Mikhail Mishustin visits the exposition showcasing urban improvement projects for Russian regions at the National Centre RUSSIA
Today, the urban environment extends far beyond the improvement of individual parks, squares and embankments, becoming an important tool for preserving people's familiar way of life, ensuring sustainable territorial development, supporting local economies and strengthening people's confidence in the future. The best practices in urban environment development, improvement projects and the potential of Russian territories were presented at the National Centre RUSSIA on 10 August as part of the XI All-Russian Forum "Development of Small Towns and Historic Settlements". The exposition was visited by a delegation headed by Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Representatives of the Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, spoke about projects being implemented in their territories.
At the stand of the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin was presented with a practical outcome of the collective work of participants in the III Youth Forum "Youth and the Urban Environment" — a concept for a new approach to military-historical memorial sites. Visitors to the exposition were shown an immersive video presenting a prototype of a new-generation memorial space developed with the wishes and ideas of young people in mind.
"This initiative was first proposed a year ago in the city of Kazan, when we were discussing historical memory. Of course, the "Heroes Map" is a very important project today. When we travelled around the Russian Far East, many participants in the special military operation raised this issue. Young people want to know the historical and spiritual roots of their country. I believe that the participants in the special military operation know very well how to engage young people and will be able to share their own experiences. They will work on this project, and we will certainly support it. The Ministry of Construction will consider what we can do for the project, and how we can scale it up across the country," Mikhail Mishustin stressed.
In turn, Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, highlighted the strong demand for the "Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment" project and told Mikhail Mishustin about its development: "The All-Russian Competition for the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment has a history dating back to 2018 and has rightly become an integral driver of development for small towns and historic settlements. Over the years, more than 4,300 applications have been submitted from 1,318 settlements. It should be noted that the quality of the projects and the level of preparation of the teams improve every year. This year saw a record number of applications — 582. Taking into account the results of 2026, 1,903 projects from 1,040 settlements will become winners. To date, 1,168 projects have been completed, while another 441 are currently being implemented. These include new embankments, parks, avenues and pedestrian areas, which are becoming points of attraction for local residents and tourists alike. This work also has a tangible economic impact: around 7,000 commercial facilities and more than 30,000 jobs have been created. This year, a separate competition was held for the first time for reunified and border regions. This is a necessary measure to support the constituent entities in restoring and developing infrastructure under challenging conditions."
The heads of the regions whose stands were featured at the exposition spoke about the implementation of the federal project "Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment" and how their territories are progressing from restoration to development. Denis Pushilin, Head of the Donetsk People's Republic, noted that efforts to create a new quality of urban environment in the region are being carried out with the active involvement of residents, municipalities and professional teams. According to him, an increasing number of residents of the Donetsk People's Republic take part in the All-Russian public vote every year, selecting public spaces to be prioritised for further development.
"For the Donetsk People's Republic, participation in the XI All-Russian Forum "Development of Small Towns and Historic Settlements" is an opportunity to adopt the best practices and demonstrate that, despite all the challenges, our cities are changing before our eyes. In 2023–2025, thanks to the "Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment" programme and the All-Russian competition for the best projects, 84 public spaces were improved in 35 settlements, and three winning projects were implemented. In 2026, we plan to improve another 49 spaces and implement five winning projects. The main driving force behind these changes is the initiative of the residents themselves, who vote for urban improvement projects. It is public demand that creates modern points of attraction, such as the square near the monument to Vladimir Lenin in the city of Shakhtyorsk and the "BURELOM" project in Novoazovsk. The "BURELOM" project was developed by young architects and is currently being implemented. It is an example of how young people's ideas can be brought to life with state support. We are determined to continue increasing the pace and quality of urban improvement so that every settlement in the Republic becomes a beautiful and comfortable place for its residents," Denis Pushilin said.
In the Belgorod Region, 510 territories have been improved since 2019, including 223 public spaces and 287 courtyards. This includes 16 winning projects of the All-Russian Competition for the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment. According to Alexander Shuvayev, Acting Governor of the Belgorod Region, urban improvement is particularly important for the border Belgorod Region, where residents continue to live and work amid a challenging operational situation.
The delegation also visited the stands of the Zaporozhye Region, the Lugansk People's Republic, the Kursk and Bryansk regions, as well as the exposition of the DOM.RF company. All participants in the exposition presented their ideas, projects and vision of the future, but they share one thing: despite the challenges, all these towns and cities, organisations and territories continue to live, develop and build a future that is happy and comfortable for everyone. The Prime Minister stressed that life in the border regions should reach the level already achieved in other regions of the country, and that new spaces should be created to the same high standards of quality and comfort.
"The All-Russian Competition for the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment in small towns and historic settlements is a real opportunity to make our cities and villages better. This year, the Kursk Region submitted six applications, and winning would make it possible to attract up to 450 million roubles to the region's urban improvement sector. We have been actively participating in the competition since 2018, and it gives us the opportunity to radically transform our public spaces and turn them into points of attraction for the people of the Kursk Region. Our cities have won 23 times in total, making it possible to attract 1.7 billion roubles to ensure that parks, squares and central streets attract as many people as possible for recreation and leisure. A striking example is the city of Kurchatov: thanks to our victory in the competition, we were able to improve the embankment along the reservoir and create the "Warm Shore" Culture and Recreation Park there. It has become a genuine landmark of the entire region. Last year, we named this embankment after Hero of Russia Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Chebnev, who was killed in Sudzhansky District while defending the approaches to Kurchatov. We also unveiled a monument to him there. This is a good example of how vital federal support is for the regions. I hope our residents will soon see new transformations," said Alexander Khinshtein, Governor of the Kursk Region.
The All-Russian Forum "Development of Small Towns and Historic Settlements" is organised by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation with the support of the Government of Moscow and the DOM.RF company. It is a leading cross-sectoral platform showcasing the best practices in urban improvement, sustainable territorial development and the latest urban design solutions.
The XI All-Russian Forum "Development of Small Towns and Historic Settlements" is taking place in Moscow from 8 to 10 August, with its main events held at the National Centre RUSSIA on 10 August. The programme for the day includes plenary and strategic sessions, discussions, as well as youth and educational tracks. Other key events include award ceremonies for the winners of the XI All-Russian Competition for the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment, the V All-Russian Competition for the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment in Municipalities in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that are part of the Far Eastern Federal District, and the I All-Russian Competition for the Best Projects for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment for Municipalities located in individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
