OREANDA-NEWS.  January 25, 2012. Transcript of the meeting: Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, guys. I'll sit here so that it will be more convenient for us all to talk. As I was walking here I heard similar applause, so I realised the top brass must have arrived. I see that Mr Fursenko (Andrei Fursenko, Minister of Education and Science) is already here.

Before we begin our talk, I've been told there are two people in the audience celebrating their birthdays today. It’s Yura and Lena, right? My congratulations! (Hands over presents) This is an officer’s gift, a watch, I think. Why am I giving out watches all the time?

Today is also Tatiana Day. Do we have any Tatianas in the audience? One … two? Are you a Tatiana too? With a beard? Come on!  Tomsk students are really funny…

As you know I have just toured Mr Kroening’s laboratory (Professor Hans-Michael Kroening from Germany, scientific director of the International Research and Education Laboratory of Non-destructive Testing), where some of you are working. It is very good, to be honest I was pleased with what I saw. Moreover, when I left the professor (I will not disclose all our secrets), I realised that they have things there which we will be needed in the very near future, and not only for the manufacturing industry but also in the security sector, especially since we are preparing for the Olympics. The professor and I have agreed that the laboratory will be given additional assistance for the implementation of its projects and plans. Theirs is concrete, practical, and very necessary work. And you get the sense that their work is founded on a solid theoretical base, on reliable information and skilled personnel.

You celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of your university last year, which is a major achievement. As your rector has told me, the building was specifically designed for the university. It is being kept in good condition. But let's begin with social issues, such as stipends and of course dormitories. I am 100% sure – everywhere I went I was told this is the most acute problem. Shall I start with these problems? I know that you have them here too.

Let’s start with dormitories. Andrei (Andrei Fursenko) has told me that he has been here before and talked with students and lecturers, and that dormitories are without question one of the most pressing issues. Unfortunately, we provide relatively little money for this, that is, not enough to resolve this problem. Moreover, we had to reduce allocations in 2009-2010 because we had to save and redistribute budgetary resources during the financial crisis. Last year we launched – or rather continued with – a joint construction programme and built just over 50,000 square metres of dormitories. This is very little. In the next three years, we plan to build ten times that amount, 500,000 square metres of dormitories. As a result, financial allocations will also be ten times larger, but also for a three-year period.

In addition, we will continue to allocate funds for repairs. Andrei (Andrei Fursenko) also said that he inspected some of the dormitories and that they were cold. This is Siberia, and the rooms are cold. This means that the buildings have to undergo technical improvements. We've actually allocated much more for repairs: over 3 billion roubles, or to be precise 3.2 billion, in 2011. We will be increasing these allocations further. In general, in future we will also be considerably increasing spending on the construction of new dormitories. This may be of no interest to you, because you will have graduated by then, but it is important for future students and those who have only just started studying.

There is your colleague in a construction jacket – I think that he and many other students understand that we must complete large construction and infrastructure projects connected with major events. We have to complete preparations for the Olympics, for the World Student Games in Kazan, and for the APEC forum in Vladivostok in the Far East. They all require massive government funding. Once we have completed these projects, then we will be able to increase the funding for vital projects such as the construction of dormitories. I would like to start with this issue. Or rather, I have already started with it, so that you would not torment me with this most acute and difficult of all issues. Nevertheless, if there is something else you'd like to ask, then please go ahead.

Andrei Bazdyrev (a second year MA /Master of Arts/ student at the Biology Department of the National Research Tomsk State University):  My name is Andrei Bazdyrev. I’m from the Biology Department of the National Research Tomsk State University. Mr Putin, first of all, I would like to thank you for amending the amateur fishing law.

Vladimir Putin: Folks, let’s all agree to remain seated while talking. Especially if the young ladies stand up, I'll have to stand as well.

Andrei Bazdyrev: I understand that this topic is not entirely related to student life. In addition to my studies at Tomsk State University, I’m an activist with the public organisation Strizh Environmental Centre. Incidentally, you recently met with the leaders of public amateur fishing and sport fishing associations. Notably, Alexei Tsessarsky, Chairman of the Fishing Union, also attended that meeting. Mr Tsessarsky said that the Tomsk Region faces the following problem. Our organisation conducts regular anti-poaching raids on the Ob River. And we are being constantly harassed by officials from the fish protection authority. The most interesting thing is that …

Vladimir Putin: This is strange.

Andrei Bazdyrev: Our information shows that … Ask any fisherman on the Ob River, and he will tell you what officials from the fish protection authority go fishing there themselves. Vladimir Sultanov, Head of the Upper Ob Agency for the Preservation of Water Biological Resources (Verkhneobrybvod) fishes there. Trucks deliver fish to Novosibirsk, and local residents are, of course, quite offended. It turns out they are not allowed to fish, but someone else is. It would be acceptable if these people just caught some fish, but they also prevent normal work, including that of our organisation.

Vladimir Putin: It's too bad you mentioned this in public. Now everyone has heard it. You should have whispered this in my ear.

Andrei Bazdyrev: Good. And there's one more thing I would like to draw your attention to. This country has developed a good tradition by which every year should be dedicated to some important sphere of public and social life. We have had the Year of the Teacher, the Year of Young People and the Year of the Family. The current year has been proclaimed the Year of Russian History. In 2011, members of our organisation met with the Governor of the Tomsk Region and proposed that the year 2013 be proclaimed the Year of Environmental Protection in the Tomsk Region. We would like to thank Mr Kress, our governor, and Alexander Adam, chairman of the Natural Resources Department, for supporting this initiative. As a result, the year 2013 has been proclaimed the Year of Environmental Protection in the Tomsk Region. I would like to ask you whether it is possible to organise the Year of Environmental Protection at the federal level sometime in the near future. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: First of all, I would like to say a few words about the protection of fish and of biological and water resources in general. Of course, this is a highly important issue for our country. This country contains a huge diversity of biological resources. Unfortunately, they have been exterminated on a massive scale over the past few years and decades, beginning in the 1990s. We cannot allow a situation similar to the one which has now shaped up around Japan to ever occur in Russia. As a biologist, you must know that Japanese trawlers have swept the adjacent seabed clean, and that it’s now impossible to restore certain biological resources there. It is very difficult to do this, even using artificial breeding methods. Thank God, Russia is not facing a similar situation. Nevertheless, there are many problems in the sphere of fish protection and the protection of biological resources. At one time, I had instructed the Federal Border Service to assume the function of protecting biological resources on the high seas. But, as you know, many problems remain here, and numerous problems continue to accumulate.

What is to be done? We need to introduce additional mechanisms, including economic mechanisms. For instance, the issue that concerns caviar on the Volga River. This may sound strange, but they will continue to illegally produce caviar unless we destroy such illegal caviar. Why? It's because all these watchdog agencies, including fish protection authorities, organise commercial production of caviar. I don’t want to offend anyone. In my position, you know, one must be extremely careful in making such statements, because far from everyone violates the law at protection agencies, including the fish protection authority, etc. I believe that an overwhelming majority of their employees are decent and professional people. But there are also those who turn this into a business. In effect, this is one corporation. Some people produce caviar, and others protect them. Still others sell caviar, and some other people manage financial flows. As I have already said, we can fight this using economic methods. When I first said that we must destroy caviar… They asked whether this was humanly possible, and whether I had gone insane. Well, the fact is, we need to do this because otherwise this cycle will continue indefinitely. Incidentally, this is being done all over the world. But we must also establish law and order through administrative measures. We also need to involve security agencies in this process.

If what you are talking about really does take place in the Tomsk Region, then this means that other watchdog agencies are turning a blind eye on the issue, to say the least. We’ll look into this.

As for proclaiming some year the year of environmental protection, this is an excellent idea. This idea is just wonderful, and we will certainly discuss this with our colleagues. I won't rule out the possibility that we might spread this undertaking, which has originated in the Tomsk Region, to the entire country. I don’t want this to be an empty assertion. We should see what our plans are for 2013, but this is a very good proposal. Actually, it's quite good because we face a great deal of problems in the sphere of environmental protection. You are probably aware that this problem is quite acute in certain major industrial centres. This used to be a serious problem in regions with a well-developed iron and steel industry. And such a problem persists. To be fair, it should be mentioned that Russia’s iron and steel companies have been investing tremendous assets in production retooling programmes over the past few years. The volume of regional toxic emissions there has recently decreased by many times. I have visited Magnitogorsk, and I go there regularly. I first visited that place in the early 2000s. At the time, all the snow was completely black in the winter. It was absolutely black. People breathe this air. The situation is now changing to a large extent. The industry’s top managers are prioritising this issue. But this is not happening everywhere. Consequently, we must draw the attention of the public and state agencies to issues of environmental protection. This is a timely matter. Please.

Maxim Gvozdev (a fourth year student at the Physical Technical Institute of the Tomsk Polytechnic University): Mr Putin, my name is Maxim Gvozdev, I'm the campus manager at the Tomsk Polytechnic University. You have noted that the lack of accommodations at student dormitories is a problem facing all Russian universities. We are no exception. We, students, have conceived a unique solution for this problem together with the university administration. Roughly speaking, another floor should be added to each dormitory...

Vladimir Putin: So that the foundations would sink down?

Remark: No, no, no.

Maxim Gvozdev: Yes, we should simply add mansard/attic floors. And this will make it possible to accommodate about 1,500 students. The Tomsk Polytechnic University has 13 dormitories. Moreover, we can renovate the premises both from the inside and the outside, and we can also insulate them. We would virtually be able to kill two birds with one stone.

Vladimir Putin: Please, talk to Mr Fursenko (Andrei Fursenko, Minister of Education) about killing two birds with one stone.

Maxim Gvozdev: This would also cost much less than building new dormitories.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, you are probably right.

Maxim Gvozdev: We, the students of the Tomsk Polytechnic University, are ready to experiment in this sphere. But, of course, the university is unable to implement this project independently...

Vladimir Putin: Let’s take a look. I don’t remember how much we had allocated for renovation and dormitory construction projects in Tomsk. Instead of reducing funding, we must, of course, increase such funding a bit in order to implement your proposal, because this can essentially be accomplished during renovation work, rather than through capital construction projects. Yes, this can be done.

Maxim Gvozdev: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: We just need to do some figuring. Mr Fursenko (addressing Andrei Fursenko), we should compile a cost estimate.

Andrei Fursenko: About 800 million.

Viktor Kress (governor of the Tomsk Region): 750 million for a period of three years …

Vladimir Putin: 800 million was allocated…

Viktor Kress: This means nationwide allocations for a period of three years.

Vladimir Putin: Nationwide construction allocations, yes.

Viktor Kress: But we are talking about renovation.

Vladimir Putin: Maxim, this is a good proposal. But we had allocated 3.2 billion for major overhauls. Consequently, we must assess the next year’s allocations and provide help. This is a good idea, we just need a top-quality construction expert check and top-quality materials, so that students will not shiver on mansard/attic floors in Siberia. Please.

Bogdan Petrenko (a second year student at the Nuclear Industry Production Process and Automation Faculty of the Seversk Institute of Technology affiliated with the National Research Nuclear University MIFI): Good afternoon, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

Bogdan Petrenko: My name is Bogdan Petrenko. I’m a student of the Seversk Institute of Technology affiliated with the National Research Nuclear University MIFI. I would like to ask you a question that has always been of interest to students, that interests them today, and that will interest them in the future. This financial question has to do with stipends.

Vladimir Putin: I knew you were going to ask this question.

Bogdan Petrenko: When you were a student, everything was absolutely…

Vladimir Putin: I had received 40 roubles, an increased stipend.

Bogdan Petrenko: Yes, in old days absolutely all students, including underachievers, received stipends. The state’s approach towards providing stipends has now changed somewhat. Today, all students wishing to receive stipends must get only good and excellent marks (A and B grades). In December 2011, the best and most active students, those making up 10% of the student body, received a small surprise in the form of lump-sum bonus stipends. I was very happy to be included in this list. Thank you very much for this. I think that most of those present in this auditorium would also like to thank you. Certainly, this will become a major incentive for excellent academic achievements, research and public activity. But not all worthy students were able to receive this stipend, and it was very difficult to select these students. Is it possible to increase the stipend fund next year in order to create incentives for an additional number of worthy students?  Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: You are right. Indeed, the ministry has chosen this option that you mentioned – to provide bonuses for top-scoring students or assistance to persons who are truly in need. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that universities themselves are responsible for distributing the stipend fund.