Transcript:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon! I'm glad to see you.

We have just talked about the Kirov Region's problems in some detail with the governor. But since he represents a different political party, he is not involved in our meeting. But I know that United Russia is nevertheless a force to be reckoned with in the region; it should and does influence the situation in the public sector and in the economy. I would like to thank you for your proactive stance, particularly during the crisis. In general, the legislature has been effective, allowing the region, among other things, to rather confidently weather this difficult period for both Russia and your region.

A very well-known man will top the United Russia ticket. He is respected not only in the Kirov Region, but throughout Russia – Viktor Savinykh (president of Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, pilot, cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union).

We will soon celebrate 50 years since Yuri Gagarin's space flight. I know that this year also marks 30 years since your flight (referring to Viktor Savinykh), right?

Viktor Savinykh: Yes, right before the elections.

Vladimir Putin: So much the better. And Ms Domnina (Oksana Domnina – Olympic bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, European figure skating champion) is on the list. The deputy governor is included on this list, so it is quite representative. Not only does it look good, but it consists of respected, capable and competent people, who should be working in representative bodies.

I don't want to give a long monologue. I suggest that we talk freely. I want to give you the floor.

Viktor Savinykh: Mr Putin, Mr Galitskikh (Alexander Galitskikh, deputy prime minister of the Kirov Region) is the secretary of the regional branch.

Vladimir Putin: If you please.

Alexander Galitskikh: Mr Putin, I would like to talk about a few issues. First of all, perhaps the most pressing issue, and not only for residents of the Kirov Region, is the public's payment of utility bills. We have accepted the task you set before the party to get this under control, to prevent increases above 15% for public utility services. Today I can tell you that in the Kirov Region, the payments for public utility services have not increased more than 15% – in fact, they stand at around 13% on average for the city of Kirov and 12.5% for the Kirov Region.

But we decided to go a little further. Tariffs, limits and norms are one thing. Another thing is the quality of services provided by management companies, the quality of community services. We have launched a party project – it started in January. I think Mr Kamyshev (Alexander Kamyshev - chairman of the territorial organisation of the Russian trade union of railway and transport builders in the Kirov branch of the Gorky Railway) will tell us about it.

Alexander Kamyshev: Yes, Mr Putin. After the New Year, probably the entire population of Russia is once again beset by domestic concerns. One of them is how much we will pay for utilities. As Mr Galitskikh said, in the region, we have not exceeded the 15% limit in increases – it was somewhere between 12.5%-13%. The average in the city is also 13%.

But regional party offices are taking steps to reduce these payments, including the transition of our boilers to local fuel. We have also launched a new “Party Control” programme. We have developed a questionnaire for this purpose. We have printed 450,000 copies of it, and have distributed about 300,000 of them among households. To date we have received more than 100,000 completed questionnaires from the citizens, where they indicated problems they encounter. Residents living in flats, in their own homes, know their everyday problems better than anyone, so we try to gather this information and process it. Local Duma deputies will then monitor how effectively the money is spent, what it is spent on, and will suspend the operations of negligent management companies.

Vladimir Putin: I think that the Kirov Region made it through last year without any sharp fluctuations and without abrupt increases in housing and utility tariffs. In some regions, as you know, these increases reached 40%, 50% and even 70%. True, there were not many of those...

Alexander Kamyshev: We have a number of management companies that have higher tariffs, but there are 21 million roubles in the city budget – specifically these are subsidies to those organisations that cannot maintain this maximum increase index.

Vladimir Putin: But we need to do this. We must not forget the people whose total household income...

Alexander Kamyshev: This is 22%.

Vladimir Putin: If you do not spend the total household income to pay for housing utilities – everyone would need subsidies. But it is essential – and much depends on you in this respect – that these payments are not onerous, not demeaning, and are effected without any complications for people. In general, you know the solution: the aggregate rate should not be above 15%. The rates for utilities are different – one for electricity, one for gas and another one for water – but the total increase should not be above 15%. I've already talked about this during a meeting with United Russia in Moscow – it would be better to talk about lowering rates rather than increasing them. But while there is still inflation, while there are other problems of an economy in transition, if these increases are unavoidable, they should be kept to a minimum and should be subsidised for people in the low-income bracket must also receive subsidies.

Alexander Kamyshev: We have …

Vladimir Putin: Naturally, United Russia deputies can monitor this work on the part of the administration.

Alexander Galitskikh: Mr Putin, I would like to mention one more thing. I am a native of the Kirov Region. I have lived here all my life. I know that we face many problems, and that bad roads always come up. We conduct opinion polls prior to elections. We ask people about improvements, and note with satisfaction that, in their opinion, the quality of the roads has improved. You and I understand the reasons for this. Take Kirov city, for one. Although some regional projects have been implemented in the past few years, United Russia has seen to the implementation of the United Russia City Roads project. Over a billion roubles have been invested in Kirov streets since 2007, and the public has noticed it.

I believe that Mr Sergei Ulitin, Deputy Speaker of the City Duma (Legislature) can tell us more about this.

Sergei Ulitin: Mr Putin, the Kirov municipal road network received unprecedented amounts in federal allocations in 2010. Due to the tight schedule, we had a hard time disbursing this substantial amount. It is good that these federal projects have been implemented since 2007. We prepared to some extent and improved the material base. When the deputies started working, it turned out that the number of street-reconstruction requests exceeded the planned funding . So we decided to establish a public mayoral council to oversee the project. The council was supposed to list streets in need of repair, to monitor project deadlines and to oversee quality control.

I can tell you that 67 streets have been repaired to date. Moreover, three streets out of them have been rebuilt completely. Naturally, this has produced a substantial effect. The project is still underway. We are glad that this year not only streets but also courtyards will be repaired. We are allocating 360 million roubles for co-funding, as well as another 240 million roubles for courtyard repairs. The council has received requests for 800 courtyards. But we know we can repair only 200-300 courtyards this year.

Vladimir Putin: Do you know what I want to say? Of course, this is an inevitable move on the part of United Russia which, frankly speaking, was unable to defend all the provisions of this project during its debate with the Ministry of Finance in the State Duma. And the Government agreed to implement it. But I want to say once again that courtyards and local roads are the local government’s responsibility. It would be incorrect to say that expanded federally-financed projects should encompass other areas, not just courtyards. I repeat: Our actions are motivated by the greatest need. The situation in Kirov and all of Russia is unfavourable in this respect. We launched this programme last year on United Russia’s initiative. We will continue to implement it this year, and will allocate funding, including direct subsidies and budgetary loans. On the whole, substantial funding has been accumulated. But this cannot go on forever, and some restrictions must be introduced.

Mr Ulitin, you have said a lot of funding has been received. But, first of all, it turns out that this amount is not enough, although it did not seem so at first glance. But this funding is not supposed to tackle all similar problems. This is like a trigger mechanism enabling the authorities to chart priorities and to see what’s more important for the people. If Kirov residents are so happy that this programme has, at long last, been launched, this means that they consider this issue to be important. The deputies are supposed to vote on the budget. While disbursing the budget, we should consider what’s important to the population, and these things must be prioritised.

We can complete one, two and three seemingly important construction projects. I don’t mean that your region or some other region or municipality are misusing allocations. We need everything, but first, allocations are always lacking and second, the authorities must skillfully disburse them and chart specific priorities. I want to confirm once again that we will allocate such funding. But I’m calling on you to channel resources, including your own resources, into vitally important sectors. At the same time, I realise that additional sources should probably be transferred to you, and that you must receive assistance in disbursing them. This is all understandable. We will do this together.

Alexander Galitskikh: Mr Putin, may I make one request? In previous years, we used to work from estimates when city street reconstruction was being financed. Naturally, it’s easier and quicker to compile the relevant documents which are not project cost-estimate forms and records. Moreover, the complete control made it impossible to spend allocations on the side. We know that 240 million roubles have been received this year, primarily for courtyard areas. This is quite a lot for the Kirov Region. And you have instructed the Ministry of Regional Development to draft the relevant procedure, which we still need. We are concerned because we keep hearing that the procedure will require the drafting of project cost-estimate forms and records for every courtyard. This is a time-consuming process. We are worried because we don’t know when the funding will be disbursed. Will this happen when the snow starts falling again?

Vladimir Putin: Good. The Minister is down with flu, but, thank God, the Ministry itself is functioning. Everything is okay. The Ministry has not been quarantined. I will try to prod them to submit these documents as soon as possible. These documents shouldn’t be a big burden.

Alexander Galitskikh: Thank you. Speaking of quarantines, healthcare issues are important to us here. You know and we know that this is a long neglected problem, and that it can’t be easily solved. Naturally, the region pursued the project recently named by you – the quality of life and health and the modernisation of the healthcare sector. We have defended our positions at the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development. To be honest, the region will receive an unprecedented 3.5 billion roubles over the next three years.

Vladimir Putin: Two.

Alexander Galitskikh: Sorry, two years. This makes 3.5 billion roubles in the next two years, which is, of course, serious.

Remark: 3.4 billion roubles.

Alexander Galitskikh: That’s 3.46 billion roubles, to be more exact. Andrei Chernyayev, head physician at the Slobodskoi municipal hospital is correcting me with good reason. This old Russian town is located 35 km away from here. Mr Chernyayev, you have the floor.

Andrei Chernyayev: We provided data from the low income portion of the population before organising this healthcare modernisation programme. The regional healthcare department and government primarily pursued this task. I think Slobodsky is a pretty small town. At first, we decided what we really needed, assessed local investment projects, planned allocations and submitted the data to the healthcare department. In all, 99.9% of our request was met. Slobodsky will therefore receive about 34 million roubles for equipment and repairs. About 33% of this sum will be channeled into the primary care sector, mostly to refurbish general practitioners’ offices. Three sections of general practitioners’ offices will be opened in our town this year.

Vladimir Putin: Under the programme, several dozen medical facilities will be repaired and overhauled.

Andrei Chernyayev: Yes, but I’m mostly talking about my town. There are plans to open more than 150 general practitioners’ offices in the region over the next two years.

Equipment purchases are another high-priority. Starting in 2011, we will have to abide by specific medical standards. And this requires a lot of equipment.

This programme also stipulates IT allocations for the healthcare sector. Here is a minor example. Virtually every municipal entity in the Kirov Region, as well as the main hospitals, have their own electronic registers. Two months ago, we repaired an outpatient clinic and were forced to switch off this network. We received dozens of calls from people asking why it was down. This network is in high demand, and the public is using it. You can sign up online or by mobile phone – this is common. Any resident in our region can sign up and go to any specialist in towns, cities and even regional hospitals.

The main allocations. 34 million roubles. I’m talking about percentage correlation for the entire hospital. In all, the Kirov Region is receiving nearly 1.4 billion roubles in order to fulfill federal and regional medical-care standards. Of this sum, 60% will be used to raise the salaries of medical personnel. Our calculations suggest that it will be possible to raise average regional salaries and wages by approximately 25%.

In addition, we are launching a vascular programme in the region this year. It means that there will be one regional vascular centre for the treatment of patients with heart attacks and strokes and three primary care centres. One such primary centre will be opened in the town of Slobodskoi. As to financing, 247 million roubles will be allocated from the federal budget and approximately 166 million roubles from the regional budget. In fact, we have built 30% more funds into the municipal budget than the programme requires.

We expect that these facilities will help significantly improve the quality of the medical care for patients suffering from these diseases, which cause the most deaths in the region today. These facilities will be ready to provide effective medical care to all residents of the region starting this year.

These measures, among others, will allow us to raise the salaries of health workers by 25%. With the help of the regional government and the health department, we will be launching a pilot project in Slobodskoi this year to provide funding for each individual resident of Slobodskoi. We have estimated that this will help raise salaries by 26%. In other words, we are determined to continue our efforts in this direction.

Over the past month and a half we have made cost estimates and fully verified them. Currently, we are preparing to hold an online tender for all major repairs.

I have a quick question. Given that the current financing is intended for two years, what about after that? Are you planning to continue financing at the same level in the future?

Vladimir Putin: No. Our goal is to support the regions with direct federal funding to help streamline the regional and municipal healthcare systems and create the necessary conditions for them to independently maintain this level and develop it further.

This does not mean that we will stop supporting this area. We spend the bulk of our federal budget resources on healthcare and will continue spending at the same, or maybe even a higher, rate. Please note that we are creating a whole network of high-tech healthcare institutions, perinatal centres, including in your region. Not sure if Ms Domnina has been able to use one?

Oksana Domnina: I haven’t  had a chance yet.

Vladimir Putin: Next time, then.

Oksana Domnina: Certainly.

Vladimir Putin: When you decide to use your maternal capital, be sure to visit the perinatal centre. I am more than certain it is an excellent healthcare institution! We want to bring the kind of high-tech facilities available in major cities to the regions. We are providing funding for the introduction of these and other facilities in the regions.

Mr Chernyayev, have you, as a specialist, had a chance to familiarise yourself with the perinatal centre?

Andrei Chernyayev: Yes, of course.

Vladimir Putin: I am sure that when your employees see how the centre operates, when they see the high-tech equipment there, the high level of patient care, information management, and personnel training, it will have a positive impact on the overall quality of healthcare in the region. Don’t you think?

This large-scale programme, worth 460 billion roubles, will be implemented across the country, and we expect it to provide a strong impetus for the development of healthcare throughout Russia. But it will be the responsibility of the regional and municipal authorities to maintain the level of care in the future. Naturally, we will not fully withdraw the federal support, but in general this should be a prerogative of regional governments, as it is within their designated area of responsibility.

Mr Chernyayev was quite accurate in highlighting the main areas of healthcare modernisation. These should include major repairs, providing modern high-tech equipment, training personnel to use this equipment, introducing IT systems in healthcare (which is extremely important today), and raising the salaries of health workers to reflect the new standards of care. The new standards should be automatically followed by increased wages.

Clearly, these are not the only areas requiring our attention. There are many more problems that need to be dealt with. Nevertheless, these are the areas that must be addressed in the nearest future. In addition, you have another major problem. I am referring to the low wages in the public sector, and specifically teachers’ wages. The governor was just telling me it is, on average, about 9,000 roubles. This is too low even for the Kirov Region.

Remark: Kindergarten teachers receive 5,000 roubles. Ms Khasanova here can confirm. (Elmira Khasanova, speech therapist, Kindergarten No. 5, town of Malmyzha, winner of the Best Teacher of Russia award in 2010.)

Vladimir Putin: That’s exactly what I’m talking about.

Elvira Khasanova: I also represent the teachers’ community. Most of us are very passionate and enthusiastic about our work. Unfortunately, despite the increased demands and responsibility of the job, our salaries remain very low. We are very concerned about this issue. Our salaries have not been increased in three years.

Remark: In the region.

Elvira Khasanova: Yes, in the region. In such conditions, it is hardly possible to be very enthusiastic about the job and ensure a high quality of work. I’d appreciate your response.

Vladimir Putin: You are probably aware that we raise salaries for all federal employees by 6.5% annually. I am sure that the regional authorities will do the same, through funding from regional budgets. This falls under the responsibility of the regions. We have discussed this with the governor today. He has some ideas for resolving the problem by using federal funds. But the mechanism he is suggesting is rather complicated.

He proposes not to raise social payments, leave them at the current level. But I would like you to know – and I am sure you are aware of this, as you work at the legislative assembly and oversee financial issues – that we are also increasing the federal support level in 2011 compared with the previous year.

If we agree with this proposal, it would mean increasing the level of federal support, but keeping the tax burden the same. In essence, what is being proposed is using this federal fund’s surplus to finance the social programme while cutting the contributions to the healthcare modernisation programme. This proposal will be very difficult to implement.

Following our discussion with the governor, I consulted with the Finance Ministry. We are ready to consider the regional authorities’ proposal on possible restructuring, which, according to the governor, is very costly. We will consider ways of supporting this programme.

These funds can be used to raise teachers’ salaries, among other measures. But this is not the only way to address the problem. This is what you need, according to the regional authorities. But there is also another way, which involves implementing the opportunities provided by the existing legislation, including the three possible types of educational institution: state-funded, public, and independent. When the authorities have used this system, teachers’ salaries have been raised by 20% or more. This does not mean that the staff should be restructured and optimised through layoffs. It means that we should optimise the staff in a reasonable way, that we should save on electricity and other overhead expenses.

When people see that the money they save is not taken from them, that they can use it, and that by becoming independent bodies their schools can open a bank account where they can transfer the funds and determine the priorities on which to spend them, they find a way to save money and use the saved funds to raise salaries.

Taken together with increased budget financing, which we will still have to do, these measures will produce a positive effect.

I would like all of you to seriously consider this possibility, in particular consider ways in which to fulfil your direct regional duties and to raise teachers’ salaries.

Alexander Galitskikh: Mr Putin, thank you for saying this. However, I’d like to point out three things, make three marginal notes, so to speak. First, in the past five years the Kirov Region has always raised public sector wages by as much as the federal agencies have done, and without any delay, even for one day. The increase you mentioned, 6.5%, will concern all public sector employees on June 1. However, there is a “but” to this. This year the authorities of Kirov – the administrative centre of the region, not an outlying town – made a crucial decision on the initiative of the United Russia party in the City Duma: to raise the salaries of teachers at pre-school institutions, which receive the lowest wages among teachers, by 6.5% on January 1, 2011.

Second, you mentioned restructuring the network. It is underway, and one of the reasons for it is the demographic situation, which is dramatic not only in the Kirov Region…

Vladimir Putin: Pardon me for interrupting you, Mr Galitskikh, but I wasn’t the one who said this. It was the head of your region who said that we should do it. I would like everyone in this audience to remember that your authorities and United Russia have different responsibilities. I want you to think about whether you really need that optimisation. If you do, you must decide on the scale of it and determine how you will carry it out. How much will it cost? Submit your plans and I will tell you that we will consider ways to support them, including financial support, aiming at eventually ensuring a gradual but sustainable increase in teachers’ salaries.

Alexander Galitskikh: Mr Putin, my colleagues will never forgive me if I don’t express our gratitude for what you said about drafting educational standards at the Government Presidium meeting yesterday.

Vladimir Putin: I don’t remember what I said.

Alexander Galitskikh: I want to thank you not just for saying “no”, but for voicing that thoughtful opinion: that we should consider the matter thoroughly, exchange ideas and discuss the draft with the public and professionals, because this is a serious matter. As a teacher, I can tell you that students must have the opportunity to choose their subjects. We must give them this opportunity. But making only physical fitness and health compulsory, and omitting Russian language and literature and math from it would be a mistake, even though healthy living is a noble goal. Thank you for clearly stating your position on this question.

Vladimir Putin: I would like to assure you that the people working in the ministry are not enemies or extremists, but we should clarify the task for them. This is a fact. I am confident that they will do well when we explain to them what we want them to do. I hope that the public, including teachers and parents, will take part in the debates on these crucial questions, and that changes will only be approved after a thorough analysis.

Alexander Galitskikh: Mr Putin, I’d like to thank you, even though I know that gratitude can be excessive. Still, I thank you for taking an interest in this subject, especially in the problems of single-industry towns. There are 13 such towns in the region, and the hardest hit during the crisis was the Molot plant in the town of Vyatskiye Polyany. Thank you for the government’s decisions to support it; large sums of money have been allocated, boosting the development programme. But four other of the 13 single-industry towns have drafted comprehensive investment and development programmes, which the municipal and regional authorities have approved. My question is: Will the federal authorities carry on with this project?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, they will. That project was initiated by United Russia and put forth in the State Duma. To a large extent, it is the party’s programme and initiative.

The government and the State Duma quickly drafted it, passed amendments to the federal budget in 2009 and briskly introduced it.

This turned out to be an effective measure not only in the Kirov Region but all over Russia. Surely, we were unable to help  people  completely preserve their incomes. At any rate, we created numerous jobs, and this obviously influenced the labour market.

As far as the Molot Plant is concerned, the town of Vyatskiye Polyany and the enterprise have received 1.3 billion roubles worth of federal allocations. Today, I  spoke with the CEO of the Russian Technologies State Corporation, a majority shareholder of the Molot Plant. The CEO assured me that they and Sberbank, the main creditor, will sign all the required documents and debt-restructuring agreements next week. Consequently, the enterprise will be able to function, to expand, to attract the required resources for its development and to implement its programmes.

Remark: Thank you.

Vladimir Smirnov: Mr Putin, I would like to make a small digression, before asking you a question.

Vladimir Putin: Are we going to build a theatre with 500 seats?

Vladimir Smirnov: This too. I would like to thank you personally for conferring the title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation on my wife in 2002 when you were president. In 2008, you conferred the title of People’s Artist of the Russian Federation on me. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Not at all. Mr Smirnov, you have probably heard the story, or maybe it’s not just a story. They say one Soviet leader was asked to sign a similar document. Instead of bestowing the title of “Merited Artist,” he accidentally wrote “People’s Artist.” They asked him: “Why is that? She is not a Merited Artist yet, but you have made her a People’s Artist?” and he replied “When she merits it, she’ll become a Merited Artist.”

I’m glad your family has received these titles, just as it should be.

Vladimir Smirnov: Thank you. And now here is my question. The thing is that many local residents would like to reinstate Kirov’s historical name, Vyatka. What do you think about this? Do you think this issue should be tackled, after all? If yes, then should it be done through an administrative decree or a referendum?

Vladimir Putin: I was born in Leningrad and grew up there. The city was eventually renamed. This happened in  certain circumstances and was linked with the wish of many city residents to reinstate its former name. But many people also opposed this proposal. To be honest, this proposal caused a split among the city’s population because the siege of Leningrad, numerous fatalities and the city’s victory over the enemy are linked with the name “Leningrad.” Many citizens cherish these notions.

Nevertheless, what is done is done. At first, it was hard to say the word “Saint Petersburg.” I thought it was impossible to pronounce. But now, the people are so used to it that the name sounds like a nightingale’s song. There are no problems because everyone has gotten accustomed to this.

I don’t want to say whether this decision was right or wrong. This is another question. But an overwhelming majority of city residents supported this decision.   However, I’ll repeat that there were also many opponents. I believe that the people must be asked before these issues are resolved.

Vladimir Smirnov: Everyone.

Vladimir Putin: Sure.

Vladimir Smirnov: Especially senior citizens.

Vladimir Putin: Everyone must be asked.

Vladimir Smirnov: Mr Putin, in 2009, the governor established a commission to study public opinion regarding reinstating the city’s historical name and instructed me to head that commission. The large 30-person commission was made up of opponents and proponents of that decision.

The commission worked for six months,  gauging public opinion and hearing out a lot of people, organisations, etc. We also unearthed a lot of historical background on the issue.

I can say that many senior citizens, including members of the Russian Orthodox Church, victims of political repressions, and others, would like the city to be renamed Vyatka. This seems quite natural. But many young people would like to live in Kirov. They don’t link the city’s name with Soviet Communist Party leader and statesman  Sergei Kirov. It’s just the name of the city to them. The commission told the governor and the public that a referendum was required. This conclusion was also made as a result of debates. People wishing to initiate such a referendum should do so, and we will tackle this issue. But we need a referendum involving city residents alone.

Vladimir Putin: Such issues should be stripped of any ideological content. It’s high time we stopped dividing everyone into the Whites and the Reds.

Remark: Yes, it’s time.

Vladimir Putin: Of course, Vyatka is an ancient and beautiful name.

Remark: Mr Putin, I would like to point out one issue. As a high-ranking leader, aren’t you shocked by the fact that your favourite city is called St Petersburg, and that it’s located in the Leningrad Region?

Vladimir Putin: That the city is called St Petersburg, and that it’s located in the Leningrad Region? You know, I haven’t been shocked in a long time. I’ve got used to everything.

Remark: I understand and this is your city.

Vladimir Putin: But you see, he said that even young Kirov residents are used to the city’s name and don’t link its name with Sergei Kirov. Leningrad Region residents have become accustomed to the fact that they live in the Leningrad Region. I don’t think they link its name with some ideological issues. It’s just out of habit, and that’s all. They alone should decide what should be done. Ordinary people live in peace, they don’t think about serious issues. It doesn’t matter to them whether they  live in the St Petersburg Region or the Leningrad Region. Politicised people, including members of parliament, etc., can initiate some issues. But I think it would not be right to tackle such issues in an off-handed manner.

You should not rush if you think that the time isn’t right. Will this issue disappear? It may take years for people living here to want to return to their roots, and when they do feel this way they will do this. Why should we create problems and split society over mere trifles?

Remark: This will come by itself. Thank you.

Alexander Buldakov: Mr Putin, my name is Alexander Buldakov, a lecturer from Vyatka State University, and I am also running in the upcoming elections.

I would like to touch upon the following issue. Huge allocations from federal programmes are being spent on the construction of physical fitness complexes and various sports facilities. At the same time, we should realise that these are primarily professional sports facilities, while the primary link, namely, neighbourhood schools, and sports clubs still don’t receive enough attention. The problem is that instead of sitting in parks and drinking alcohol, young people should have a worthwhile way to spend their free time. .

Vladimir Putin: A wonderful sports facility, an ice stadium, has opened in your town, right?

Remark: Yes, in Kirovo-Chepetsk.

Vladimir Putin: In Kirovo-Chepetsk. Congratulations.

Remark: A sports facility is scheduled to be built and opened in Kirov soon.

Remark: Gazprom is implementing so many projects this year.

Alexander Buldakov: I think this has a great amount of social significance because when young people develop both spiritually and physically, they won’t have the desire to stage protests on Manezh Square, to leave their home regions and  look for a better life elsewhere. The current efforts of the federal government must be expanded.

This year, the Kirov Region has received federal funding for the promotion of mass sports for the first time. The region has doubled its funding for this, from 27 million roubles to 54 million roubles. Unfortunately, this is still a drop in the bucket.

Vladimir Putin: I agree completely. There is nothing to add here. As you know, United Russia has proposed building a thousand physical fitness facilities. Several months ago, Boris Gryzlov put together some good suggestions for the construction of swimming pools.   Incidentally, they must be primarily built at educational establishments. All this is being implemented, and we will continue this process.

The Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy is tackling this issue ever more actively. They also think that funding volumes are not high enough. But I want to stress once again that the federal government can only facilitate this process.

Remark: This process must be launched … It must be given …

Vladimir Putin: Yes. But schools, the reconstruction of schools and some other things, including courtyard surfaces and the adjacent infrastructure, are primarily regional and municipal tasks. The federal government is unable to do everything. That’s why we are transferring subsidies to the regions, so that they can accomplish such objectives. It’s very good that you are drawing attention to this. We will pool our efforts.

Remark: In addition, I would like to say a few words. Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death. The region has approved a programme for promoting physical fitness and sports until 2020. I believe the programme correctly prioritises end results, rather than some intermediate achievements. Most importantly, the number of people engaged in physical fitness and sports should increase from 16% to 38-40%.

Vladimir Putin: Absolutely.

Vladimir Starikov: Mr Putin, my name is Vladimir Starikov, I’m the general director of a sports school for children.

Remark: Frankly speaking, he is a legendary figure. He used to coach our favourite bandy team Rodina. And now he directs a sports school for children.

Vladimir Starikov: My students have become world champions. I would like to say that the construction of physical fitness facilities, including a swimming pool and an artificial ice rink for figure skaters, is wonderful. But I would like to emphasise the need for them to be accessibile. If we miss this aspect…  

Vladimir Putin: You have noted correctly here that school-based facilities will be accessible.

Vladimir Starikov: I would like to say a few words about physical fitness in secondary schools. It is important to structure a lesson correctly in terms of methodology and set the proper physical loads according to the students’ ages. This is what we must do at schools. In that case, there would be no need to replace Russian language courses or something else. Professional physical fitness instructors and methodologically correct lessons are important.

Vladimir Putin: Well, you should take part in the creation of new standards.

Vladimir Starikov: I suggest reinstating them. I’m ready for labour and defence! This is wonderful. You ought to remember. It’s some kind of test mode preparation for labour and defence.

Vladimir Putin: Competitions need to involve schools and districts, and regional-level competitions are also important.

Vladimir Starikov: Preparations for the Russian Spartakiad.

Remark: The region is now hosting the Tretiak Cup Youth Games.  Backyard boys’ hockey teams from various districts are involved. And the finals will be held sometime around March. Vladislav Tretiak has promised to come and  congratulate the boys.

Vladimir Putin: He is an active person, and he will come. Figure skating is another priority, right?

Oksana Domnina: Speaking of professional sports, the situation in Kirov and the Kirov Region is improving compared to what it was like 10 years ago. They are planning to build an ice rink, and just that. There are many sports facilities. Of course, I would like young people to play sports. I hope that some young people wishing to devote themselves to sports will emerge in the next three years, that is, after the required sports facilities are completed.

Vladimir Putin: Are you going to resume skating?

Oksana Domnina: It’s a difficult question to answer now.

Vladimir Putin: So, it’s possible?

Oksana Domnina: Never say never.

Vladimir Putin: We have opened a large sports facility in Novogorsk. It features two ice rinks – one for hockey players and the other one for figure skaters. The state-of-the-art facility is very beautiful, practical and very convenient for athletes.

Oksana Domnina: Hopefully, this will be good for athletes training for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

Vladimir Putin: They are already training here.

Remark: Mr Putin, thank you very much for coming to my birthplace, to the glorious city of Vyatka and Kirov. When I was walking here, I saw a boy sitting in the snow and he asked me whether Uncle Putin was here.

Vladimir Putin: Tell him to get out of the snow.

Viktor Savinykh: Thank you for coming. This is very important for the Kirov Region. We have discussed several issues here, including social issues, the housing and public utilities and  transport. This is United Russia’s programme for the upcoming elections. This entails control over the issues discussed by us today and preparations for the elections. And here’s one more thing. Today, I would like to raise the issue of the younger generation’s patriotic education. The entire theory of space travel began in Vyatka. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky spent his childhood here and graduated from a local high school. Speaking of standards – physics and mathematics …

Remark: About the quality of regional education …

Viktor Savinykh: About the quality of regional education. A lot of students who graduated from our gymnasia now study at my university and many others, including the Lomonosov Moscow State University’s mechanical engineering department. That’s why patriotic education is very important here. We have restored the home where Eduard Tsiolkovsky lived, and  turned it into the Tsiolkovsky Museum. I have been holding Tsiolkovsky Seminars for children there for the past 15 years. At first, only children from Kirov attended such seminars, but then children from the Kirov Region came. And now, children come to these seminars from many different regions. This year’s seminar even involved children from Belarus, and they delivered numerous reports. We run a three-day course on space exploration and space travel for children. Of course, the museum lacks premises. We have a plot of land there, and long ago we developed a project to establish a space centre for children there. We  signed a contract with Novocherkassk manufacturing space simulators, and have basically agreed that they will make such a simulator for us. Anatoly Perminov, head of the Federal Space Agency, promises to provide all kinds of equipment.

Vladimir Putin: I’ll talk to him.

Viktor Savinykh: By the way, he is also from the Kirov Region. Consequently, we would like this space centre for children to be opened here, so that it can facilitate patriotic education. This is extremely important and useful. People from nearby regions, including the Komi Republic and the Perm Territory, come here.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Savinykh, let’s see how we can help you.

Viktor Savinykh: It appears that the governor and I have agreed to start working in this direction.

Vladimir Putin: We’ll have another conversation with him.

Viktor Savinykh: Thank you, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: Good. In conclusion, I would like to wish you every success in the March 2011 elections. But this is not an end in itself. Who needs these elections? And why should you win in them? You need to do this only in order to receive a chance to do something for the people. If this is so, then the people must have a sincere desire and willingness to do this. You must maintain direct and permanent contacts with them. Most importantly, you must live up to the people’s expectations. I wish you every success in this undertaking.

The second issue is linked with folk art. Today, your artisans  presented me with a very beautiful item typical of the Kirov Region. It’s a boat in which we’re all sailing together. But, most importantly, the helmsman is a bear. Although I think this was purely accidental, it is a nice symbol for United Russia. I wish you every success.

Thank you.