Meeting with Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin

Gleb Nikitin Nikitin GlebGovernor of Nizhny Novgorod Region started his 2025 performance report by focusing on the region's participation in national projects. It invested 55.3 billion rubles in fulfilling the key objectives, with the total exceeding 290 billion rubles over the past six years. The region has also worked hard to upgrade its healthcare system by carrying out renovations and repairs at over 300 medical facilities. In addition, construction of five pre-school institutions is underway, and 20 schools and two vocational colleges benefited from major repairs. The region has ranked within the Government's top five list in terms of carrying out national projects.

The Governor elaborated on two projects by mentioning the effort to upgrade the tram network, since Nizhny Novgorod produces equipment for this initiative in cooperation with Belarus, as well as the project titled Youth and Children. The latter is designed to create a world-class campus for accommodating 5,600 students and enabling as many as 8,000 students to be enrolled there.

Turning to the overall economic performance, the Governor pointed out that the regional economy grew by 1.1 percent, which placed the region slightly above the national average in 2025. Investment increased compared to 2024 and reached 743 billion rubles, with private investment accounting for 90 percent of this figure. The continuing growth in household income and the fact that both unemployment and poverty figures remained low and stable were among the most positive trends.

The Governor identified tourism as one of the region's priorities. Work is underway to develop a rich event programme, create new routes and expand tourism infrastructure. According to travel agencies, the region currently receives around 5 million visitors a year, who spend over 80 billion rubles locally, serving as a major source of revenue for small and medium-sized businesses. Considering this growth pattern, the region intends to use federal support to build 16 hotels with over 2,300 rooms by 2030. The fact that ten communities in the region are now part of the Golden Ring tourist route will create additional momentum. This route includes cities across the northeastern part of Ancient Rus with their unique monuments of history, culture and folk art.

Gleb Nikitin also spoke about the special military operation and working with its participants, specifically helping those who return from the battlefield to start their own businesses, among other things. He said that the business infrastructure and incubators have been adjusted to this task.

The Governor also addressed another essential issue: the training of professionals. Sixteen clusters have already been established within the Professionalitet federal project, and another three clusters will be created in 2026. The establishment of the Nizhpoligraf federal technology park is underway. Thanks to these efforts, more children are opting for natural sciences and technology, which are necessary for the economy. Nearly 3,000 children are studying at the four Quantorium technology parks established in the region under the Education national project.

Demography was another item on the agenda. The birth rate has grown in the region, partly due to a series of demographic measures launched last year. In particular, the Basis programme includes the payment of at least 1 million rubles in family capital for the birth of every child, the preservation of pregnancy, a gift for newborns, and initiatives to encourage healthy living. About 20,000 families have benefited from this programme. Thanks to the work of the Institute for Demographic Development, which employs 30 specialists, including psychologists, lawyers and social workers, the number of elective abortions has decreased by 13.5 percent.

The Governor pointed out that alcohol consumption decreased by 14.6 percent in 2025 without serious restrictions. The President noted that it remained high compared to other regions. Gleb Nikitin confirmed that it had been higher than average, but the national average went down by 5 percent in 2025, while the figure for the Nizhny Novgorod Region decreased by 14.6 percent. Replying to the President's question about a large number of drunk driving accidents (nearly 6,000 people injured and 347 dead), the Governor said that the number of traffic-related deaths decreased by 12 in January 2026 year on year, which points to a positive trend.

Gleb Nikitin added that every person counts in the areas where the demographic potential is decreasing. The President concluded that this work has been properly organised, and that the initiatives on which the Governor previously reported are being implemented. He congratulated him on the results.