The reception, which by tradition takes place in the Grand Kremlin Palace, will be attended not only by graduates of the Defence Ministry’s academies, but also by graduates of academies, institutes and universities run by the Interior Ministry, Emergency Situations Ministry, Federal Security Service, Federal Guards Services, and the Justice Ministry. Graduates of academies under the responsibility of the Federal National Guard will also take part in the meeting for the first time.
More than 700 officers who graduated with distinction and a gold medal have been invited to attend the reception, along with teachers and academy heads.
Russia’s military academies trained and graduated around 2,000 officers in 2016. Thirty percent of this number earned distinction or received Defence Ministry medals for excellence in their studies.