Category: Russian Federation

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

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In the run-up to New Year and Christmas, Moscow residents can purchase special gifts on the social marketplace "Moscow – a Kind City." The new winter collection features over 150 items handmade by artisans with disabilities. Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.

"New Year is a time for caring, kindness, and gifts for family, friends, and colleagues. For four years now, thanks to the social marketplace 'Moscow – Kind City,' residents have been able to support Muscovites with disabilities or those facing difficult life situations, while also delighting their loved ones. The online platform offers a catalog of over 1,700 exclusive items, regularly updated with seasonal and themed items. In anticipation of the New Year holidays, we launched a special section featuring gifts created by artisans with disabilities in inclusive workshops run by non-profit organizations (NPOs). The collection includes over 150 items—you'll find knitted hats and scarves, Christmas tree decorations, shaped candles, cotton arrangements, and fragrant tangerine soap. All proceeds go toward salaries for the artisans and the development of charitable initiatives," said Anastasia Rakova.

For example, the Guild of Masters has prepared festive soap sets in the shape of tangerines and soap compositions featuring a snowman and Santa Claus for the New Year. The Life Path Foundation has created a series of bright ceramic pendants that are perfect for decorating the Christmas tree. In addition, this section features animal-shaped lanterns made by the Mosaic of Happiness charity foundation, and cotton figurines of children in winter attire from the Family Traditions craft center. You can choose items from the New Year's collection atwebsite.

Cooking, sewing, and socializing: what they teach in workshops for special people

Social marketplace

Today, the online platform offers unique products crafted by over 1,500 dedicated artisans. They are constantly mastering new skills and techniques, including under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Over the four years of its operation, the project has demonstrated strong momentum. Since 2021, the number of its partners has increased sevenfold: from just seven non-profit organizations at the start, to 50 today. Over 60,000 products have been created, and total sales have reached almost 100 million rubles.

Products made by residents with disabilities were showcased at large-scale city, charity, and corporate festivals and fairs. Businesses are regular customers of the marketplace, regularly placing corporate orders for gift items. The platform offers a unique opportunity for both entrepreneurs and residents to participate in charitable giving and contribute to the development of inclusion in the city.

Russia's first state-owned social marketplace for online stores, "Moscow – a Good City," was created in 2021 by the nonprofit organization. This unique platform gives people with disabilities or in difficult life situations the opportunity to express themselves through creativity, feel valued, make new friends, develop social skills, work, and earn money. The project is being implemented with the support of Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the City of Moscow.

As Sergei Sobyanin noted indevelopment strategy for the Moscow social security system until 2030The synergy between city services and NGOs allows us to provide support to the maximum number of residents in need.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

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Specialists Moscow City Services Complex Road repairs on Musa Jalil Street in the south of the capital have been completed. Over 65,000 square meters of asphalt pavement on the roadway and sidewalks have been repaired along the entire two-kilometer stretch.

The work was carried out in several stages. First, specialists from the State Budgetary Institution "Avtomobilnye Dorogi" (Motor Roads) removed the old pavement using a milling machine, then repaired the inspection manholes and storm drain grates, replaced the curbs, repaired the pavement, and laid asphalt concrete on the roadway. In the final stage, they applied over 1,500 square meters of road markings.

The last time the road surface was replaced was in 2021. The road surface's warranty period had expired, and ruts had formed, potentially impacting road safety. The work was carried out at night, with partial traffic restrictions.

Musa Jalil Street is located in the Zyablikovo district and runs from Besedinskoye Highway to Orekhovy Boulevard. It is named after the renowned Tatar poet and Hero of the Soviet Union, Musa Jalil. At the very beginning of the street, near the Gorodnya River valley, a monument to the poet stands. There are approximately 15 streets in Russia named after him.

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The Moscow Transport Advanced Development Center held the final defense of projects for the third cohort of graduates from the "MTA: Management in the Transport Industry" program. Participants included senior and mid-level executives from organizations in the transport sector.

The "MTA. Transport Management" program is in its third year of training specialists who develop the capital's infrastructure. This year, representatives from the regions also joined the training, learning about Moscow's experience and best industry practices.

"Over the past 13 years, Moscow's transport system has undergone a rapid evolution—transforming from a fragmented and overburdened system into a global leader in scale of modernization. Today, we not only see results but are also ready to share our accumulated expertise with colleagues in the regions. This experience forms the basis of the HR Services Department's program, which aims to build teams of change leaders. These specialists will be able to adapt the capital's best practices to the specific needs of their regions," said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry.

Maxim Liksutov.

Innovative solutions for the industry

The program was developed by the Department of Human Resources Services of the Moscow Government in cooperation with the capital's Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure DevelopmentIts goal is to develop a unified management culture, train highly qualified transport managers capable of developing and implementing innovative solutions for the industry, ensuring its sustainable development, and improving the quality of transport services in Moscow and the Russian regions.

Over the course of 11 months, the executives studied industry trends, technologies, and customer service standards, mastering the latest management, budgeting, and change management tools. At their defense, they presented project initiatives they developed in teams during the training. Some of these initiatives are already being implemented in Moscow's transport system, making life even more comfortable for city residents.

In the final round, the projects were evaluated by leading industry experts from the capital's transportation sector and senior Moscow government officials. They discussed with the authors the optimal tools and steps for implementation, as well as the potential for scaling the identified solutions nationwide.

"Since the program's launch in 2023, we've been training strategic decision-makers in transportation organizations. The 'MTA: Management in the Transport Industry' program is a space for openly discussing challenges and finding practical solutions that will help make transportation infrastructure even more convenient and modern for millions of residents of the capital and the country's regions," noted Polina Loginova, Head of the Moscow Government's HR Services Department.

New approaches in the regions

This year, the participants included senior and mid-level executives from organizations in the city, as well as from Novosibirsk, Tolyatti, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, and Voronezh. They exchanged experiences and management tools with their Moscow colleagues, including during reference visits to Moscow transport organizations, discussed important technological and organizational issues, and prepared innovative projects for defense.

The participation of leaders from other regions allows us to develop a unified, systemic approach to managing transportation organizations at all levels. This will facilitate the implementation of innovations that will make transportation more accessible to residents.

A graduate of the program, Alexander Vostrikov, Head of the Department of Road Management and Transport of the Togliatti City District Administration, emphasized that the training is a unique opportunity to exchange experiences with colleagues from Moscow's transport system, a leader in road infrastructure improvements. He added that the regions face challenges related to upgrading infrastructure, services, and management approaches. Dialogue with experts and colleagues offers numerous opportunities to address these challenges and make transportation even more convenient, modern, and customer-centric.

After the finals, the executives join the alumni club and continue their development among colleagues and like-minded individuals. Some of them become mentors and project sponsors for participants in another program, "Mini-MTA. Supporting Change in the Transport Industry." This program aims to update and prepare for the implementation of existing projects and develop management teams.

Together, the "MTA. Transport Industry Management" program, "Mini-MTA. Supporting Change in the Transport Industry," and the alumni club form the MTA program ecosystem. It recently won the all-Russian "Smart Pyramid-2025" award for "Best Corporate Training Program."

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The first half of the third season of the project "Unique Documents. A New Generation's View" has ended. Main Archives of Moscow and the capital Department of Education and ScienceThe third season covered four key areas of research that are conducted throughout the academic year: Arctic exploration, the history of astronomy, and the development of aeronautics and aircraft engineering.

"The 'Unique Documents: A New Generation' project is a full-fledged research workshop and career guidance platform where schoolchildren and college students gain invaluable experience working with primary sources. Under the guidance of Glavarkhiv specialists, young people learn to analyze authentic materials, often handwritten, taking into account the specifics of document management in past centuries, compare facts from various sources to reconstruct a complete picture, and compile detailed biographical notes. This work culminates in an individual project, which the students defend before a panel of Glavarkhiv experts. This year, documents from test pilots Georgy Baidukov and Anatoly Lyapidevsky, as well as astronomers Aristarkh Belopolsky and Fyodor Bredikhin, have already been recognized as unique. Starting in February, young people will be working with materials from aircraft designers and aeronauts," said the head of the Moscow Glavarkhiv.

Yaroslav Onopenko.

The competitive selection process began at the beginning of the academic year. As in previous seasons, to gain access to authentic archival files, young researchers had to write an essay. The topic was related to a subject of interest—a polar explorer, pilot, astronomer, or designer—or to a specific invention whose documentation is located in the archive. The Glavarkhiv Expert Council conducts a rigorous selection process, and only the authors of the best essays are admitted to the reading rooms for the in-person stage.

In the first semester of the 2025/2026 academic year, a stream dedicated to Arctic exploration was successfully completed. This choice was no coincidence: 2026 has been declared the Year of the Arctic, adding relevance to the study of authentic materials about the explorers of the North. Schoolchildren and college students worked with valuable data related to Arctic expeditions and polar pilots. The research resulted in the recognition of documents related to the lives and exploits of test pilots Georgy Baidukov and Anatoly Lyapidevsky as unique. Recommendations prepared by the schoolchildren and students formed the basis for the decision by Glavarkhiv experts to grant these archival files unique status.

Schoolchildren and college students helped Glavarkhiv specialists recognize documents about Arctic heroes as unique.

Immediately following the successful completion of the first round, the second round of the third season, dedicated to the history of astronomy, began in late November. This topic is particularly relevant ahead of the anniversary of the first human spaceflight, which will be celebrated in 2026. Due to the high interest, the application deadline for the competitive selection was extended by three weeks. As a result, the finalists began working with authentic archival files containing information on the development of Russian astronomy.

They obtained documents of historical value, including reports by Russian scientists on the discovery of new comets, plans for rebuilding university observatories, archival materials on the preparation of an expedition to Feodosia to observe a solar eclipse, as well as personal materials and scientific works by eminent astronomers. In the second batch, documents by astronomers Aristarkh Belopolsky and Fyodor Bredikhin were recognized as unique.

Moscow schoolchildren and students will help specialists from the Main Archives recognize astronomers' documents as unique.

The completion of the first semester of the third season of the "Unique Documents: A New Generation's View" project demonstrates the continued interest of young people in the history of their country and city. The project will continue throughout the 2025/2026 academic year. In the second semester, which begins after the winter break, streams dedicated to aeronautics and aircraft engineering are planned.

The official announcement of the third season's results and the awards ceremony for all finalists who have advanced to the in-person round are scheduled for May 2026. The main result of the young researchers' work is the addition of documents to the State Register of Unique Documents of the Moscow Archival Fund. All materials awarded this prestigious status will be made available to a wider audience on the official website. Glavarkhiva.

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Two Andean condors, a male and a female, have settled in the old territory of the Moscow Zoo, which is under the jurisdiction of the capital Department of CultureThese are the largest living birds of prey and are native to the Andes mountain range of South America.

Visitors can observe condors in the "Rock of Prey" exhibit aviary, which features an artificial mountain with numerous grottoes and balconies. The adjacent aviary is home to golden eagles, imperial eagles, and steppe eagles.

The female was the first to move into the exhibit, and a little later, the male joined her. Their enclosure includes a house, log stumps, perches, and nesting niches for future offspring. A pool with running water was also provided for the birds. The South American birds' diet includes beef, rats, and quail.

"The birds are currently undergoing a period of adaptation to each other, and both condors are very cautious. They interact with each other during feeding times. The rest of the time, the female prefers to stay in a niche at the top of a cliff or a tree. The male, meanwhile, spends most of his time below, exploring the enclosure. He can be easily identified by the large, dark red crest on his head," said Svetlana Akulova, General Director of the Moscow Zoo.

The Andean condor is the largest living bird of prey. Its body length ranges from 117 to 135 centimeters, and its wingspan ranges from 274 to 310 centimeters. Males weigh 11–15 kilograms, while females weigh 7.5–11 kilograms. Their plumage is black, except for a white fluffy ruff around the neck and wide white stripes on the wings, which are more common in males.

This species is listed as "near threatened" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is also considered a long-lived bird. The lifespan of this species in the wild is approximately 50 years, and in zoos, up to 70 years.

Andean condors live in separate pairs their entire lives, preferring to remain well apart. During the breeding season, the male performs a courtship dance: he inflates and stretches his neck, puffs out his chest, and hisses. After this, he spreads his wings and freezes in front of the female, emitting loud sounds. During this process, the male's scalp changes color from pale pink to bright yellow.

Moscow Zoo

The Moscow Zoo is considered one of the leading and most respected zoological institutions not only in Russia but also internationally. Its 161-year history serves as a testament to its commitment to science, education, and conservation. During this time, the zoo has evolved from a zoo displaying exotic animals to a major research, conservation, and educational center.

In 2025, the Moscow Zoo set a world record for the number of animal species represented. It is home to over 1,250 species, including rare, endangered, and exotic ones from all corners of the planet. This record is the result of decades of work by zoologists, veterinarians, keepers, and everyone who cares for the animals every day.

The Moscow Zoo consists of an urban area, a bird rehabilitation and adaptation center in Sokolniki, a center for the reproduction of rare animal species in the Moscow region, and a zoo in the estate of Father Frost in Veliky Ustyug.

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