Highlights of the Jewish Autonomous Region Days at the National Centre RUSSIA
At the National Centre RUSSIA, as part of the exposition "Region-2030. Platform of the Future", the fifth regional thematic week came to an end. The Jewish Autonomous Region presented its history, culture, traditions, landmarks, and achievements.
Maria Kostyuk on Regional Development
The programme began with a meeting with the Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Maria Kostyuk. As part of the series of meetings with heads of Russian regions, "Platform of the Future: Region-2030. 100 Steps", she delivered a report titled "Plans for the Development of the Region until 2030". The main topic was education. The Governor emphasised that today’s top priority is investing in children and their future, and that the pace of modernising educational institutions is closely linked to the renewal of the management team.
"We now have people who focus not on the process, but on the result, and I can already see real changes: children study in modern classrooms, and teachers work in improved conditions. But it’s not enough just to report on what has been done — it’s important that such changes become the norm," said Maria Kostyuk.
The head of the region also presented projects aimed at developing the healthcare system. According to her, one of the key challenges remains attracting qualified medical personnel, while special attention is being given to modernising medical infrastructure.
"When the Minister of Health, Mikhail Murashko, visited us, he noted that in terms of equipment, we are at a good level. Now it’s important to ensure that qualified specialists work with this equipment," emphasised Maria Kostyuk.
Round Table "Time of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Time to Go!"
The round table "Time of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Time to Go!" brought together representatives of the tourism industry, government authorities, the expert community, and businesses to discuss the prospects for tourism development in the region.
"For us, the Jewish Autonomous Region is one of those regions that remain largely undiscovered and underestimated in terms of tourism, yet it is extremely interesting. The most important thing is that the regional team has made the development of the service economy, including the tourism industry, one of its strategic priorities," noted Maria Badmatsyrenova, Deputy Director of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation JSC and moderator of the meeting.
Tourist traffic to the Jewish Autonomous Region increased by 50% in the first half of 2025, reported Deputy Chair of the Government of the Jewish Autonomous Region Anna Tarasenko. "Of course, this is not the limit. We aim to reach 100,000 tourists per year and are confident that we will achieve this goal before 2030," she said.
Workshops
Participants of a series of workshops at the region’s stand learned about its unique culture, history, and traditions. During the creative workshop #CatofLife, guests were invited to sew cats from fabric scraps. The #CatofLife project is actively developing in more than thirty regions across Russia. The organisers send free sewing kits throughout the country, and volunteers have already created more than 2,500 toys that bring joy to those in need.
Visitors also decorated candles for home comfort using the Komarov lotus — the pride and natural symbol of the Jewish Autonomous Region. They learned about centuries-old Jewish jewellery traditions during a practical session on creating bracelets and pendants. In the "literary" workshop, guests were introduced to the historical Yiddish language and even learned to write their names and short greetings using this ancient alphabet.
Concert Programme
As part of the project "Family Album — Living for Two", the organisers of the thematic week paid tribute to the heroes of the special military operation. Poet, composer, journalist, SPAS TV presenter, member of frontline brigades and the "Culture for Donbass" project, and ambassador of the "Know Our Own!" initiative Alexander Galitsky performed his original songs accompanied by video chronicles from the family archives of fallen Heroes of Russia.
And, of course, there was the true sound of the Jewish violin: Yevgeny Belov, an artist of the regional philharmonic, gave a mini-concert for the guests of the National Centre RUSSIA.
Regional Days are held within the exposition "Region-2030. Platform of the Future" from September to October. Visitors have already explored the main attractions and achievements of the Voronezh, Amur, and Tula regions, as well as the Republic of Dagestan. The week of the Jewish Autonomous Region was the fifth in the series. Next, thematic days will feature the Chelyabinsk region (7–12 October) and the Nenets Autonomous Area (14–19 October).
The Centre is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 20:00.
The 5th All-Russian Homeroom Teachers’ Forum, a meeting with the Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region, and other significant events.
The event was held simultaneously across all 89 regions of the country.
