Before addressing the main agenda, the Head of State participated, via videoconference, in the opening of new educational institutions in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
In Yekaterinburg, a new kindergarten focused on developing engineering and technical thinking among preschoolers has been opened, while in Suzdal, a secondary school has been inaugurated. Additionally, the buildings of a polytechnic lyceum in Orenburg and a secondary school in Irkutsk have been put into operation.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Head of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, Deputy Head of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Prime Ministers Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Alexei Overchuk, Dmitry Patrushev, Vitaly Savelyev, Marat Khusnullin, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, and Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov. Also invited to the meeting were Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, heads of several regions, and directors of the newly opened educational institutions.
* * *
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, good afternoon.
Before we begin our traditional exchange of information on current issues, let us turn our attention to some matters related to education.
Today, we have th the Vladimir, Irkutsk, Orenburg, and Sverdlovsk regions on the line. Several much-needed educational projects have been successfully accomplished, and new, well-equipped school and kindergarten buildings have been completed. Some of them are already operational, while others will open shortly.
The creation of such facilities is part of our extensive and systematic work to strengthen educational infrastructure and to establish uniform, equitable opportunities for modern, high-quality education across the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. I would like to reiterate: comfortable, motivating educational environments are essential for nurturing the younger generation, for unlocking the talents and potential of our young people, and thus for the future of Russia and its progressive development.
Let me give you a few figures to highlight the scale of what we have been doing. Since 2019, roughly 940 billion rubles from the federal budget alone have gone towards modernising the educational infrastructure, our schools and kindergartens, as part of various state programmes and projects. This funding has enabled us to build over 1,700 new school buildings, creating more than a million new places. On top of that, we have carried out major overhauls of 6,500 school buildings over the past four years, delivering around three million more modern, comfortable places for our children.
We have also brought nearly 1,700 new kindergarten buildings into use, providing places for a total of 248,000 children.
Last year, we launched a major renovation programme for preschool facilities. So far, 267 such buildings, with capacity for almost 47,000 children, have been upgraded. We will, of course, continue this work to improve access to preschool education, giving families, parents, and especially young mothers greater freedom to balance having children, raising them, and building their own professional careers.
At this point, I want to stress again, and I would ask regional and municipal leaders to take particular note, that the operating hours of kindergartens and extended-day groups must align with the parents’ working patterns. This is a task we have been explicitly set. As agreed, we will review progress on this in June, at the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects.
We remain committed to a systematic programme of upgrading the material and technical infrastructure across all levels of our education system: building and renovating schools and kindergartens, creating high-quality learning environments, and equipping them with modern facilities. It is equally important that we strengthen our teaching staff, focusing on the professional development of our teachers, educators, mentors, including in the field of information technology.
More broadly, we need to be more proactive in integrating advanced digital platforms and artificial intelligence into the classroom. But as we have discussed many times before, we must proceed with care and balance. We cannot allow technology to simplify or distort the learning process, nor should we let ready-made computer solutions replace genuine research and the pursuit of knowledge.
Given the growing demand from employers for skilled workers and specialists, another key priority is the modernisation of our technical colleges and a fundamental overhaul of the entire secondary vocational education system. Both secondary and higher education programmes need to be aligned with the needs of the national economy, our industries, and our businesses. They must also reflect the fast-changing nature of the labour market and offer people an opportunity to pivot careers and update their professional skills throughout their working lives.
And crucially, we need to help children, from an early age, to think about their future careers, to identify the fields that genuinely interest them, where their talents and abilities can really flourish. This was discussed at length at the State Council meeting on human resources at the end of last year, and the relevant instructions have been issued.
I expect all of these objectives to be delivered. The success of this work will directly determine our ability to train the specialists our economy needs and to strengthen the nation’s human capital.
With that, I suggest we open the floor for discussion, starting with colleagues from the regions where new educational facilities have been completed, as I mentioned just now.
<…>
(At the President’s request, the Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov discussed the specifics of the Unified State Exam in 2026 noting that school pupils are showing greater interest in studying history, specialised mathematics, and natural sciences. The Minister also said Russia ranked among the world’s top three countries in international academic Olympiads and held first place among European countries. In 2025, Russian school pupils won 44 medals, including 33 gold medals, at international Olympiads.
In response to the President’s questions, the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov spoke about the tourism sector’s performance noting that 2025 saw a four-percent increase in domestic tourist travel across Russia, with the final figure expected to be about 94 million trips. Inbound tourism also rose significantly by 12 percent to a total of five million foreign tourists visiting Russia. The Minister noted that infrastructure development accounted for the greater number of tourist arrivals in our country. Last year, funding was provided under the national project to build 10,000 rooms in modular hotels over a three-year period, of which nearly two-thirds will open to guests this year.
Vladimir Putin also asked about the evacuation of Russian tourists from the Middle East, noting that he had already issued the instructions to the Emergencies Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, among other agencies.
Maxim Reshetnikov reported that the airspace of ten countries had been closed and over 250 flights to and from Russia have been cancelled since February 28. At the time the conflict started, 23,500 Russian tourists, more than 90 percent of them in the UAE, resided in those countries as part of organised tours. Independently travelling tourists accounted for about the same number. Tour packages to Israel and Iran were not available for some time before the conflict erupted, so there are no organised tourists in those two countries. So far, 6,000 people, including more than 3,000 organised tourists, have returned home. Around 20,000 organised tourists remain in the Emirates, and 230 people remain stranded in other Middle Eastern countries.
Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, who oversees the transport sector, also commented on the situation.
Vladimir Putin noted that he had recently spoken with his counterparts from the Persian Gulf countries who assured him that they were doing everything possible to assist Russian citizens. The President stressed that helping Russian citizens was first and foremost the responsibility of the Russian authorities. He also asked them not to lessen their efforts and to work to the best of their abilities to prevent issues from arising, to provide every bit of assistance they can to Russian citizens in the conflict zone, and to deliver such assistance in a timely manner.
Reports on the main topic of the meeting – the renewal of the public transport fleet in the regions – were delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, and Head of the Republic of Buryatia and Chair of the State Council Commission on Efficient Transport System Alexei Tsydenov.)