"This is a splendid neighbourhood, practically an entire town," Mr Putin said while touring Osinovaya Roshcha. "It's also extremely environmentally friendly."

In addition to 50 apartment buildings comprising a total of more than 370,000 square metres of residential space, Osinovaya Roshcha will include four kindergartens, large enough to accommodate 610 children, and two schools, with a capacity of 1,650. The residential area will also include two ambulatory clinics, one for adults and the other for children.