Sergei Stepashin
Photo: Alexey BULATOV
On the sidelines of Gostiny Dvor, the KP journalist had the opportunity to talk with the well-known public and political figure Sergei Stepashin …
… – Sergei Vadimovich, in the speech of the head of state and in the commentary of Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, astronomical figures for the commissioning of housing were recently heard, and grandiose programs for housing and communal services were also mentioned. How real are they? What tasks did the president give you personally today? (Sergey Stepashin is the head of the Board of Trustees of the Territorial Development Fund).
– Regarding the issue of housing, they are real.
Because last year the exact amount of square meters indicated in the President’s report was put into operation.
These are record figures – 100 million square meters – this, Sasha, was not even in the Soviet Union under Khrushchev.
I am pleased that the president paid attention not only to construction as such, but also to housing and communal services – the most difficult issue.
He said it directly. The amount is astronomical – 4.5 trillion rubles for five years. (We are talking about the funds that will be allocated for these areas. – AG)
This means that the Territorial Development Fund and the Ministry of Construction will have to work hard and very seriously. I am sure that this is a very important mobilizing stimulus.
The most interesting thing is that the president is talking about this now, when they are imposing economic sanctions on us, when they are trying to “tell us” that “the Russian industry and economy will soon be destroyed”. Here is the answer to what our country can do today.
I am convinced that we will get ahead with this task.
– Marat Khusnullin highly appreciated the role of Sergey Stepashin in organizing the work of the Territorial Development Fund today on the sidelines of Gostiny Dvor.
– We work together, hand in hand. I have known Marat Khusnullin for a long time, since he was the Minister of Construction of Tatarstan. How they fixed Kazan when we celebrated its 1000th anniversary!
I was then in the Accounts Chamber (Stepashin headed this control body. – AG) and witnessed how they know how to effectively spend budget funds.
We work together. The tasks set before us will be accomplished.
I am glad that both the Ministry of Construction and the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of this industry are professional builders who do not need to be told what construction is.
They are not theoretical, as sometimes happened to us, and not only in this field.
– Stepashin praises Khusnullin because Khusnullin praises Stepashin?
– There is a concrete result. Because the president praises us, and we praise each other. (smiles) This isn’t about showing off, Sash.
On the other hand, why not give a positive feedback if something good has been done? I consider it normal.
If we continue talking about the Message, I still have a number of other observations.
Since we touched on the subject of construction, it was important for me to hear from the president the reflection that today we urgently need personnel. Not just with higher education. Vladimir Putin finally ended the discussion of the Bologna system and firmly stated that we should have a basic education (which, by the way, he and I received in the Soviet Union). It is important that the need for specialist training in universities and technical schools is emphasized.
The university is a former vocational school, only the name is different. And the ratings are different.
Within the framework of the Public Council (Stepashin heads the Public Council of the Ministry of Construction – AG) we are carrying out a very serious program “I am the builder of the future.”
We even have a Children’s Public Council. (“Komsomolskaya Pravda” spoke about this)
Of course, today it is very important that as many of our guys as possible can come to the construction site, learn other specialties that are very important for the industry and the country’s economy as a whole. Stop depending on migrants! We have a lot of different managers, economists, philosophers, political scientists, lawyers. But those who know how to do something with their hands are sometimes not enough.
I would like to point to the final part of the Message. Everyone expected the President to talk about the nuclear component.
– By the way, what do you think about it?
– I met with many of our comrades before the speech, they all asked: the president should answer something to those who are constantly trying to throw mud at our country.
– You mean…
– Yes, the same Stoltenberg, Van der Leyen and all the other gentlemen who declare that the main task is to strategically destroy Russia.
The president responded today. We are going to START.
In 1992, I headed the Defense and Security Committee of the Supreme Council. We were preparing a whole package of framework agreements, including with the Americans, on strategic arms reduction. They didn’t listen to us.
Furthermore, they declared a real war against us. We answered them: keep in mind that we have a colossal strategic nuclear potential. Be nice, listen, just in case.
– And what can we expect in the future?
– I think there will be a very, very serious reaction in the West, especially in the US…
