Vladimir Putin’s opening remarks:

Good afternoon,

You are here to represent your cities, towns and villages, which have won awards for the most improved landscape and for comfortable living. Please accept my most sincere congratulations and pass them along to all of your residents. I would like to thank you for your efforts. You have done a great deal to make people comfortable in their hometowns, and you have achieved a lot. Streets and roads and the grounds surrounding apartment buildings have been improved. Playgrounds and sports grounds have been built and public transport and utilities systems have been developed. All of this creates an environment where people feel comfortable and happy to live and raise their children.

Veliky Novgorod has effectively used its municipal resources and federal financing for development. We have just stopped by what I think was a typical neighbourhood in Novgorod. My colleagues arrived some time in advance to select the place, but we didn’t inform the governor where we planned to go. So, we had a peek at the typical grounds between apartment blocks – nothing special, really, but quite nice and comfortable. People who live there said so, too.

I can say – I know this for certain – that not all of the neighbourhoods in Novgorod are so nice. The same is probably true about all of the cities and towns represented here, although they are award-winning cities and towns. Much remains to be done. As we drove across Novgorod, we saw many well-groomed buildings. But we also saw old and shabby ones. I know that this is typical for most cities and towns. But, if we continue working like you do, gradually and consistently, we’ll be able to improve our country, giving a different look to its villages, towns and cities – big and small.

The authorities in the town of Stroitel in the Belgorod Region are obviously good at prioritising and task management. With a small budget of 90 million roubles, they have installed playgrounds and sports grounds around most apartment buildings. It is worth noting that smaller towns and villages took part in the competition this time. This is a positive change. The winners have shown how it is possible to improve life in rural areas by making meaningful and well-directed efforts.

The Preobrazhenovka village council found a way to invest 60% of the local budget revenues for improvement and development of public amenities, although the village has only 430 residents.

You set yourselves far reaching goals and higher standards for the quality of life. This is certainly the way of thinking that should be adopted by all municipalities. Why are we giving so much attention to this? You know that Alexander Solzhenitsyn also gave a lot of time and attention to municipal development issues.

A river starts from creeks. To ensure Russia’s successful development, we need to change the municipal authorities’ philosophy in the first place, to use a different approach to municipal management, so that every city mayor, every village head, has a clear understanding of people’s interests as his or her topmost priority.

Therefore, we will continue supporting the best cities and towns. To begin with, we will triple the bonus awarded for the best results from 30 to 100 million roubles.

Let me emphasise how much depends on your efforts, on municipal authorities, in each Russian’s daily life – for comfort, well-being, perception and attitude.

We, in turn, see local government leaders as reliable partners and allies in our common mission performed for the sake of our country. Our mission is to make people’s lives better. I congratulate you all, and all of the residents of your cities, towns and villages. Good luck and thank you.

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Winners of the 2010 Most Comfortable Town Award nationwide competition:

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, First Class, went to Veliky Novgorod and was received by Mayor Yury Bobryshev.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, Second Class, went to Novosibirsk and was received by Mayor Vladimir Gorodetsky.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, Second Class, went to Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan and was received by Pavel Kachkayev, the city administration head.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, Third Class, went to Saransk and was received by Vladimir Sushkov, the city administration head.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, Third Class, went to Khabarovsk and was received by Mayor Alexander Sokolov.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, Third Class, went to Izhevsk and was received by Mayor Alexander Ushakov.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, First Class, went to Nizhnekamsk and was received by Mayor Aidar Metshin.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, First Class, went to Stroitel, Yakovlevsky District, in the Belgorod Region, and was received by Sergei Bavykin, the city administration head.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, First Class, went to Tselinskoye in the Rostov Region and was received by Alexander Khomyakov, the village head.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, First Class, went to Sukhaya Buivola, Petrovsky District, in the Stavropol Territory, and was received by Alexander Tenkov, the village head.

The Russian Government’s Certificate of Recognition, First Class, went to Preobrazhenovka, Dobrovsky District, in the Lipetsk Region, and was received by Anatoly Popov, the village council head.