In 2025, the national project "Ecological Welfare" was launched, within which the federal project "Water of Russia" is implemented. How are priority activities determined? The evaluation is carried out according to 18 criteria. Among the main ones are proximity to cultural heritage sites, specially protected natural areas, historical centers and places of worship, use of a reservoir for drinking and domestic water supply as well as its location within the settlements and the demand for recreation there. An important criterion is joint funding from the region. The willingness of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation to invest its own funds in the improvement of a water body increases its assessment and its chances of being included in the priority list. What is special about the federal project "Water of Russia", how is it different from previous ones? "It combined the best practices and objectives of two completed federal projects - "Improving the Volga" and "Preservation of Unique Water Bodies". At the same time, the geography of the federal project "Waters of Russia" was significantly expanded. Almost all regions participate, and activities are planned to restore water bodies in every basin district in our country. Another essential difference of the federal project "Water of Russia" is that it contains an important condition: the improvement of the reservoir must be accompanied by the development and improvement of the area. Clearing the river bed should not be a goal in itself; We want to change the space around the river. We pay special attention to water bodies on the borders of cultural heritage sites, in historical centers, in new areas, in stronghold settlements, as well as in the Far East and the Arctic region. - You talked about paying special attention to bodies of water in historical centers. What are the prominent projects here? - those that provide not only an environmental effect, but also a social and touristic one. Among the most illustrative examples are Tsarsko Selo and Sergeev Posad.

In 2025, the national project "Ecological Welfare" was launched, within which the federal project "Water of Russia" is implemented. How are priority activities determined? The evaluation is carried out according to 18 criteria. Among the main ones are proximity to cultural heritage sites, specially protected natural areas, historical centers and places of worship, use of a reservoir for drinking and domestic water supply as well as its location within the settlements and the demand for recreation there. An important criterion is joint funding from the region. The willingness of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation to invest its own funds in the improvement of a water body increases its assessment and its chances of being included in the priority list. What is special about the federal project "Water of Russia", how is it different from previous ones? "It combined the best practices and objectives of two completed federal projects - "Improving the Volga" and "Preservation of Unique Water Bodies". At the same time, the geography of the federal project "Waters of Russia" was significantly expanded. Almost all regions participate, and activities are planned to restore water bodies in every basin district in our country. Another essential difference of the federal project "Water of Russia" is that it contains an important condition: the improvement of the reservoir must be accompanied by the development and improvement of the area. Clearing the river bed should not be a goal in itself; We want to change the space around the river. We pay special attention to water bodies on the borders of cultural heritage sites, in historical centers, in new areas, in stronghold settlements, as well as in the Far East and the Arctic region. - You talked about paying special attention to bodies of water in historical centers. What are the prominent projects here? - those that provide not only an environmental effect, but also a social and touristic one. Among the most illustrative examples are Tsarsko Selo and Sergeev Posad.