President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. How are you doing?
Remark: Good. We are working.
Vladimir Putin: I see, I know. I want to thank you, as they say in these cases, personally and on behalf of those who use your equipment. It is worthy of the best epithets. Both the upgraded T-72 and the T-90.
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I know that your teams go to the special military operation zone, too, work almost on the line of contact, help our military personnel, and restore equipment. Great. And the quality of work is, of course, very good.
How is your city? Is it making progress?
Remark: It is.
Vladimir Putin: Back in 2013 we had a programme to support the city’s development, and then another one. Has anything changed?
Remark: Of course, and drastically.
Vladimir Putin: We were working in several areas: roads, lighting, and parks. I think there were six areas.
Alexei Kalityuk: Improvements are really happening: parks are being built, embankments are being restored, lighting has really been added, the quality of roads has improved, and repairs are in full swing all year round.
Vladimir Putin: What else needs to be done?
Alexei Kalityuk: What else? Probably nothing.
Mikhail Sidorov: Mr President,
My name is Mikhail Sidorov, welder in the mechanical assembly shop. I do not have a question for you, but rather a request.
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You know, two years ago, almost our entire staff supported unconditionally the decision to launch the special military operation. Back then, we openly announced this at our meeting, where we noted that our enterprise is historically connected with Ukraine.
As you know, at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Kharkov plant was evacuated to the Urals. Evacuation is not just about moving machines and equipment. Workers and specialists also came to Tagil, often with their entire families. So, side by side with the people of the Urals, they quickly – in just over two months – relaunched the production of the legendary T-34 tank.
After the war was over, many of the evacuated Ukrainians stayed to work here, started families, and put down roots. They decided the history of their generations would be written in the Urals. For example, many of us probably have family ties in Ukraine, one way or another. And it was all the more horrifying for all of us to watch what was happening there in recent years, how neo-Nazism was flourishing, and people were being killed. The worst thing was children dying, and all because they simply did not agree with the way things were.
Looking at all this, we have proved with actions rather than words our support for the special military operation. We were one of the first to organise round-the-clock work at our plant and we increased its output several times over. And we are ready to work at this pace as long as necessary because we all have the example of our predecessors. This is exactly how our fathers and grandfathers worked and we are fully aware that only this approach will allow us to achieve all the goals of the special military operation.
Mr President, you can be sure of our support. Uralvagonzavod stands behind you, behind Russia. Thank you for your visit.
Vladimir Putin: I have no doubt about it. It is important to be direct. This is how it has always been. It is common knowledge. We never made a distinction between the Russians and the Ukrainians, between Russia and Ukraine.
Frankly speaking, the overwhelming majority of those who lived in Ukraine and the absolute majority of those who live in Russia always though they were the same thing.
But after the Great Patriotic War, about which you have just spoken, part of these nationalists and Nazi elements that had collaborated with Hitler fled abroad – to the United States and Canada, and the opponent backed them.
In effect, after the Soviet Union’s collapse they came to power. It does not even matter which president was in office at a given time because they behaved aggressively, brazenly and that was it – they gave it up to them. They came to power with the help of the votes from the Southwest [of Ukraine], where there had always been pro-Russian attitudes and people considered themselves Russian despite what was written in their passports. They came to power with the help of these votes and instantly gave it up to the nationalists because they were arrogant and enjoyed support from abroad, primarily from the United States, of course. This is how it all happened. Those who collaborated with the Nazis at one time, remained in these positions and are now doing the same thing.
You know in the literature… It is well known from history – why Bandera and the like – Shukhevich and others – are backed? Why is that? Because it is claimed that they collaborated with the fascists, Nazis, Hitlerites and Hitler only because they would stop at nothing for the independence of Ukraine. But later the Germans began persecuting them. Note they began persecuting them not because these people had given up their views but because they had kept their fingers in the air. They realised that Germany was losing the war and started trying to establish relations with the Western allies. The Germans caught wind immediately and dispatched them to camps. This produced the idea that they were not quite Nazis after all. But they are 100 percent authentic Nazis.
And they started looking around, thinking on whom they could rely but not because they had changed their minds or views. Not at all. This happened because they understood that Nazi Germany was losing the war. That’s it. They have always been Nazis and remain so.
Their offspring – the neo-Nazis – are absolutely the same kind we fought in the Great Patriotic War.
If some people act from the same positions in a broader context, they are betraying their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers, all those who really fought against Nazism. Now they are being guided by opportunistic political considerations. This allows them to gain more. They are looking at who is in power. Those in power are there because they were put there in different ways, by subtly working on large groups of the population. These people were put in office. They simply control this territory and these people. That is all. But in Russia people have never had and will never have any sympathy for Nazis.
As for our attitude to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, I have spoken about this many times. Recently, I spoke about this again. I believe that the overwhelming majority of Russian citizens share these approaches. But we will certainly counter any manifestations of extreme nationalism, Nazism, and will protect our people who live there. I have no doubt that you look at this issue the same way. Thank you for this position and thank you for your work – this is the main thing.
I know that you are short of skilled personnel. We will be working on this as well. You have two vocational schools, don’t you?
Alexander Potapov: Yes, we do.
Vladimir Putin: We have just spoken about this on arrival. We will help support them. The shortage amounts to about 1,500 skilled workers. We must recover the potential.
How many can two vocational schools produce? 600 people a year, right? So we will give you money for both vocational schools. One is basic and is registered in the region and the other is at the federal university. We will give them a bit via all channels – not a bit but probably about 400 million. All right?
Alexander Potapov: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: We will support them with 400 million.
So you will have people to whom you can impart your experience and knowledge. We hope that considering the growth of wages, this will still be both interesting and prestigious. Well, I don’t know but I think this is interesting.
I am walking around here and looking at the results of your work with pleasure. So, thank you very much.
Darya Vakhrusheva: Mr President, I am Darya Vakhrusheva. I am a controller and inspector of arms.
I am very interested in what you think about the future of Russia, in particular the defence and industrial complex in 5–10 years?
Vladimir Putin: This is easy to say. Why? Because it depends on the development of the country as a whole, on the development of the world, on our priorities and requirements. As for 5–10 years, this is a medium-term outlook.
First, as for the defence industry, we must meet the requirements of today and build back up all our strategic reserves. So, there is more than enough work for the defence industry alone.
In general, the defence industry has performed very well in the past year to year and a half.
As for personal armour on the battlefield for our soldiers, the domestic production of it has grown ten-fold; the manufacture of vehicles of different classes has increased seven-fold and the production of tanks with which you are dealing has gone up five times – not by some percentage points but by five times. The manufacture of armoured vehicles of different classes has increased by 3.5 times. In every case, the increase is multiple times over.
A portion of the equipment is wearing out and must be replaced. This is the part that has arrived for repairs. You are dealing with it – T-62s and T-72s. It will be withdrawn. We need new modern equipment, including the tanks you are making – T-90 Proryv (Breakthrough), the best tank in the world. This is no exaggeration. Our soldiers, tank crews, and our adversaries all admit that this is the best tank in the world. We must develop it and think about future generations of equipment. Designers and engineers know what they need to work on, and they already are. So, all the plants of the defence industry will be provided with orders.
The case in point is not only military equipment. Already now, defence industry enterprises produce civilian products at an average rate of 25 percent throughout the defence industry. And the share of this civilian equipment in the output will increase. Morever, it is not primitive at the defence enterprises, it is not just spoons, forks and plates, but also high-tech equipment. There will also be a lot of work and interesting orders in this area, in the civilian segment.
(Addressing the plant’s Director General Alexander Potapov) Here is Uralvagonzavod, how much rolling stock have you produced?
Uralvagonzavod Director General Alexander Potapov: Last year, we produced 6,000 units of rolling stock, this year we plan to produce 12,000.
Vladimir Putin: 12,000 units of rolling stock. We will move to another enterprise now, and then we will go again tomorrow – in other places not only railcars are made, but also locomotives as well. What is the point of what I am saying? Yes, now our most pressing tasks are in the zone of the special military operation, but we also have a considerable civilian agenda.
For example, now we will discuss issues related to the development of high-speed rail. There we will need a large number of units of modern rolling stock, because the trains will run at a speed of 400 kilometres per hour. There we need modern, world-class, and maybe one step ahead of that, new railway equipment. And, as far as I understand, your company also makes specialised equipment for Russian Railways, right?
Alexander Potapov: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: This equipment will also be in demand.
As they say, there is no end of work to be done, a lot to get on with. So don’t worry, we will do everything.
Ilya Byrylov: I am Ilya Byrylov, design engineer.
Mr. President, we have a really fine city, and it is growing and becoming even better. But many young people are now leaving for bigger cities in search of a better life. We have jobs, we have somewhere to get an education. A lot of young families are settling down, and cities like Nizhny Tagil need support for families to take root there.
We know that there is the Young Family programme, but it expires in 2025. Are there any plans to continue it or any alternative programmes?
Vladimir Putin: Are you married? Do you have a family?
Ilya Byrylov: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: Do you have children?
Ilya Byrylov: No children yet.
Vladimir Putin: How old are you?
Ilya Byrylov: 33.
Vladimir Putin: You do good work at the factory. And in the family? 33 is the age of Christ, it’s time to have children.
The Young Family programme you mentioned is a good one. It is good because it provides a fairly good subsidy – from 30 to 33 percent – to repay mortgages. It is very much in demand. I do not remember exactly, but I think we allocated about 14.5 billion roubles last year under this programme. And this year we plan to allocate about the same amount, I think a little more – 14.7 billion. But in general, support for young families, especially families with children, is an absolute priority.
If we want to survive as an ethnic group or groups inhabiting Russia, there must be at least two children. How else? Two people make two children, which means the number of people remains the same and does not dwindle. If there is one child, the number decreases. And in order to expand and develop, at least three children are needed.
However, everything we do is in one way or another related to supporting the family, so we will maintain this programme. Money has already been allocated for this year, and money in approximately the same amount is set aside for 2025. And, of course, we will not just think about it, we will definitely extend this programme beyond the three-year budgeting horizon. This programme will continue.
We still have a subsidised mortgage rate at six percent and, naturally, we will constantly think about that. I will not list everything now. But it will interest you, as a future father, and your wife, as a future mother.
Look at what is being done in this sphere. Now we have a single subsidy, let’s call it that, for families with children starting from the woman’s pregnancy and even up to 23 years of age, if your child is getting an education.
There is a whole big programme there, and we will certainly improve it. I will also think about it, but I do not want to talk in advance, before I coordinate some things with the Government. Maybe I will formulate this in the annual Address [to the Federal Assembly], and we will announce some additional measures. We will see. I do not want to announce this in advance; we need to work through it so that it is all serious and feasible.
Ilya Byrylov: Thank you. We will do our best.
Arisha Igisheva: I am Arisha Igisheva, a process engineer.
Mr President, we have an excellent museum complex with unique exhibits that show the entire history and scientific and technological progress of our enterprise. This is how my personal story with Uralvagonzavod began.
Today, thousands of children from schools in our city, region and even country visit this museum, and no one remains indifferent.
Seeing children’s joyful faces and knowing we can captivate their imagination with our equipment and attract them to our industry in the future, we would like to ask you to add these tours to the compulsory school curriculum, so that this is done at the federal level.
Vladimir Putin: This is what we are doing.
I do not know how to do this at the federal level, because the museums you are talking about generally have regional or local status, like here, at your enterprise. It is difficult to regulate this from the federal level. But we support this, and we constantly discuss this with governors and heads of regions, and this is supported at the regional level.
Is your museum right here on the premises?
Arisha Igisheva: It is at the plant, but beyond the entrance control post.
Vladimir Putin: Beyond the entrance control post? That is, not on the premises?
Answer: No!
Vladimir Putin: That is, it is not part of the plant operating schedule. I will talk with the governor; he is just under the weather. He will attend our meeting via videoconference today. I will talk to Mr Kuyvashev, the governor. I think if some kind of support is needed from the region, it will be forthcoming. (Addressing Alexander Potapov) Do you need any support for the museum? It is the company museum, isn’t it?
Alexander Potapov: Yes, this is a museum of our enterprise, and everyone who comes to work at the plant knows that they can only enter it if they are familiar with the plant’s history. This is to explain what our personnel are like.
As for what we have been talking about here, we regard it as extremely important because it does not concern only Uralvagonzavod. There are many such museums… The Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant has a wonderful museum. It is located outside the plant’s territory, and so you do not have to enter the plant to visit it. When young people come to us, we take them, for example, from Tagil to Chelyabinsk and from there to… If we could do this at the level of the Education Ministry… Do you remember what it was like when we were schoolchildren and had to visit such museums? We should revive the good things we had because it makes good sense.
Vladimir Putin: Good, I will discuss it with Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov, who will take up the matter with the regions that have such museums to attempt to formulate this as a programme. It is a good idea.
Denis Krivich: May I, Mr President?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.
Denis Krivich: My name is Denis Krivich, chief specialist for special-purpose equipment.
The year 2024 has been declared the Year of the Family. There are many family dynasties working at Uralvagonzavod, including 37 whose aggregate length of service is over 300 years. People work together in shops and share their experience with the younger generations. Is it possible to establish an award for such family dynasties in our industry?
Vladimir Putin: It is an interesting idea. To tell the truth, it never occurred to me.
We have recently established a badge For Excellence in Labour. And this year, I announced in Tula that we had established a new order for valiant labour. I believe that the statutes of five other orders have been amended so that they can be awarded to both individuals and legal entities, that is, the personnel of enterprises. But nobody except you thought of applying the system to family dynasties.
It is a good idea. I am not prepared to answer right now, but I will certainly ask my colleagues in the Executive Office and the Government to analyse this idea and offer a solution. It is a good idea, simply wonderful.
Denis Krivich: Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you for suggesting it.
Valeria Frolova: Good afternoon. My name is Valeria Frolova, and I am a procurement economist.
Mr President.
Vladimir Putin: In other words, you are economical with supplies. (Laughter.)
Valeria Frolova: Quite the contrary.
Vladimir Putin: That was a joke.
Valeria Frolova: In October 2021, your Executive Order established Father's Day. It is a wonderful holiday. On Father's Day, the company inaugurated the corporate contest Let’s do it, girls!
Vladimir Putin: (Addressing Ilya Byrylov.) You look like a stranger in this celebration of life. (Laughter.)
Ilya Byrylov: We will do our best.
Valeria Frolova: On Father's Day, the company inaugurated the corporate contest Let’s do it, girls! This year, the event was held for the second time; I had the chance to participate in it and became the winner. The workers at the plant enjoyed the contest very much, and it will definitely become a tradition.
My parents told me that such contests were very popular in the Soviet Union and were shown on central television, and now we have revived it. So we believe…
Vladimir Putin: We will show them.
Valeria Frolova: We will show them. So we believe it is very important because in many foreign countries, the family and its traditional values have been depreciated.
Vladimir Putin: They might not have any families there at all soon.
Valeria Frolova: With this in mind, I would like to suggest reviving the contest at the national level and choosing our city to host it, because we have everything we need for this: the Palace of Culture, which is our pearl, sports facilities and a new hotel. We live in a beautiful city, and we will be delighted to host young women from other regions. We also have a lot of great single men.
We ask you to consider our proposal, Mr President.
Vladimir Putin: Good. You want to have a platform where you could communicate and discuss shared interests, build the necessary ties and establish contacts for the future, right? Is this what you are talking about? Absolutely.
Vladimir Putin: I cannot say how quickly we will do this, in what format, or whether it will be regular or not, but we will certainly respond to your proposal. You have my guarantee, and we will think about ways to promote it.
Valeria Frolova: Thank you.
Remark: Mr President, Nizhny Tagil is also dubbed ‘Putingrad’ because the residents here always support you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Remark: We have been waiting for this meeting for a very long time, and it is a great honour for us. Mr President, may we take a photo with you?
Vladimir Putin: Of course, with pleasure.