“Radio de Confianza” is a new platform, unique in many ways, where models are discussed to support the creative work of each resident for the benefit of their hometown, helping to launch initiatives design mechanisms in the territories, which allows citizens to become not only initiators of a project to improve life in their city, but also direct participants in the transformations. The forum is designed to support the initiatives of united citizens in teams based on the principle of common territory or common interests: neighbors in the house, yard, people representing a common hobby, etc.
The pilot cities involved in the Radius of Trust program were Novouralsk, Glazov, Seversk and Zelenogorsk. The experience of these cities is followed in other cities. This year, representatives of Angarsk, Neman, Irkutsk, Glazov, Elektrostal became participants and experts of the Radius of Trust.
According to Natalya Nikipelova, President of TVEL JSC, the company has an urgent need to improve the quality of life in all ZATOs and single-industry cities. However, along with this, it is understood that doing these “orders from above” is an option lost in advance. No matter how competent specialists work on projects, for example, landscaping, if they themselves do not live in the territories where they are implemented, then most likely everything will end sadly. They simply cannot fully know what local residents need today, and in turn are unlikely to be interested in supporting and developing initiatives outside of them.
Therefore, the main task of the Radio de Confianza program was to develop and strengthen the ties between Rosatom and the authorities, on the one hand, and civil society, on the other.
big plans
Already from the first year of the implementation of the project of FC “TVEL” to promote the self-organization of citizens at the place of residence, it became clear that the right path was chosen. The indicator of interest from residents is quite quantifiable: since the start of the program, 104 requests have been submitted to the Council of Experts of the TVEL JSC on local initiatives and seven on city initiatives. The company supported and financed 66 projects. In Zelenogorsk, in particular, the Chairman of the City Council of Deputies Vadim Terentiev proudly showed his colleagues from other cities several objects at once, which are being built, among other things, at the expense of the new program. This is the city embankment, where green areas have recently been radically ennobled, children’s and sports mini-villages have been organized, and modern recreation areas have been laid out. This is the famous alley on Komsomolskaya Street, from where Zelenogorsk began and which until the fall of 1923 will be transformed beyond recognition. Finally, this is a large-scale project “Lake Park” – the improvement of the entire shoreline of one of the local reservoirs, a traditional recreation area for citizens. In total, 10 projects were approved for Zelenogorsk for a total of 45 million rubles, which TVEL allocated to the city.
– The decision that the funds from the program will go specifically to these projects was not made by the leadership of TVEL or the Zelenogorsk administration: this is how the residents of the city voted. That is why the new premises attract, as you can see, thousands of Zelenogorsk residents, who had the opportunity to spend their time comfortably and profitably,” said Vadim Terentyev.
real prospects
It should be noted that the Radius of Trust program, although new, has not become a revelation for Zelenogorsk. This nuance was also noted by the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Alexei Dodatko, who became one of the guests of the forum:
– If you look in history, you will definitely see that our region was one of the first territories in the country where a two-tier local self-government model was adopted. Our town halls and town halls were defined as an independent link long before it was established in Law 131 and as a model at the national level. Because we understood that the people living in the region have a different attitude towards the land on which they live than the center, that they are ready to take responsibility for it. And the very geographical specificity of the region means that the traditional paternalism of the authorities in relation to the citizens of other territories is far from always adequate here. It is physically impossible to organize the same density of municipal and state services on sparsely populated land if the people themselves do not have the opportunity to equip them.
The main thing is trust.
It is the historical experience based on the experience of the first year of the program that is the reason for organizing such forums. In Zelenogorsk, the participants, who divided into several round tables, discussed how to apply correctly for a grant, which projects are likely to succeed and where additional sources of funding can be found. These are not only state and regional grant programs, but also local companies that are ready to participate in the development of their hometowns.
Numerous private investors, who have already entered the Confidence Radio, addressed the forum participants. They said how they were ready to help, what exactly they would like to see both on their native streets and in the social fabric of cities. In this sense, the goals of small and medium-sized companies coincide with the interests of the city-forming Electrochemical Plant, TVEL and Rosatom: to organize local life in such a way that people do not want to leave here.
All business structures are extremely interested in attracting young professionals who are ready not only to come for a big ruble, but also to stay here to live, give birth and raise children. And, of course, guarantee the desire of children after studying at the best universities to return to their hometowns.
This is impossible to achieve by order, as already noted, people must see that they will have not only modern jobs, but also a favorable modern urban environment, and within it, modern social movements that can engage citizens of all walks of life. ages. .
Today, for example, so-called older generation colleges, veterans’ town councils, and youth communities are involved in Radius of Trust and other grant programs at various levels. So far, this has mostly been limited to landscaping, but TVEL leaders and their companies have repeatedly stressed during the forum that this is just the beginning. Today, the main task is to gain the trust of the citizens, to prove that the program really works, that the opinion of the people is not only important, it is decisive.
Zelenogorsk “Lake-Park” in 2022 became the winner of the All-Russian competition for the best projects of a comfortable urban environment. Photo: REDBUSINESS.RU
applies to everyone
The fact that things have moved on cannot be overlooked. Forum participants repeatedly repeated: “We succeeded, which means it is possible.”
– Our business is to help the birth of an active community of citizens, who would be willing to create their own popular program for the transformation of their homeland. We stand ready to provide financial resources to those communities, and this is not a kind-hearted and idealistic approach, as one might think. These are fairly mundane considerations that arise from the interests of our business. It is no secret that the cities of our presence are the so-called mono-industrial villages, whose economy is based on the success of our own companies. As successful as it is, if the city relies solely on it, it’s an unreliable way. Therefore, we intend to diversify urban economies. Otherwise, the slightest problems in the TVEL companies will cause citizens to leave and the companies will lose the prospect of recovery. It is difficult to get out of the crisis if you do not have new staff, says Natalya Nikipelova.
Of course, now it is impossible to state unequivocally that the TVEL program has only a bright future ahead of it. The current problems of the state economy lead naturally to problems at the local level. And even if the nuclear industry’s business remains successful even under such conditions, the depletion of local budgets can cause failure of grant programs that operate on co-financing terms. Although this can be done without money from the budget: the citizens themselves can organize fundraising to earn in the grant programs of their own projects. Similar experiences were also discussed in the forum, as well as ways to implement them. •
competently
Yuri Krivov, Director of Regional Work and Social Projects of TVEL JSC
– The forum resulted in recommendations to three recipients. The first is the social activists themselves, who must choose the most relevant areas. The second is the local government. Last year we agreed that all city administrations will determine within themselves the structures responsible for interaction with civil society. The third is Rosatom and TVEL: what priorities should we finance, what tasks should we set for the post-forum period to help communities and authorities walk together into the future.
Sergey Filimonov, General Director of JSC “PA” Electrochemical Plant “
– I am sincerely convinced that we need forums like Radius of Trust. It is no coincidence that the word “trust” is in the title. After all, the bigger our circle of trusted people, the stronger we are. We can count on support, help and find a quicker way out of difficult situations. By coming together in communities based on interests, hobbies, and even issues, people can not only attract resources, but also be the driving force behind the development of cities. But this is exactly what we all want: to live in a comfortable and well-maintained city, where, in addition to home and work, we are maintained by personal interest and devotion to this place.
