because we have created strong personnel potential and will certainly develop and strengthen it. In this context, I would like to tell you about the new plans that were prepared after our meeting with young scientists at Sirius in early December.

First, the mega grants programme will continue. We will rearrange the requirements to enable prominent scientists to create strong international research teams here in Russia which will attract not only young researchers from within the country, but also our compatriots and foreign specialists. In fact, this is already the case, and I hope that this will carry on in the future. Of course, the mission of these world-class laboratories is to expand and reinforce opportunities across the country. They will be created in universities and research centres in the Volga Region, in Siberia, in Russia’s Far East, its central and southern parts, and of course in the northern regions of our country.

By the way, biologists, experts in environment protection and other fields, including climate change, are currently working in Russia’s Arctic territories, in the challenging environment of the Extreme North. Of course, we must support these researchers, including paying them the so-called northern bonuses in full, not later, in many years, but here and now, the very first month they start working there. This was also among the requests I heard during a meeting with our colleagues at the Sirius centre. Let me note that for most locations in Russia’s Extreme North, these bonuses amount to about 80 percent of wages. This is a substantial increase for a researcher, considering that, as you know, scientists must be paid at the level of 200 percent of the average wage in the region.

I would like to make a special point on youth support. Thanks to the Russian Science Foundation, we already have a comprehensive programme for allocating grants to young researchers for undertaking various projects, from small studies to running research teams. I am certain that post-graduate students must also benefit from clear and unified incentives of this kind. Of course, I am referring to young researchers who are serious about science and achieve something, who already work for the benefit of their regions and are ready to implement their innovations there.

As for housing, during the meeting at Sirius, our colleagues also asked me to expand the housing certificate programme and make sure young researchers and university faculty members who achieve substantial results and succeed in their work are the first to get these certificates, regardless of how long they have been working and what ministry or agency the organisation that employs them reports to. The same principles must apply to apartments these people rent from their institutions. It is hard to argue with that, and I agree with this proposal – the Government must take all the necessary decisions in this regard quickly.

Colleagues,

Our science is among the world’s youngest in terms of the researchers’ age, and its capacity is being strengthened at the institutions of higher learning and universities. Importantly, an increasing number of parents are supporting their children in their choice to pursue a scientific career. In our country, researchers under 40 account for 44.3 percent of academia. Almost two-thirds of the parents, two-thirds of adults in our country want to see their children choose a scientific career. These meaningful, positive and, I am sure, long-term trends must be supported.

At least 25 university campuses will be built in the 2020s. Importantly, they must be outfitted with advanced equipment for academic and research activities and with proper amenities for playing sports, launching start-ups and operating technology companies. These things need to be planned in advance before starting this large-scale work. This programme must be an example of joint work of the government, business, and constituent entities of the Federation aimed at creating a modern environment for young, talented people. This is the most important condition for advancing scientific research and technology in our regions.

Today, we will definitely discuss mechanisms and the best models for creating social and residential infrastructure and public spaces next to universities and research centres in the regions of the Federation with the involvement of development institutions.

In this regard, I would like to emphasise that the tools and the federal programmes that were mentioned today will pay off if and only if – and here I want to address heads of the constituent entities of the Federation – if you, colleagues, meaningfully engage in technological, scientific and educational development, and only if you see this area as a powerful resource and understand the importance of these matters for the people and for the fulfilment of young people in your respective regions and cities. So, please make sure to communicate closely with young researchers, students and even school research teams, provide them with weighty support, and create better opportunities for launching innovative projects that will become a magnet for talent from other regions and even other countries.

Of course, it is the Russian regions working with large companies, including state-owned companies, that should act as qualified consumers of knowledge and technology, especially since our fundamental groundwork allows businesses to create unique competitive solutions. In order to do this, we need to lift a number of remaining barriers that hinder cooperation between science and the regions, and to create conditions for businesses to invest more actively in technological development. So I would like to ask the members of the State Council and the Council for Science and Education as well as the Government to address these issues. You know what I mean. Nevertheless, let me repeat some things.

First, we have to help scientific and innovative teams get through the most difficult stage and do it efficiently, quickly, and effectively; this is the technology approbation stage in real life. Next we need to start implementing them in the city, at enterprises and institutions. I mean up-to-date regulatory control, including application of experimental legal regimes in the Russian regions. Of course, it is necessary to use the resources of our world-class scientific and education centres, which would include direct interaction between science and companies operating in the regions.

Second, we need to expand the Russian regions’ alternatives for supporting scientific and technology projects, assist regional scientific foundations that provide grants for research and development. Let me also note that the State Duma has adopted, in the first reading, a draft law that allows regional budgets to fund the work at federal institutions, such as universities and research organisations. I would like to draw the attention of my colleagues from the Government and from the parliament: regions with low fiscal capacity should also have this support. I understand the questions that arise in this context, but I still believe that this should be done even for the regions that receive subsidies, if they can justify their expenses accordingly. In general, I am asking you to resolve any existing disagreements as soon as possible and adopt the necessary amendments to the law.

Third, we need to create a base of Russian technology solutions that are already in use in the Russian regions and that have already proven their effectiveness; for example, a common digital platform of best practices would serve to ensure interaction between teams of entrepreneurs, scientists, and management teams all across Russia.

Finally, I consider it necessary to encourage those regions in the Federation that are working to increase their scientific and technological potential. The logic here is very understandable and simple. Additional support must be given to those territories that make breakthrough developments and launch major research, innovative and education projects. This means that researchers, entrepreneurs and engineers go there to implement the needed projects for developing these territories. I know that at a special seminar with experts from the Council for Science and Education the governors discussed in detail successful approaches and projects in this area and new steps on developing science and technology in the regions. Today, I would like to hear your proposals that, I hope, are a response to those debates.

One more point: starting next year, the events of the Congress of Young Scientists will take place all over the country, in different regions. Young scientists at Sirius asked me about this, in part, to enable our research teams to meet with their potential customers, that is, you, your colleagues from regional teams and business representatives. I know that you (I am talking to the regional governors again) will personally take part in these meetings. This is very important, and this is my request to you.

Friends,

Before we move to speeches and discussions, I would like to turn again to the results of the Year of Science and Technology. I will repeat that the main, key result is a fundamentally new level of scientific education. Using advanced technology, tens of millions of people saw lectures by scientists and hours-long marathons of the revived Knowledge society. It is no exaggeration to say that public interest in science, its history and achievements is tremendous.

I think it would be appropriate to make the Year of Science and Technology the beginning of a decade that will further encourage the development of education in Russia. I am confident that all political and public entities will support this decision.

Of course, I hope for engaged participation from our regions in this work. First, I would like to ask you to help create centres for research volunteers, including at universities, and provide assistance in drafting education tour routes. I mean taking students and schoolchildren on expeditions and excursions to mega-science class installations, research centres, the Vostochny Cosmodrome and the like. All these are opportunities for young people to become familiar with the work of our scientists and Russian science and to continue its great history into the future. I have no doubt that this is how it will be.

Using this opportunity, I would like to once again thank our school students who won all international academic competitions in natural sciences this year – physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and informatics. Let’s wish new success to them together.

<…>

Vladimir Putin: First, I would like to thank everyone for your hard work this year. Second, I would like to ask the Government and the Presidential Executive Office to finalise the list of Presidential instructions based on the results of our joint work this year and, of course, with consideration for the proposals made at today’s meeting.

I looked carefully at some things while preparing for this meeting and now, during our discussion, I see some issues that require additional work (I will not torture anyone about it now) on taxation and additional funding. I understand the subtleties of these proposals, and we need to analyse them properly with the Finance Ministry. I would like to ask Mr Siluanov [Finance Minister] to approach this task with due consideration for the importance of the subject we discussed today.

I would like to congratulate you on the upcoming holidays. We will certainly continue this work in the future.

I talked about a decade, and this is what we should do. This is the road we will follow. But it is important to make sure this idea does not become trite, that it does not simply turn into a declaration that we will be involved with science for the next ten years. Science requires ongoing attention, whether we are talking about the past 100 years or 300 years or in the next decade, but we need to organise this effort in a way that will make it exciting. As my colleagues said it should be made interesting and attract young people. In principle, we are succeeding with this goal, and I have told you about the number of young researchers in our country. This number will grow, and the future of Russian science will certainly be guaranteed if we consistently implement the tasks that we have set.

In conclusion, I would like to address Mr Manturov. I think he knows that a salvo launch of the Tsircon hypersonic system was made this night, or more precisely, in the early morning hours. The Tsircon supersonic system is our latest missile that can hit sea- and ground-based targets. Yes, the test was successful, it was impeccable, and it is a great event in the life of our country and a big step towards increasing Russia’s security and enhancing its defence capability.

I would like to ask you to convey my best wishes and congratulations to the teams that worked on this advance, to thank them for the result. I want to express my most sincere words of gratitude to the developers, designers, engineers and workers, all those who were involved in this.

Thank you very much. All the best.

Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov: Thank you very much, Mr President.

This event took place at 5.30 am. I will convey your words to all of them. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you everyone and all the best.

Winners of 2020 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2021-06-09T16:43:40+04:00

Winners of the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, human rights and humanitarian activity have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko, Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy, and Presidential Adviser and Chair of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev.

The President has signed the Executive Order On Awarding the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards in Science and Technology, the Executive Order On Awarding the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards in Literature and the Arts, and the Executive Order On Awarding the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Human Rights and Russian Federation National Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Charity Work.

The award ceremony will take place on June 12.

Executive Order on Certain Issues of Presidential Council for Science and Education

2021-03-16T15:01:47+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Certain Issues of the Presidential Council for Science and Education.

The Executive Order was signed in order to streamline the Council’s activities. It approves the Council Regulations, its membership and the composition of its Presidium.

The Presidential Council for Science and Education is an advisory and coordinating body established to determine the strategic goals and objectives of the development of the scientific and technical sphere and education, to set the scientific and technological priorities of the Russian Federation, as well as to make decisions on the development and implementation by the Russian Federation Government of the most important innovative projects of national standing and federal scientific and technical programmes on issues requiring a separate decision of the President of the Russian Federation.

Meeting of Council for Science and Education

2021-02-08T21:00:20+04:00

On Russian Science Day, Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Council for Science and Education, via videoconference.

During the meeting, the President ordered the launch of the PIK reactor to full capacity and trial experiments at research stations.

The head of state also said that he had signed an Executive Order on measures to implement the state scientific and technological policy in the field of green development and climate change.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

We are not only in different rooms but in different parts of the country as well. I hope the technology is working well, and everyone can see and hear me.

On Russian Science Day, which we are marking today, I would like to invite you to hold a comprehensive discussion on the creation of competitive conditions for Russia’s successful technological development, including the creation of cutting-edge research infrastructure that would allow us to resolve the most complicated and even unique research problems.

Therefore, before we start our work, I would like to give the floor to President of the Kurchatov Institute Mikhail Kovalchuk. He is now in Gatchina, Leningrad Region.

Mr Kovalchuk, I am aware that you are beginning an important and even landmark stage in the implementation of the PIK high-flux research reactor. I remember visiting you at the reactor site in Gatchina, where I observed that everything had been organised in the best possible way. I also remember hearing foreign speech next to the equipment on which you and your colleagues were working.

Can you tell us more about the reactor, please?

President of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Centre Mikhail Kovalchuk: Good afternoon, Mr President, colleagues.

You mentioned the launch of infrastructure, and I would like to note the special significance of the so-called mega-units. These are a highly complex, unique tool allowing the entire scientific community to move in the right direction.

I would like to say that today we are launching a very important unit, while opening Science Day and the Year of Science. In fact, this is the first major Year of Science event. I would like to note that this unit was developed, manufactured, assembled and launched by Russian specialists alone. In this connection, I am very happy that Mr Alexei Likhachev, the CEO of Rosatom, is present here today because we have jointly accomplished this highly complex project.

We are launching a tool which, apart from being a unique unit for conducting absolutely transcendental scientific research, also serves as a basic unit for technological breakthroughs primarily in creating new materials and new technologies for the energy sector, and for developing entirely new medications and biomedical technologies, including nuclear medicine technologies, agriculture and much more.

I would like to say that the existence of such a unit always highlights a country’s technological level. Any state that wants to assert itself as a technological power tries to develop such a unit and to show that it can operate it. Countries that can conceive and develop these units form a very narrow, elite club, and Russia has always occupied a leading and crucial position there.

Our leadership is proved by the fact that there are no large-scale global mega-projects where Russia does not hold key positions. For example, first and foremost, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the European X-ray Free Electron Laser in Hamburg, CERN, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility where Russia plays a key role.

Moreover, most Western units, including particle accelerators, use physical principles that have been created by Russian scientists. For example, this includes converging particle beams inside colliders, the auto-phasing method and many others.

Today we come back here to launch this unique facility. And I would like to point out that the International Centre for Neutron Research was established following your instructions, Mr President, and many countries in the CIS and outside it have already shown interest. I am pleased to inform you that, firstly, just two days ago, we signed an agreement with our Belarusian colleagues on broad collaboration between the Belarusian Academy of Sciences and the Kurchatov Institute, involving a wide range of scientific problems, and, the plan envisages Belarus’s involvement in the work at the PIK research reactor.

Today, in accordance with your instructions, we will put our first five experimental stations into test trial mode. Two of these five stations have been developed with Germany’s contribution, that is, we created them together with our German colleagues. This is also important and gratifying to note today.

Starting the process of putting the PIK reactor into energy mode, we are actually opening a very important year. This year, we plan the physical launch of a world-class facility, a tokamak fusion reactor at the main site of the Kurchatov Institute. We have prepared it for launch, and will soon put it into operation. Next, we have prepared the NICA, which is also moving towards launch, so we have a lot of events coming.

I would like to remind you that tokamak is also a Russian word, just like sputnik, the Russian for satellite, which has become widely used today. A tokamak is a device that was invented in our country, at the Kurchatov Institute, and is now used all over the world.

In conclusion, I would like to say that in fact, today we are celebrating our common success: the success of the academic community in general, the success of Rosatom and, of course, of the Kurchatov Institute. Only thanks to our constructive, consolidated joint activities did we manage to reach the current level.

And finally, I would like to say that none of this would have been possible without the close attention and support of the state, primarily your support, Mr President. You began your remarks by recalling how you had visited here before. Indeed, on April 30, 2013, you also chaired a meeting of the Council here and actually gave the go-ahead and broad state support for the launch of this project.

In this regard, we have made the regulatory and technical preparations for the launch. Now I would like to ask for your permission to give the command to begin the process that will put one of the world's most powerful high-flux PIK reactors into energy operation and start trial experiments at the first five stations.

Vladimir Putin: I see and you have said yourself that Mr Likhachev is next to you. I am very pleased that you are not annoying one another today and do not think that something has been stolen on the sly from you. (Laughter.)

Yes, I said this for a reason because this is what we will speak about today. We have certain problems in pooling efforts for the final result instead of pulling things apart to respective ‘little nooks’, although your ‘nook’ is certainly not little, this is obvious.

But before starting this work I would still like to address Mr Likhachev. Mr Likhachev, would you like to add anything?

Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev: Mr President, of course, I would like to add something.

First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone on both the Year of Science and the Day of Science and to say that we have launched a unique project here. On the one hand, we seemed to have used our usual technology linked with the launching of an energy facility (the Leningrad Atomic Power Station is next door). On the other hand, it was still a different project. Considering the absolute priority of security and the absolute priority of Russian technology, we still mastered new knowledge and skills during its implementation. Both Atomtekhenergo and Atomenergo have taken steps that will allow us to reach an international level in the development not only of energy facilities but also research units as well. This is my first point.

And my second point. Mr Kovalchuk has already mentioned the international aspect. We are carrying out the PIK project. We are also working in the Dubna Joint Institute of Nuclear Research. In Dimitrovgrad, we are implementing the multipurpose fast-neutron research reactor project (MBIR). With the account of these facilities, we will actually meet the global demand for neutron research by the middle of the 2020s. This is important for both fundamental science and the development of atomic power engineering, the transition to the fourth generation already.

Needless to say, we always have some kind of competition between people or ideas. This is quite normal. But we have created an alliance and the Russian Academy of Sciences (Mr Alexander Sergeyev is present at our conversation) is an absolutely fully-fledged member of this alliance. We have joint development programmes, both practical ones, for instance, those linked to the Bolshoi Sarov, and fundamental ones related to research programmes planned literally for decades ahead.

So, I can just join this mood of so much achieved and still more to be done. In turn, I would like to thank Mr Kovalchuk for his true partnership and very mutually attractive cooperation.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Kovalchuk, please put the PIK reactor into energy mode and start the test experiment.

Mikhail Kovalchuk: We have even made a commemorative golden key, which I am presenting to the shift on duty. Please start the process of putting the reactor into energy mode. You will now see on the screen how the power will grow.

Go ahead, please.

Engineer: Control Engineer, please start increasing the power.

Engineer: Confirmed. I am starting to increase the power now.

Engineer: The numbers are going up.

Mikhail Kovalchuk: You can see it on the screen, the numbers are going up, the curtains are opening, the active zone, most of it is starting to open slowly, and we can see an increase in intensity, and the power is going up.

I would like to report, Mr President, that the reactor is now close to regular operation. This has been a long and complicated process, but we have successfully overcome this stage. And it is our joint achievement.

Vladimir Putin: I see.

Mr Kovalchuk, colleagues,

I am speaking to everyone, to your entire team. I wish you all successful and fruitful work. Once again, wishing you all the best on Russian Science Day, and of course, I invite you and your colleagues to take part in the Council meeting.

The Kurchatov Institute has solid traditions and specialists with an unprecedentedly high level of qualifications. You have surprised us, our country, more than once with your discoveries. I am confident that this step forward will benefit our great country.

Thank you very much. Good luck.

Mikhail Kovalchuk: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Colleagues,

Mr Kovalchuk has just mentioned the attention the Government is paying to strengthening our country’s scientific potential. Indeed, this is long-term and systematic work. It has been going on consistently over the recent years. I am referring to the development of an advanced research infrastructure of universities and research centres, a support system for young talents and the involvement of our compatriots in scientific projects.

Time has shown that we have been doing the right thing, and timely too. Education and science, and Russia’s technological sovereignty, have become not only important, but to a large extent decisive, key factors in national security and the quality of life today.

And it is no coincidence that all the leading countries consider science as one of their strategic priorities. The dynamics of global change are growing before our very eyes. The pandemic is not only a test for humanity; it has also accelerated the widespread introduction of advanced solutions in all spheres of life.

Our policies in scientific research and technology and steps designed to support national scientific research must meet the challenges of a whole new level of complexity. Our goal extends beyond gaining new knowledge and making breakthrough discoveries. Importantly, technological progress must serve the people and be widely available.

Here is a case in point. Thanks to our researchers, Russia enjoys a leading position internationally (I am not saying anything unusual or new, we are all well aware of this) in terms of creating a vaccine against the coronavirus. Moreover, we are the only country with three vaccines of our own design. This is, without a doubt, a major success. But even more significant is the fact that we were able to build on it, to launch vaccine production and to start widespread vaccination. Thus, the joint efforts of researchers, domestic companies and the state allowed the people in our country and in other countries across the world to benefit from this scientific breakthrough.

Importantly, we need to apply similar efforts to achieve fast implementation and scaling of technologies and then use them to create competitive products in other areas that are critical for society and every individual. We are talking about accelerated digitalisation, solutions designed to protect the environment and to produce high-quality food, innovative environmentally friendly energy sources and state-of-the-art medical technology. Four years ago, we included these critical areas in the Strategy for the Scientific and Technological Development of Russia.

Ambitious research and technology programmes have been launched in agriculture and genetics, which are the areas where research can significantly improve the quality of life and life expectancy, and improve the health of the nation.

I propose discussing the implementation of these complex programmes during a series of special meetings to be held soon. Importantly, they have already made it possible to combine the capabilities of universities, research organisations, private businesses and companies with state participation, so that we can now quickly create and introduce innovative technology solutions.

In this regard, I believe we must use this approach in yet another sphere that is critical for society. I have just signed an executive order on launching a federal research and technology programme focusing on environmental protection and climate. The point is to develop and implement, in conjunction with businesses and the scientific community, domestic technological solutions that will ensure environmental safety, improve the environment, and make an effective contribution to overcoming the challenges posed by climate change.

Colleagues,

I consider an increase in the public authority, the recognition of the importance of research and the growing prestige of researchers among the younger generation a substantial integral result of our efforts to develop science.

I will quote some interesting figures now: according to sociological polls, almost two thirds of parents support their children’s decision to pursue science. Indicatively, since 2016, the number of such families has almost doubled. As for young people themselves, every tenth is ready to choose a scientific career. In terms of human resources, Russian science is really becoming one of the world’s youngest. Quite recently, we were concerned that it was getting old. The situation is changing and our young people are achieving important results in medicine, genetics, quantum physics and other promising areas.

Today, young scientists, winners of the 2020 State Prize in Science, are taking part in the session of our council. Experts describe their discoveries as a true scientific breakthrough. I will describe these works, these achievements with great pleasure and pride, as far as our format permits it today.

Vladimir Maximenko was the first to explain many complicated cognitive thinking processes, which made it possible to create new systems for monitoring the activity of the brain, as well as methods of early detection of serious neurological diseases and relevant rehabilitation.

A research team – Yevgeniya Dolgova, Yekaterina Potter and Anastasia Proskurina – have developed innovative medications and methods for treating oncological diseases. In effect, they have created a universal platform for the effective individual application of a wide spectrum of anti-tumour agents and technology.

Owing to a genuine breakthrough in microbiology and genetics, Kirill Antonets and Anton Nizhnikov have brought science very close to the development of effective methods for treating serious hereditary diseases.

The innovation by the team headed by Yevgeny Khaidukov paves the way to the development of new materials in industry and biomedicine. In particular, it makes it possible to replace damaged tissues with various polymers.

Friends,

I would like to sincerely congratulate all of you. Your example and the work of your colleagues show that we have a powerful human resources potential for the development of new, promising areas of science and for continuing the best traditions of the great scientific schools that were created even before the revolution, as well as in Soviet times.

To show our respect for all generations of domestic researchers, our trailblazers, we have proclaimed 2021 the Year of Science and Technology.

I am hoping the council members will take an active part in the events of this year, which should be aimed not only at promoting science. It is also important to conduct a large-scale education campaign to enable Russian citizens to know more about the daily work and achievements of our scientists and their tangible contribution to our national development. This is very important. I have already recalled Daniil Granin who told me that we say very little about science and the achievements of our researchers.

Let us move on to our agenda.

<…>

Vladimir Putin: I would like to thank all of you, colleagues, for the detailed, open discussion and your proposals.

Let me repeat, the competitiveness of the national economy and domestic companies depends on the level of technological and scientific development. Daily life, the wellbeing of every person and of course Russia’s security are directly linked to it.

We are seeing that global competition for technology and knowledge is rapidly gaining momentum all over the world. I said this in the beginning. In effect, there is nothing new in this statement. It is perfectly obvious that the country that gets ahead will determine the further development of all of humanity. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that scientific and technological sovereignty is a matter of Russia’s present and future.

We have everything we need to be in the lead in science, primarily, talented young people and strong scientific schools.

We must build up this potential. And we must not depreciate it, but unfortunately, this is the result of disunity, weak and limited communications between ministries, agencies and research centres that are supposed to work for a common goal in technological development.

When Mr Kovalchuk was launching the PIK, I started talking about this for a reason. In fact, our colleagues confirmed this during today’s discussion.

This explains the duplication and dissipation of funds that the state allocates for science, as well as the lack of motivation and reasonable, at least, expected results.

To move forward in the future, we must certainly leave behind this interdepartmental strife. We must act as a united front and pool our efforts. Only in this way can we carry out major innovation projects of national significance, which directly influence the life of every family and every citizen of Russia.

These projects include the development and large-scale production of advanced domestic equipment, including medical devices and materials for new medications, as well as the introduction of the domestic climate-monitoring technology that we also mentioned today.

I know that in the civilian sector, just as in the defence industry, we can manage to achieve equally important results by creating technology that nobody in the world has. We must consider the experience of organising very sophisticated technological projects in the defence industry.

In this context, I will mention specific decisions that may be implemented in the near future. We have spoken about them today. What I will say next is based on your proposals, colleagues.

First. I am asking my colleagues from the Executive Office jointly with the Government to prepare and submit for signature an Executive Order changing the governance mechanisms for state science and technology policy.

I will explain. Following up on your proposals, I also propose significantly changing the format of work and principles of membership in the Council for Science and Education, to include members of the Government and the Security Council. It has to do with some of our research projects being classified as secret, or top secret, and sometimes even as highly sensitive information. This is why we need to put together a team that will have authorised access to any projects, and thereby significantly strengthen the strategic decision-making mechanism for science and technology.

I also consider it necessary to set up a special government commission for science and technology development; this proposal was just made here. It should include personally responsible representatives from ministries at a level not lower than deputy minister, as well as representatives of the Security Council.

I hope this will improve the efficacy of operational management and interdepartmental coordination in making and implementing decisions on Russia’s science and technology policy.

Further on, I am asking the Government to prepare and adopt a new state programme for scientific and technological development. At the same time, we need to change our approaches to financing science from the state budget. This means ensuring the general planning and implementation of R&D projects, adopting uniform criteria for evaluating their results and conducting scientific and technical appraisal.

In addition, we need to create more effective incentives for private companies to participate in applied research together with state research institutes, universities and design bureaus, and to use Russian solutions to modernise production facilities and manufacture high-tech products. Everything that has been said during our discussion today is important.

And in conclusion, I would like to once again wish you all the best on Russian Science Day, all Russian scientists and our compatriots, engineers, students and schoolchildren, and all citizens of our country. It is our common holiday, in the full sense of the word, and again, we can only attain the goals of technological development together, by uniting our efforts.

And finally, one of our colleagues has a double holiday today. It is also his birthday. Let us congratulate the President of St Petersburg State University, Nikolai Kropachev, on his birthday. All the best. Happy birthday!

Nikolai Kropachev: Mr President, it is our joint holiday today – it is the birthday of our university.

Vladimir Putin: Wonderful. This means I also have a double holiday.

All the best to you!

Thank you all very much. Goodbye.

Winners of 2020 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists announced

2021-02-08T16:09:28+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On Awarding 2020 Presidential Prizes in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists.

The annual prize for young scientists was established in 2008. It is awarded for contributions to advancing Russian science, for creating new equipment and technologies that can boost the innovative development of the economy and social sphere, as well as strengthen the national defence capability.

Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko announced the winners’ names at a news conference.

* * *

Having considered the proposals of the Presidential Council for Science and Education, the President has resolved:

To award the 2020 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists and the Honorary Title of Holder of the Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists to:

Kirill Antonets, PhD (Biology), a senior researcher at the National Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, and Anton Nizhnikov, PhD (Biology), lead researcher at the same institute, for the discovery of amyloid proteins in plants and symbiotic bacteria, and the description of their functional importance;

Yevgenia Dolgova, PhD (Biology), a senior researcher with the Federal Research Centre Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Yekaterina Potter, PhD (Biology), a senior researcher at the same establishment, for formulating a new ideology to treat patients with malignant tumours based on a time-coordinated performance of innovative medication with nucleic acids and cross-linked cytostatic agents;

Vladimir Maksimenko, PhD (Physics and Mathematics), a senior researcher at Innopolis University, for the development of invasive and non-invasive brain-computer interfaces for monitoring normal and pathological brain activity;

Yevgeny Khaidukov, PhD (Physics and Mathematics), laboratory head at the Crystallography and Photonics Federal Research Centre with the Russian Academy of Sciences, for fundamental research into nanocrystals having anti-Stokes luminescence and the development of advanced technologies on their platform.

Presentation of Russian Federation National Awards

2020-06-25T09:29:04+04:00

The President presented the 2019 National Awards at the Kremlin’s Catherine Hall.

The 2019 National Awards in Science and Technology have been conferred on Andrei Golovnyov for his contribution to research into the cultural heritage of the Arctic indigenous peoples; on Dmitry Morozov, Andrei Ulitin, and Tatyana Chernovskaya for developing and introducing into clinical practice a complex of medicinal preparations based on monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases; on Mikhail Predtechensky, Dmitry Markovich and Vladimir Meledin for creating the foundations of the global industry of single-wall carbon nanotubes and providing scientific substantiation for new methods of diagnostics and management of non-equilibrium systems.

The 2019 National Awards in Literature and Art have been conferred on Alexander Yermakov for establishing the Ivanovka Sergei Rachmaninoff Museum-Estate and for his educational activities; on Valentin Kurbatov for contributing to the preservation and development of the Russian literary tradition; on Galina Medvedeva for contributing to the preservation, study and development of the traditional verbal culture of Russian old-time inhabitants of Baikal, Siberia.

The 2019 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in humanitarian activity have been conferred on Valery Vechorko, Chief Physician at Filatov Municipal Clinical Hospital No.15 of the Moscow Healthcare Department; and composer David Tukhmanov.

The 2019 Russian Federation National Award for human rights activity has been conferred on Maria Bolshakova, chairperson of the Council of the Union of Russian Military Personnel Families national public charity organisation; the National Award for charity work has been conferred on Konstantin Khabensky, theatre and cinema actor, film director, and founder of a charity foundation.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.

Dear laureates, I welcome you at the National Award ceremony at the Kremlin.

This year we had to step back from the tradition of presenting the national awards on Russia Day. So when we had to change to a different date, we chose June 24, a day of glory and triumph in the history of our country and our people forever, for all times.

You know, we have already mentioned this many times – exactly 75 years ago, the legendary victors paraded on Red Square. And today, you saw for sure how the heirs of the soldiers of the Great Victory marched solemnly past.

We are proud of the great generation of victors and proud of Russia – a self-sufficient, strong and open country where people are respected and appreciated for their great deeds and outstanding achievements – courageous, purposeful, talented people devoted to their homeland and their work.

All this fully applies to today’s laureates, that is, to you.

You are well aware of the circumstances that have made a lot of adjustments to our lives of late. Not all laureates could manage to attend this ceremony. Their awards will certainly be delivered to them later. But, of course, it is simply impossible to not even mention them now, today, at this National Awards ceremony.

This is especially true of the prize winners in humanitarian activities, as their awards are the highest recognition of achievements in the spiritual development of the Russian nation, consolidating its moral foundations and social harmony.

The 2019 National Award in humanitarian activity has been awarded to brilliant composer, creator of classical and popular music David Tukhmanov.

His music is loved by many generations. People love it because it reflects their dreams, concerns, feelings that are inherent to each person and the entire vast country, and it is always permeated by the composer’s personal and very sincere attitude to what he writes about.

Suffice it to remember David Tukhmanov’s patriotic pieces, the most famous of them the song “Victory Day” that people have made the anthem of our main holiday.

The 2019 National Award in humanitarian activity has been awarded to Valery Vechorko, chief physician at Moscow City Hospital No. 15.

He was appointed to lead the team not so long ago. Before that, he had travelled a long and dignified path in medicine. His talents as a doctor and organiser, someone who knows how to rally a team and is ready to take on tremendous responsibility, have been especially evident in recent months during the truly frontline battle with the coronavirus. We all know that here, the lives and health of thousands of people depend on the timely and competent actions of medical workers; and, unfortunately, the situation remains difficult.

The work done by a group of talented pharmacists – Andrei Ulitin, Dmitry Morozov and Tatyana Chernovskaya – has made a major contribution to keeping Russian people healthy.

For the first time in Russia, these winners of the National Award in Science and Technology have developed a unique scientific and industrial complex of ready dosage forms of monoclonal antibodies to treat malignant and autoimmune diseases.

This type of pharmaceuticals is highly effective and is in great demand; it is a fast growing segment. It is very important that Russia will now have its own advanced production facilities, which fully meet our domestic needs.

The 2019 National Award winners include one more group of Russian scientists.

Mikhail Predtechensky, Vladimir Meledin and Dmitry Markovich have launched a real scientific and technological revolution by creating a reactor capable of annually producing tens of tonnes of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Unfortunately, Mr Predtechensky, the group’s leader, could not join us in Moscow today. I will underscore that he is actually the inventor of the technology that the international scientific community sought since the discovery of the unique properties of nanotubes – they greatly increase the strength of materials that are used in almost all areas of the economy and industry. It was our Russian scientists that finally found a solution, achieved absolute leadership here, and provided Russia with a strategic advantage in a critical area.

This breakthrough was made by physicists from Novosibirsk. I cannot avoid quoting Mikhail Lomonosov, who said Russia’s might would grow through Siberia and the Northern Ocean.

I have no doubt that leading Russian anthropologist Andrei Golovnyov, the world’s top expert on the culture of the peoples of the North, fully shares Lomonosov’s belief.

The National Award in Science and Technology was conferred on him for the outstanding results of his ethnographic expeditions.

Andrei Golovnyov has been involved in field research concerning the cultural heritage of the Arctic indigenous peoples for almost 40 years. The findings he accumulated during his studies have very broad practical applications. Indeed, an efficient and careful attitude to the Arctic is a priority for Russia, a country of the ‘northern dimension’, as Golovnyov put it. I completely agree with this and absolutely share his position.

Ethnography is also at the core of research carried out by Galina Medvedeva, winner of the 2019 National Award in Literature and Art.

She dedicated nearly 40 years of her life to the research and development of the culture of Eastern Siberia old-time residents, descendants of Russian pioneers, who preserved the priceless local folklore and linguistic heritage.

Her research was based on the results of 150 field expeditions to study the lifestyle and customs of more than 1,200 villages.

It is amazing how Ms Medvedeva manages to combine such intensive field work with effective teaching and writing. I am referring, among other things, to the 20-volume dictionary Folk Vocabulary in Valentin Rasputin’s Stories and Novels that describes dialects of residents of the Baikal area.

The legacy of Valentin Rasputin, a lauder of the Siberian land, was also reflected in the works by prominent literary critic and author Valentin Kurbatov.

His books about great Russian writers are now a true and perhaps the only guide to lead the contemporary reader into the world of ideas, sentiments and images of Russian literature of the 20th century. History and modernity are always closely linked in his publications and lectures on philosophy, poetry, painting and music.

Preserving the nation’s cultural heritage is also the life’s work of Alexander Yermakov.

Mr Yermakov was among the founders of the Ivanovka Sergei Rachmaninoff Museum-Estate in Tambov Region and has been heading it for over 40 years. The composer links his best years and the time of his creative growth to this place. Mr Yermakov restored the mansion and, moreover, he recreated in minute detail the entire space of the estate, turning Ivanovka into a modern, world-famous educational centre.

The Russian Federation National Awards are also being presented today to several people of impeccable moral authority.

They not only help others in difficult life situations, but also bring together caring, energetic, and talented people around them.

I am happy to welcome the winner of the National Award for human rights activism – Maria Bolshakova, chairperson of the Council of the Union of Russian Military Personnel Families.

Ms Bolshakova got involved with social protection and the rights of military service members and their families back in the late 1990s, a difficult time, very difficult for our army and for the country as a whole. It took tremendous perseverance and courage.

I know that you have travelled to hot spots with humanitarian aid and helped people overcome bureaucratic obstacles and an indifferent attitude – this also happens. I remember your letters full of civic and maternal pain about the situation in the troops.

I would underscore that it is largely thanks to you and people like you that the social and legal guarantees of the military and their families have become a state priority.

Konstantin Khabensky, the winner of the National Award for charity work, is also someone for whom helping others is vital.

More than 10 years ago, he established a charity foundation that helped children with brain cancer and other serious diseases of the brain.

Konstantin Khabensky put the popular love he rightfully enjoys in his acting career into that charity – a rare deed – and modelled this behaviour by using his personal experience of directing all his virtues to good deeds. He inspired many people to be open and sensitive to others’ problems, to unite and take action for the most important thing – for the sake of children's lives.

My friends,

I thank you all for the results and achievements that are so important for our country, our society, for your good deeds that inspire creativity, for the high standards you set for yourselves and others alike, for the pursuit of excellence in everything you do.

Each of you sets an impeccable benchmark of a life filled with the highest meaning: helping people and your Fatherland, working tirelessly, and supporting others wholeheartedly for the sake of a common goal, for the happiness and well-being of people, for the prosperity of our country, Russia.

Once again, I congratulate you on your National Awards. I wish you every success in your undertakings and projects, and may your goals fill you with energy and inspire new achievements.

And of course, in the current situation, I sincerely wish you good health and success in the future.

Thank you very much.

<…>

Vladimir Putin: Friends,

One of the laureates here who is sitting opposite me and to my right spoke about her research in Siberian villages and the moral principles their life has been relying on for centuries. She spoke of mutual support and mutual assistance, of collective efforts, of combining efforts to address common problems. I must say this is the moral and ethical foundation Russia, in fact, has always relied on in the past and will always continue to rely on.

It was by combining efforts that we always achieved outstanding victories and remarkable results in nearly every field – in war, science, art and education. Everyone present at the Kremlin today comes from different groups that have contributed to Russia being referred to as a great power.

Thank you very much for your work, for your talent and for your results.

Thank you.

Meeting of working group on preparations of State Council meeting on regions’ tasks in general education

2020-06-19T15:52:54+04:00

Presidential Aide, Secretary of the State Council Igor Levitin and Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko chaired a meeting of the working group on the preparations of the State Council meeting on the tasks of the constituent regions of the Russian Federation in the field of general education.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, head of the working group, Kirov Region Governor Igor Vasilyev, members of the Presidential Council for Science and Education including Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy, representatives of relevant federal and regional executive authorities, of both houses of the Federal Assembly, industry associations of entrepreneurs, and scientific and expert organisations.

Governor of Kirov Region Igor Vasilyev spoke of progress in preparing the report for the State Council meeting.

Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov discussed the new tasks and priorities regarding the education system, highlighted the key points of the working group report and the proposals from heads of regions and the expert community.

The report reviews the current state of the general education system in Russia (including preschools), priority areas for its development, systematic updates to the content of general education, extracurricular education for children, staffing issues and the development of the general education infrastructure, security at educational institutions, and creating an effective system for managing educational institutions at the regional, municipal and institutional level.

Participants in the meeting discussed the work of educational institutions during the lockdown caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and proposed preparing systemic solutions for the functioning of the education system in such periods, including the use of remote learning.

Participants in the meeting addressed the wide gaps between the quality of education in different regions of the Russian Federation, pointed out the need to equalise the capacities of the regions, including through the programme to build more schools, the use of public-private partnership, further improvement of the material incentive system for teachers to improve the quality of education.

It was resolved to prepare the final version of the report and the proposals for discussion at the State Council meeting within two weeks, taking into account the comments and suggestions made at the working group meeting.

Winners of 2019 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2020-06-18T16:42:33+04:00

Winners of the 2019 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, and humanitarian activity have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko and Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy.

The award ceremony will take place on June 24.

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Awarding 2019 Russian Federation National Awards in Science and Technology, Executive Order On Awarding 2019 Russian Federation National Awards in Literature and the Arts, and Executive Order On Awarding 2019 Russian Federation National Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Humanitarian Activity. The President also signed Executive Order On Certain Issues of Awarding Russian Federation National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Humanitarian Activity, which envisages that two Russian Federation National Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Humanitarian Activity will be awarded in 2020.

In December 2019, Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Awarding 2019 Russian Federation National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Human Rights and 2019 Russian Federation National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Charity Work.