The "Leaders of Russia. Politics" competition begins its second season

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The second season of the "Leaders of Russia. Politics" competition has officially begun. This announcement was made on November 27 at the National Centre RUSSIA by Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation.

The competition is part of the implementation of the President of Russia's directive to create a system of social elevators for active citizens of the country. As Sergei Kiriyenko noted, such a system has already been launched in recent years through various initiatives aimed at leaders and experts in the fields of public and municipal administration, economics, and social design.

"Every year, hundreds of thousands of people participate in these initiatives. Thousands of lives, thanks to the President’s decision, are drastically changed as they gain opportunities to realize themselves in civil service, large corporations, social and legislative work," emphasized Sergei Kiriyenko. 

A special emphasis is placed on involving veterans of the Special Military Operation (SMO) in such initiatives. This process is receiving systematic support from the country’s leadership.

"Among the participants in these personnel projects, including the 'Time of Heroes' project announced by the President in his Message to the Federal Assembly, there are many heroes of the Special Military Operation. Some of them have chosen legislation as their future civilian career. For example, Evgeny Chintcov, a holder of three Orders of Courage, now heads the City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod. And Hero of Russia Roman Kulakov became a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Sevastopol. Thus, veterans of the SMO are actively participating. I believe that in the new season of the 'Leaders of Russia. Politics' competition, this trend will continue," noted the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office.

The competition itself is also evolving to become more effective and beneficial for the country.

"A few words about the changes. The first change is that we are starting the work much earlier this time, with two years still left before the State Duma elections. Last time, the project began less than a year before the elections, and it didn’t have enough time for the selection procedures, and most importantly, for the training program. Last time it was only three months, but this time we want to dedicate significantly more time to it," noted Sergei Kiriyenko.

In general, the competitive procedures this year will focus on two key tasks. The first is to select the most promising socio-political leaders, and the second is to ensure they have the necessary competencies and skills, including for election to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, legislative assemblies of various levels, or to build a career in public administration, social institutions, and the social sphere. The organizer of the competition is the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity," which has extensive experience in large-scale projects for the selection and preparation of leaders, including the "Leaders of Russia" competition. The project is supported by the Presidential Academy and the Expert Institute for Social Research (EISR). 

As reminded by Alexei Komissarov, Director General of the "Russia — Land of Opportunity" platform and Rector of the Presidential Academy, the first season of the "Leaders of Russia. Politics" competition, which took place in 2020 – 2021, proved the demand and effectiveness of the project. As a result, much of the current competition is based on its methodological framework. 

"That time, we were able to identify and prepare a number of leaders for further work, many of whom have already become well-known both in Russia and abroad. Out of the 49 winners of the first season, 18 now represent the interests of Russians in the State Duma, 2 in the Federation Council, 3 in regional parliaments, and 2 in city councils. Another 17 individuals have taken up new positions in other structures. This time, we expect to achieve even greater results, both quantitative and qualitative," emphasized Alexei Komissarov.

The competition will include several key stages, the first two of which — registration and testing — will be conducted online. As told by Pavel Bezruchko, Chairman of the Expert Council of the "Leaders of Russia" competition, the testing will assess not only the participants’ leadership potential but also their knowledge of Russia.

"To successfully address the tasks of an elected position, corresponding leadership abilities and experience are needed. Considering that the 'Leaders of Russia. Politics' competition is also designed to strengthen Russia as a state, it is equally important to select candidates who truly know and understand our homeland, its cultural and historical features," noted Pavel Bezruchko.

One of the key success factors of the first season was the mentoring program, which allowed the winners to interact directly with prominent Russian politicians. This year, the mentoring practice will be expanded — there will be more mentors, including representatives from the Presidential Executive Office, the Government of Russia, recognized political leaders from the Federation Council and State Duma, as well as public and state figures. Among them is the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Alexander Zhukov, who will continue his mentoring work started in 2020. 

"As a mentor, my task was, of course, to pass on experience — to help learn to make optimal decisions and resolve difficult situations. My mentees turned out to be very interesting and well-rounded individuals, with whom it was a pleasure to work. Our interaction became important for me as well, as it allowed me to learn more about the views of the younger generation of political leaders. Therefore, I had no doubt about becoming a mentor again now," noted Alexander Zhukov.

The competition will contribute to strengthening the political system in general, but will especially serve as a valuable resource for the development of cooperation between the country’s leading political forces. This aspect was particularly emphasized by Vladimir Yakushev, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and Acting Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party. 

"Our party already has significant positive experience working with the winners of the first season of the competition — many of them are part of the faction in the State Duma, and we are working with two of them in the Federation Council. That’s why United Russia will, in turn, open up a wide window of opportunities for cooperation with the best participants of this season. Personally, I will be sincerely happy to become one of the mentors of the competition," said Vladimir Yakushev.

One of the key features of the second season of the competition is changes in the process of determining the winners. This time, they will not be chosen based on the results of the competition's final, but according to the outcomes of the training program, to which all finalists will be invited. The program will be intensive and challenging, but the experience of the previous winners shows its effectiveness. 

"By the time the training program started, I already had 'one and a half' higher education degrees, but none of them could compare with what was offered to us by the lecturers and trainers at the Senezh Management Workshop. When the lectures are given by a federal-level minister, and the exams are taken by political technologists who work 'on the ground,' your approach to studying is completely different. This is education for real life, for effective work. For victory," said Tatyana Butskaya, the winner of the first season and now the First Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on Family Protection, Fatherhood, Motherhood, and Childhood Issues.

During the discussion, the organizers, mentors, and participants of the project agreed that conducting the competition today is especially important, taking into account the geopolitical context. This was stated in the speech of Maxim Dreval, Director General of the Russian society Znanie and winner of the first season of the competition. 

"For me, winning the competition opened up new opportunities, allowing me to apply my knowledge and skills on a nationwide scale. In fact, the project marked the beginning of a new stage in my life. Today, in these challenging circumstances, it is especially important for us to be united, to act as a single cohesive force, including in the political arena. And the continuation of the competition will undoubtedly help strengthen this unity, providing the country with new, bright, and patriotic leaders," emphasized Maxim Dreval.

 The importance of education for the successful work of the winners of the new season was emphasized by Mikhail Gusman, member of the Supervisory Board of the "Leaders of Russia. Politics" competition and First Deputy General Director of the TASS News Agency. 

"Politics is the most complex type of activity; it is more difficult than any exact science because it requires deep knowledge not in one field, but in many. To succeed in politics, one needs a wide range of skills, professional endurance, and creativity. People who step onto this field must understand that they take on huge responsibility — just as a surgeon’s decisions affect the life of one person during surgery, politicians often determine the fate of a large number of people," noted Mikhail Gusman.

Representatives of parliamentary political parties also expressed interest in supporting the project. Among them is Vladislav Dvankov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Head of the New People party faction.

"At the opening of the new season of the competition, an important comment was made: 'Leaders of Russia. Politics' is not a party project; it is aimed at the development of the political system as a whole. We fully agree with this approach, as creating equal conditions for political parties and candidates, expanding the opportunities for people with different views to participate in the political process — is one of the tasks that will ensure the preservation and strengthening of civil unity in the country. Our party is ready to support the project, and I myself gladly agreed to become one of its mentors," said Vladislav Dvankov.

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia also has high expectations for the competition. This was stated by Andrei Lugovoi, Deputy Head of the LDPR faction in the State Duma.

"In Russian society, there is a strong demand for the renewal of the political elite. The reserve of future leaders and state officials is being formed within political parties and public movements, as well as through projects like the 'Leaders of Russia. Politics' competition. The tasks that the President of the Russian Federation sets for leaders at the federal and regional levels require unconventional thinking, determination, and extraordinary ideas. The participants of the second competition will be authors of successful social, public, and economic projects, opinion leaders who are ready to apply their skills and knowledge to solve important national tasks. Today, Russia’s victory on the battlefield is ensured not only by modern military developments but also by the courage and military ingenuity of those involved in the SMO. They demonstrate a fresh, unconventional perspective from 'behind the ribbon'. I am confident that many of them will be able to join the future workforce of our country and take their rightful place among other talented leaders," emphasized Andrei Lugovoi.

Valery Gartung, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Competition Protection and a representative of A Just Russia — For Truth party, also expressed support and wished success to the organizers and participants of the competition.

"I congratulate all participants on the new season of 'Leaders of Russia. Politics'. In fact, this is more than just a competition. 'Leaders of Russia. Politics' not only selects the best, but it also forms a reliable team of professionals. In the previous season, I participated as a mentor for aspiring politicians. Among my students were truly bright, erudite, and, importantly, passionate candidates. Many of them are now working in various governmental bodies. I am ready to share my experience with the participants of this new season. The main secret to a politician's success is to be honest with your electorate. If you truly believe in what you're saying, and genuinely empathize with the citizens, everything will work out," emphasized Valery Gartung.

Registration for the "Leaders of Russia. Politics" competition started on November 27 and will continue until January 24, 2025. Citizens of the Russian Federation aged 21 to 55, with completed secondary vocational or higher education, and a desire and readiness to engage in public and political activity, can apply to participate.

You can learn more about the competition and submit an application at политическиелидеры.рф website.