"Regional programs for CBO participants are a new personnel reality"

A year ago, at the plenary session of the XXII Congress of the United Russia Party, Russian President Vladimir Putin set the task of expanding the federal educational program "Time of Heroes", including through the launch of similar initiatives for participants and veterans of their military education at the regional level. The Higher School of Public Administration of the Presidential Academy implements the federal program and assists in the implementation of regional programs. Alexey Komissarov, Rector of the Academy, told Izvestia about how this work is being built.

— Alexey Gennadievich, from the point of view of social elevators, where is the place of the federal program "Time of Heroes"?

— At the initiative of the president, a whole system of social elevators has been built in our country — from the search for talented schoolchildren and students to the training of top-level managers. Among them are educational projects for gifted children at the Sirius Center, contests of the presidential platform "Russia — the land of opportunities", flagship programs of the Presidential Academy — "School of Governors", "School of Mayors", projects for teams of historical regions.

"The Time of Heroes" became a significant part of this work and actually went into a separate circuit. Today, working with participants and veterans of the SVO is one of the most important areas of government policy. These are people who have proven their reliability and ability to make decisions in the most difficult situations. That is why the "Time of Heroes" has become the main social elevator for those who are ready to move from military exploits to civilian service.

— A year ago, the president instructed to transfer the experience of the federal program "Time of Heroes" to the regions. What is the current stage of this work?

— The federal program for participants of the special military operation "Time of Heroes" was launched on the personal initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he announced in February 2024 in a message to the Federal Assembly. The project immediately attracted a great response. 83 people were selected from the 44,000 applicants who applied in the first stream. Currently, 85 more people are studying in the second stream. To date, more than 70 participants have already been appointed to senior, responsible positions. Many names are well-known. Later, having seen how much the program was in demand, Vladimir Vladimirovich instructed to expand this practice of working with participants in his regions. It was an absolutely logical decision: tens of thousands of people, both in the war zone and those who have completed their service, want to benefit their country and region.

Regional personnel programs for the participants of the CB are implemented by regional authorities. The Presidential Academy, having the experience and best practices that we have accumulated during the implementation of the federal program, has actively joined the work to help the regions in fulfilling the instructions of Vladimir Vladimirovich. There are regions where the Academy independently implements training within the framework of regional programs, among them the Amur, Smolensk, Moscow regions, Sevastopol, the Udmurt Republic, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as four historical regions.

In each of them, we focus on training personnel tailored to the needs of the region, helping not only to adapt the federal model, but to fill it with real tasks that are understandable to local teams. All work is carried out exclusively in cooperation with regional authorities. As a result, a system is being formed that takes into account the specifics of the territory.

— How many regions have already been included in the implementation of the program and how many people are participating in it?

— Now regional programs cover the whole country. Three thousand students are undergoing training, and about two and a half thousand more fighters who have passed the selection process will begin it after returning from the special military operation zone.

Regional governments and public organizations are involved in local implementation. Branches and representative offices of the Presidential Academy play an active role. In many cities, they have become key partners in organizing training, mentoring, and accompanying participants.

— What is the key goal of the programs in the regions? Is it about employment or about education?

— The key goal is to train competent management personnel from among the participants of the SVO for further work in regional authorities, major regional enterprises and other organizations. These programs are about how to help soldiers and veterans apply their skills, experience and desire to be useful to the country in practice, to give everyone the necessary set of knowledge and tools. So I would say that this is a systematic project about the careers of talented people, military personnel from the regions. After all, as we can see, the experience of the fighters and their managerial qualities are a huge potential that needs to be transformed into the competencies of civic leadership.

— What kind of managers does the country need today? And why are they looking for them among the participants of the SVO?

— Now there is a need for competent managers at all levels — in the civil service, in business, and in industry. The key thing is that the country needs people who know how to make decisions, achieve results and lead.

Participants and veterans of a special military operation know better than anyone what responsibility and work are, especially in conditions of uncertainty. In his meetings with the listeners of the program, the President emphasized: "People like you are paving the way for Russia's victories." A modern manager is not only about professional skills, but also about value motivation. The participants proved their patriotism and willingness to serve the country not with words, but with deeds. They know how to make decisions, work in a team, and achieve results. That is why we are looking for future managers among them. Our task is to help them adapt this experience to civilian life, gain new competencies, and build a career. And we see how through the "Time of Heroes" this potential is revealed: many participants are already finding themselves in the civil service, in public organizations, in the field of social support.

— How are the regional programs themselves organized? Is this a copy of the federal format or an independent design? And is it still possible to apply for participation?

— This is not a copy, but a program developed as a result of joint work with regional authorities. At the same time, some subjects implement their programs independently, with minimal participation from the academy. The framework of the programs developed with our assistance is unified and includes four educational blocks — public administration, economics and finance, regional management, and modern technologies. Between face-to-face classes, participants complete internships and continue to study remotely. The program also includes diagnostics of personal and professional qualities. An individual plan is developed for everyone, a mentor is selected, and progress is monitored. On average, the program lasts one year in a full-time and part-time format, so that students can study and at the same time gain practical experience on the ground.

I would like to mention mentoring separately — this is the most important part of the program. Today, it has almost 1,500 mentors: these are company executives, government and public figures who help participants adapt and build a new professional trajectory.

I also participate in the federal program as a mentor. I am currently accompanying Ilya Sponyakov, a participant in the Time of Heroes, a captain, a career soldier, and a Hero of Russia. We are discussing his internship, plans, and training. This is really a mutual work, where a lot is based on trust. I definitely have a lot to learn from Ilya. And I hope my experience will help him.

I also try to personally meet with participants in the regions. For example, in the fall I visited Kaliningrad, got acquainted with the listeners of the program "Heroes 39", who managed to pass a serious selection — only 28 people out of almost 550 applicants. It is important that I was able to get feedback from them.

As for submitting applications, as I have already said, all subjects have started training, so registration of participants has been completed today. Decisions on the announcement of additional sets for regional programs will depend on the regional authorities.

— Give examples of regions whose leaders actively participate in the program.

— There are many regions where managers met with participants and helped shape educational modules to meet the real challenges of their territories. It's hard to single anyone out here, but I can give you a few examples. I know that the governor of the Kaluga Region, Vladislav Shapsha, regularly participates in meetings with heroes, and often talks about the life and fate of listeners on his social networks. Vladimir Mazur, the governor of the Tomsk Region, personally initiated some of the events and helped shape the program itself. The Governor of the Altai Territory, Viktor Tomenko, meets with participants, participates in "Dialogues with Heroes," and acts as a mentor. In Udmurtia, the head of the region, Alexander Brechalov, personally launched the "Your Reserve 18" program and regularly appears at classes and field events. In the Ryazan region, Pavel Malkov focused on the rehabilitation and adaptation of the participants, and restored the family support center for the participants. In Sevastopol, Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev opened the full—time module of the Sevastopol - the City of Heroes regional program.

This involvement makes the regional programs for ITS participants not formal projects, but a living system where the governors and participants work in the same team. This is a responsible and, I am sure, the most correct approach, because it is the heads of regions who know best what kind of personnel are needed for their territories, what knowledge and competencies they should possess.

— If we talk about the practical benefits of regional programs for residents: where is the experience of heroes particularly in demand?

— Where real life tasks are being solved. These are areas where personal responsibility, discipline, and teamwork are needed: crisis management, security, construction, logistics, social work, patriotic education, youth work, and more.

Participants are already involved in specific projects: someone helps to build work with veterans and their families, someone conducts patriotic events in schools and colleges, someone is responsible for the development of volunteer movements. There are participants who become advisers to governors, lead public organizations, and go to work in government.

— Alexey Gennadievich, and if we talk not only about the program, but about the people themselves. Who comes to study?

— These are, without exaggeration, the real heroes of the country. Each of them went through trials, showed courage, willpower and dedication to the country.

Here are some examples. Hero of Russia, holder of three orders of Courage Alexander Viselkov participated in the military from the very first days — first as a squad leader, and then as a commander of a reconnaissance company. He distinguished himself in battles in the Kiev region, on the Svatovo-Kremensky section of the Limanskaya front line and in the Zaporozhye direction. When his group was discovered by the enemy during a reconnaissance patrol, Alexander simulated an evacuation and, together with the remaining soldiers, pulled off significant enemy forces and mined the approaches. As a result, Viselkov's group destroyed three vehicles and 40 infantry men. Today, Alexander is studying at the Heroes of Orenburg Region program.

Kaluzhanin Artur Titov, a knight of the Order of Courage, served as a sanitary instructor in his military service. Under shelling, he carried out the wounded from the battlefield, and also provided first aid to the soldiers who were pulled out by the evacuation group. In the areas that belonged to the area of responsibility of Artur Titov, all the wounded soldiers were safely withdrawn from the battle.

Nikolai Kostrov, the commander of the mortar crew in the assault battalion, was awarded the Order of Courage for the fact that, under his command, a reconnaissance group was rescued from an ambush in the village of Alyoshki opposite Kherson for two days, and eventually led out without losses.

— What do the interim results of the regional level say? Are there any real examples of appointments already?

— The programs have already had their first results. For example, Vladimir Shuvaev, a recipient of two orders of Courage and a participant in the Hero 71 program in the Tula Region, was appointed head of the State Technical Supervision Inspectorate, Chief state Engineer Inspector of the Tula Region. Recipient of the Order of Courage Dmitry Kryukov, participant of the program "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region", was elected to the Council of Deputies of the Bogorodsky Municipal District of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Lieutenant Colonel Grigory Tapilin, a knight of the Order of Courage, awarded the Suvorov Medal, by the way, is also a participant in the regional program of the Nizhny Novgorod region, and was elected a deputy of the Sarov City Duma. Andrey Piminov, a knight of the Order of Courage, captain and participant of the Altai — Land of Heroes program, headed the Altai regional branch of the Movement of the First.

I would like to point out that every appointment or election to a post is a conscious process that requires time and precision. There can't be hundreds of new managers at once. It is important that a person comes to a position where his knowledge and potential are really in demand. Such work is carried out smoothly and consistently, students should have the opportunity to complete training, get used to a new rhythm and tasks, find their place and understand the scale.