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Address on Moscow City Day

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Sobyanin, residents of Moscow, friends,

Congratulations to all of you on Moscow Day!

Our capital, unmatched in its beauty and ancient majesty, is invariably focused on the future and rightfully represents everything that is excellent, talented and advanced. It is impressive with its rapid, dynamic development, the incessant rhythm of a huge, ambitious megalopolis, and inspiring with its creative energy and truly limitless opportunities.

Since its foundation, Moscow has always been a reliable defence and solid pillar for the entire Russian state. History has determined its special role as the main city of Russia. Here beats the heart of our vast, beloved country, which today firmly defends and asserts its sovereignty.

Muscovites, like the people from all other Russian regions, are deployed in the special military operation zone, and are fighting courageously and heroically. The capital has taken patronage over Donetsk and Lugansk and is carrying out enormous, comprehensive work to restore infrastructure there. Thousands of doctors, engineers and builders, whom I would like to mention separately, as well as public utility workers, are working and helping establish peaceful life in these regions. And, of course, I would like to note and especially emphasise: workers and engineers from Moscow enterprises and industrial centres of the Moscow agglomeration play a special role and make a huge contribution to ensuring the country’s defence potential.

Our capital is responding effectively to today’s major challenges, while not retreating even one step from the implementation of its large development programmes. I would like to especially stress this: just like the entire country. We are facing many challenges that we are overcoming, but we are moving forward, developing, implementing all our plans; nothing has been cut back.

Moscow’s truly breath-taking achievements transform our idea of what a modern, comfortable and successful metropolis should be like. And here, the upgrade of the transport complex is of particular importance.

The implementation of this large project is the result of constructive and effective cooperation between federal and regional authorities, colossal work of hundreds of thousands of people, introduction of advanced technologies, outstanding engineering solutions, and breakthrough approaches to organising traffic flows.

For example, the Moscow Metro network has grown 1.5 times since 2011. This year, the Big Circle Line, the largest in the world, was launched. The third diameter of the above-ground metro has connected Moscow’s Zelenograd with Lyubertsy and Ramenskoye, Moscow Region.

The construction of numerous motorways and interchanges has in fact helped form a completely new road framework for Moscow; two up-to-date expressways and the Southern Lateral Road relieved congestion on the Moscow Ring Road and in the city centre.

New federal motorways are under construction. We have already talked about this, as you know, but I will repeat: they connect the capital with St Petersburg, and very soon a road to Kazan will open.

In short, gigantic steps have been and are being taken to develop Moscow’s transport system. It is also important that they exceeded the plans that we discussed with Mr Sergei Sobyanin back in 2010, when he first became the mayor of Moscow, the capital of Russia.

In fact, these achievements take us only halfway to completing this enormous work. We have decided to implement a large programme to upgrade the entire Central Transport Hub. In the end, the above-ground metro diameters will be extended to Kaluga and Tula, as well as other large cities in Moscow’s neighbouring regions.

The construction of high-speed railways will also be a flagman project: connecting Moscow, Tver, Veliky Novgorod and St Petersburg at the first stage, they will be followed by a route between the capital and other cities around the country.

Such projects will bring our transport infrastructure to a completely new level, really improve the lives of millions of people, and create a solid foundation for the country’s economic growth. Dozens of Russian cities will receive a powerful boost to move forward.

Friends, we are used to it that Moscow sets the highest standards to aim for, and that is, of course, an achievement of the Moscow Government, which works hard in all areas. Several days ago, the first stage of outpatient healthcare modernisation was completed: over 200 Moscow clinics got a new look, and several new, advanced, well-equipped hospitals were opened.

The city is actively building housing. Moscow parks, public gardens and green areas are being renovated. Millions of people living in Moscow take advantage of user-friendly online services, and these services are expanding very actively.

Moscow is successfully solving the most challenging tasks. Over the past five years, the volume of its industrial production has doubled. The next task is to lay the groundwork to develop promising technologies that will shape the economy not only of the capital agglomeration, but of the entire country in the future.

It is important to carry on with socially significant projects. I have already talked about this, but nevertheless I will mention some of them again.

Thousands of people are waiting to be relocated from old five-storey buildings. It is also necessary to work towards improving the quality of healthcare without slowing down, and, of course, to create an advanced educational environment for the younger generation. Moscow has done a lot in this sphere and is largely an example for other regions. However, much remains to be done, which we regularly discuss with Mr Sobyanin.

It would take a long time to name all the programmes that are to be implemented, and each one is addressed with creativity and dedication by the mayor’s team, proving with their deeds their love for Moscow and its people, as well as readiness to continue to work effectively and obtain the necessary results.

I wish Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and his entire team every success. We will always support good initiatives in the interests of the people living in our beloved capital.

I thank all the active and caring people who live and work in Moscow, transform their beloved city and serve for the prosperity of Russia as a whole. Together we can achieve anything.

Once again, I sincerely congratulate all people of Moscow and our great country on this holiday, Moscow Day, on the day of our beautiful, majestic and at the same time young capital.

Happy City Day!