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The reorganisation project is being carried out by the Moscow City Government and the State Corporation Roscosmos at the instruction of the President. As a result, a unique research and production, engineering and educational cluster for the space and related industries will be created in the Filevskaya water meadow that will employ over 50,000 highly qualified engineers, scientists, researchers and specialists.

The National Space Centre will be the centrepiece of the renovated area. Its construction will make it possible to pool together several key space industry organisations in one location – the central office and situation centre of the State Corporation Roscosmos, sectoral institutes, and other enterprises, which are currently scattered around Moscow. The National Space Centre will also incorporate a modern educational complex, youth design bureaus, a business support centre, exhibition pavilions and a centre for diversifying production.

In addition to the construction of the National Space Centre, the project envisages the preservation of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre’s manufacturing complex as well as a new research and production cluster of the Technopolis Moscow special economic zone. A part of the territory will be set aside for the construction of social facilities and residential buildings for the relocation of city residents as part of the housing renovation programme.

At present, 800 people are engaged in works at the facility. The construction is to be completed in 2023.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, hello,

Remark: Hello.

Vladimir Putin: To be honest, I did not expect to see such a strong team here. Just recently, Mr Sobyanin told me in detail about the plans we have here, which benefit both the city and the rocket and space industry of Russia. These are indeed grand plans and are momentous for the entire country, not just the rocket and space industry. I decided to visit the site to see what it looks like and in what condition it is today.

I can say upfront that obviously many people are envious of those who work here as this construction site is really very important and grandiose.

Mr Sobyanin, go ahead, please.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin: Yes, Mr President, we have been working here continuously, without days-off. There are between 600 and 800 workers at the construction site.

We have discussed this project with you. I asked you to come and have a look, because, in my view, this is one of the most important facilities in the country. It is long since Russia launched such a large-scale undertaking, creating, on a single site, a scientific, educational, research and production cluster in the area of high technology, the most advanced technology, and the space industry.

This facility – 255,000 square metres of useful space alone – is giant, immense. But this is far from all. Nearby, there is the Khrunichev plant occupying an area of 50 hectares. The plant continues operating; Mr Rogozin will probably tell you about this. In the vicinity, another 100 hectares is reserved for construction: we will build Moscow’s biggest science and technology park, which will be included in a special economic zone and serve as a natural extension of this entire cluster, a hub for scientific, educational, research, and production technologies and organisations.

You issued an instruction to build this facility in 2019. In late 2020, we started working on the site, and in 2021, we launched the construction project. As of today, two-thirds of the concreting operations have been completed. Before the end of this year, the high-rise part – the most difficult element that has required considerable preparatory and design work – will also be cast in concrete. The in-situ concrete works will also be completed. It is a huge tower: 288 metres.

I hope that by the end of 2023, this entire complex will be handed over to Roscosmos for it to install equipment, furniture, and communications, and start working. There are jobs for 12,000 people; the Khrunichev plant, nearby, has a workforce of 8,000; and the technology park I have mentioned will employ about 30,000 people. In total, 50,000 people, which is a powerful core to create high technologies and industries.

Vladimir Putin: So, it amounts to less than two years counting from this moment.

Sergei Sobyanin: Yes. In real terms, the construction on this site will take eighteen months.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Rogozin, go ahead, please.

Director General of State Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin: Mr President,

I would like to say that we are very grateful to the Government of Moscow and Mr Sobyanin personally for this initiative.

Sergei Sobyanin: We should thank Mr President, since he gave the instruction. You and I got together and discussed how to launch this site. These huge areas were just lying abandoned.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I understand. I remember our discussions.

Sergei Sobyanin: Despite all problems, you instructed us to enter the site and start working.

Vladimir Putin: I remember these discussions.

Dmitry Rogozin: I would like to remind you that previously it was planned that all this land…that the plant would be relocated and the land would be used for development, and so on. You stopped this process.

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

Dmitry Rogozin: And then the decision was taken, which you approved.

Vladimir Putin: Space industry old-timers also said that the whole thing should not be relocated to Siberia.

Dmitry Rogozin: Yes, I want to confirm that 12,000 engineers and designers from 17 Roscosmos facilities in Moscow will be based here. Roscosmos has 50,000 staff in the Moscow Region in total, and 20,000 will be working here. This means that 12,000 will move here from other Moscow facilities, including engineers, designers, administrators and other workers. Another 8,000 – literally behind you, there is a railway where we put together rocket trains that will go to space launch centres. There are two assembly and testing facilities. They are also undergoing modernisation. Currently, nine Proton rockets are there, fully assembled, and one Angara rocket that is undergoing comprehensive testing before being shipped to the space launch centre.

So, yes, it is indeed a very important project for us. When we say “technology transfer,” it often means that people simply network with each other and teams share ideas. I think, it will be very productive.

One more thing that I want to stress, along with Mr Sobyanin, is that we are building a research and educational centre that will bring together all specialized departments of universities that provide us with specialists. They include Lomonosov Moscow State University, Bauman University, Moscow Aviation Institute and many others. Therefore, maintaining production facilities in Moscow, specialised departments to train specialists, and operating design bureaux, all put together, will create a powerful synergistic effect to push the development of the industry forward.

Vladimir Putin: So, this complex will also provide professional training.

Dmitry Rogozin: Yes, absolutely.

Vladimir Putin: Excellent.

I want to address everybody working here. Unfortunately, I cannot come closer and shake hands with you although I really wish I could. But I want to wish you all the best and success in completing this grand project. I would like to emphasise again that this project is important not only for the rocket and space industry and the city of Moscow. This facility will, without doubt, contribute to Moscow’s technological advancement as yet another modern hi-tech centre but the entire country needs this project, considering the importance of the rocket and space industry and related sectors and their synergy. It is an extremely important area of our work.

Thank you very much for doing this. I hope and I am certain that it is not our last construction project – and you will have projects to work on further.

Thank you very much and good luck. I wish you all the best.

Remark: Mr President.

We support you, we stand by you. We support our guys. Hurrah!

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Our guys need your support, I assure you, and they will hear it.

Thank you very much.