"You decide!" and "Foundation": what initiatives will change the Moscow district

      In the Moscow district of Nizhny Novgorod, a strategic session titled "Workshops of the Future" was held as part of the discussion of two key gubernatorial projects in the region - the participatory budgeting initiative "You Decide!" and the demographic program "Foundation." Representatives of different generations and professions, young parents, and large families, as well as active residents, proposed their initiatives for the development of the Moscow district and the creation of conditions for the birth and upbringing of children.

      The head of the administration of the Moscow district of Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir Kropotin, reported on the results of the five-year People's Program. Among the main results are the renovation of two cultural facilities and eight schools, the construction of three kindergartens, and the improvement of 78 km of roads and sidewalks. In addition, 12 children's playgrounds and 12 universal sports grounds were installed, and 23 public spaces and 56 courtyard areas were improved.

      Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Yulia Garevskaya, outlined the main directions of the demographic support program for families "Foundation" in her speech.

      "The gubernatorial project 'Foundation' has turned one year old, and we see amazing results! The Nizhny Novgorod region has outpaced other regions of the Volga Federal District, and in June of this year became the best subject in Russia for the growth of the total fertility rate. Today, we pay special attention to young families so that they can look to the future with confidence and have children. For this, a comfortable urban environment is also important: the projects 'You Decide!' and landscaping also affect the quality of life. It is this comprehensive approach that gives us such results," noted the regional coordinator of the project "You Decide!" Yulia Garevskaya.

      Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod region Vasily Sukhanov spoke to the participants of the strategic session about the mechanisms for residents' participation in the project "You Decide!" He explained that the program covers a wide range of areas: road repairs, landscaping of courtyards and public spaces, development of sports infrastructure, and creating conditions for children and youth.

      "In the Moscow district, there is a strong team led by Vladimir Kropotin. Over the past 10 years, the district has transformed into a thriving area - people are satisfied, and this is evident. The project 'You Decide!' gives residents the opportunity to shape a comfortable environment: they come, propose, vote - and see the result. The road will be mastered by the one who walks it: to live well, you need to be active," said the territorial coordinator of the project "You Decide!" Vasily Sukhanov.

      He also voiced a specific proposal for the development of the Moscow district.

      "I propose to consider the development of the first stage of the master plan for the Moscow district. We have 3 million square meters of housing, 300 thousand of which were built before 1953 - today it certainly requires updating to meet the needs of residents. As for schools: we want children to have all the conditions for education, with new equipment and technologies. It is also important to map the projects of the integrated development of territories (KRT) so that people can see the prospects and understand where and when new, more comfortable conditions will be created for them. This will allow for the proper planning of territory development, including for the projects 'You Decide!', and will be a good step towards improving the quality of life. We will propose to include these initiatives in the People's Program," said the deputy.

      In groups, residents worked out their initiatives in detail. Then each team presented their developments, and participants jointly identified the most promising initiatives and defended their projects.

      Natalia Butryumova, a participant in the strategic session, summarized the discussion: out of 17 proposed ideas, two key ones were selected - the improvement of the sidewalk along the Levinka River and the improvement of the children's playground at the address: Chaadaeva St., 38. According to the working group, these projects require attention first and foremost.

      "I participate in the project 'You Decide!' every year. The residents of our microdistrict are very active: they gather, propose initiatives, and vote. Thanks to the project, we recently got a children's playground - the kids are thrilled, everyone is happy. And last year, the square on Ryabtseva Street was transformed. People see the results and are getting more involved. Today we are proposing new ideas. I hope residents will support them, and they will be implemented," shared Natalia Butryumova.

      The head of the "Polyot" sports complex, Dmitry Zhikharev, shared his opinion on the development of sports infrastructure.

      "We participate in programs to develop and ensure the safety of sports grounds and spaces for physical activities. Many good sports projects are being implemented in our district, and it is very important to support this further. We have a wonderful space in the Aviastroiteley square: basketball, football, sports elements - everything is here for the comprehensive development of children. But the main thing is that sports grounds are appearing in kindergartens, school territories, and at sports organizations - for example, 'Yunost' has a good ground with exercise equipment where even adults can train," reported Dmitry Zhikharev.

      During the strategic session, participants put forward a number of initiatives: the construction of a sidewalk from the bus stop on Davydova Street to Lyceum No. 87, the repair of the courtyard passage at house No. 104a on Berezovskaya Street, as well as the installation of light poles for lighting the sports box in the village of Berezovaya Poima. A particular interest among the youth was generated by the project for the renovation of the shooting range - the initiative is aimed at military-patriotic education and the development of shooting sports.

      The final stage of the session was an online voting in an interactive format. The project for the construction of a children's playground on Chaadaeva Street became the leader by a large margin. The second in the ranking was the improvement of the sidewalk along the Levinka River. The third winner was the project for the renovation of the "Druzhba" club.

      Within the demographic block, participants proposed several initiatives. The "Own Corner" project envisages increasing the share of affordable housing for young families. The "Development Vector" project is aimed at creating a full-fledged infrastructure within walking distance. There was also an idea to organize centralized spaces for youth - micro-centers where leisure activities and various events could be held. Such initiatives are aimed at strengthening the institution of the family, increasing birth rates, and creating conditions for a comfortable life for young parents. These priorities are embedded in the demographic program "Foundation" and correspond to the tasks of the national project "Family."

      "I am a mother of many children, and I care about the fate of our region and the country as a whole. Therefore, I sincerely want more large families to emerge, so that children are born and grow up with the confidence that their future is secure. And for this, social advertising is needed to show young people that becoming parents is not scary. Already now, thanks to the 'Foundation' project, families receive payments that can be directed towards a down payment for an apartment. This is perhaps the most important thing - for a family to have a roof over their heads, which means confidence in tomorrow," shared Elena Frolova, a participant in the "Golden Standard of Demography" section.

      The initiatives voiced within the framework of the "You Decide!" project and approved by the session participants will be developed and put to a public vote, and then included in the development strategy of the Moscow district. Proposals regarding family support will be included in the pool of best practices for forming a unified regional demographic standard of the "Foundation" project. Other ideas will be taken into account when forming a new People's Program for the upcoming five years.

      "We hold such meetings with residents annually - we discuss the results, gather wishes for the next year. Residents of the Moscow district participate very actively. For example, parents in some schools initially did not believe, but now, seeing the results, they are submitting applications again. People understand: everything is real, and they can do it," summarized the head of the Moscow district, Vladimir Kropotin.

      Let us remind you that applications for participation in the "You Decide!" project for 2027 are accepted until September 1. Proposals can be submitted on the website: golosza.ru. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.