Steel and plans: Putin assessed the pace of development of metallurgy in the country

Russian metallurgy is actively developing, becoming more technologically advanced and attracting a new generation of specialists. Vladimir Putin said this on July 16, talking with employees of Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. They touched upon social issues and the development of the region. The President promised that plans for the construction of Magnitogorsk airport would be implemented, and also stated that birth control measures were still insufficient. On the same day, via videoconference, Putin launched traffic on the Dyurtyuli—Achit section of the M-12 Vostok federal highway. What the head of state managed to see in Magnitogorsk and how much it now takes to get from Kazan to Yekaterinburg is in the Izvestia article.

How Magnitogorsk prepared for Vladimir Putin's arrival

Since the morning, Magnitogorsk residents have been faced with closures and traffic jams. However, for the locals, Vladimir Putin's arrival in their city cannot be called unexpected. For security reasons, the Kremlin officially announced this after the fact, but rumors that the city was preparing for the visit of the head of state appeared in the region a week ago.

It is not surprising that "on X-day" everything turned out to be on top: along the central streets and the road from the airport, police officers were deployed every 10-15 meters, without exaggeration. Such measures, in general, are not surprising, the president is not coming here for the first time — one only has to remember what a stir Putin's visit to Magnitogorsk caused in the summer of 2019. Then, according to media reports, local utilities even welded manholes on the road where the president's motorcade was supposed to pass.

Now, heavy security was limited to the roads, and local residents took to the streets, taking pictures of the presidential motorcade on their phones with interest and greeting the guests of the city. The regional media did not stop either: some even launched a live broadcast and online reports on the day of the visit, where they regularly wrote about all the changes in Magnitogorsk: from the beginning of closures, traffic jams and expected places to show the president, to restaurants with detailed menus where Putin could dine, and the disappointing weather forecast, which He will accompany the head of state in the city.

However, the fears were in vain — the clouds parted. The president, however, arrived only in the evening. He went straight from the airport to the main point of his work trip, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. It is one of the world's largest steel producers and holds a leading position among Russian ferrous metallurgy enterprises. Cast iron, steel and ferroalloys are mainly produced here. By the way, the President was here more than once: in 2009, he participated in the commissioning of the mill and coating, in 2011, met with the workers, in 2012 attended the input of another camp, and in 2019 launched a sinter plant. However, since then, something has changed in this plant: now there is an inscription above the main entrance to the plant.: "Badge of Honor of the Russian Federation for achievements in work." The team received it in 2022.

The visit to the plant began with an inspection of coke oven battery No. 12, which was commissioned in 2024 and became the most powerful in Russia. Its special feature is the waste—free production that occurs during the dry coke extinguishing process. The heat is used for fuel-free electricity generation. Magnitogorsk metallurgists showed the president a bucket with 32 tons of coke heated to more than 1000 degrees Celsius. Coking coal is the most important process in metallurgy, which makes it possible to extract pure metal from ore, since it is in an oxide state in the ore, explained Alexander Spiridonov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade.

— Of course, the process is very energy-intensive and expensive. And modern coal coking plants are a very large—scale investment. This includes the creation of a new coking plant at the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. This is a modern technology, including from the point of view of ecology. At the same time, speaking about the cost of coal itself, thermal coal is falling, and coal for coking, on the contrary, is rising in price," he told Izvestia.

What the factory workers asked the president about

After Vladimir Putin launched production in the machine-building workshop, which will ensure the import substitution of equipment in the mining and metallurgical industry, he talked with the plant's employees. The staff prepared carefully: They asked each other to listen to the wording of the questions, and advised each other on how to get up properly. One of the employees of the presidential administration decided to help out the workers of the plant.

— Ask any questions you want, but don't write them off by heart. Communicate as you would with a friend in the kitchen. Understand, the president is coming to you specifically. He gets the information from you, and he could just read a dry reference: how much the plant produces, how much income someone has. So please don't ask by rote, ask like your best friend," he said.

The participants of the meeting listened to the advice, so they asked the president about their concerns and what they were interested in learning about the life and interests of the head of state. However, the first thing the president did was congratulate the audience on the upcoming important date: Magnitogorsk will celebrate its professional holiday, Metallurgist's Day, on July 20.

— On the one hand, your company is already an adult — it is turning 100 years old, and on the other hand, it is young: it is constantly getting younger. And it's very nice because, first of all, you live here. From an environmental point of view, it is extremely important that people feel this renewal for themselves. Only the results have been shown now, but these results are also confirmed by the relevant control services – the amount of harmful emissions is significantly reduced," the head of state said.

Vladimir Putin recalled that, on average, about 90 billion rubles have been invested in the modernization of the plant in recent years. There will be fewer investments this year, but an increase is expected next year, the president added. The result of such investments is the active development of the Russian metallurgy industry, which is becoming more technologically advanced and attracting a new generation of specialists.

Will preferential mortgages be extended to families without children

The plant's employees were mainly interested in social issues. In particular, one of them reported that he had recently married, but was postponing the birth of a child, as his family was not eligible for benefits. To do this, the employee of the plant proposed to adjust the "Young Family" program and provide benefits in advance before the birth of the child, but on condition that it appears within a few years.

— That's a smart guy, they haven't given birth to children yet... The baby will appear, then the state will lend a shoulder. Although, of course, to be honest, in a serious way, we must admit that the support measures that have now been implemented are still, I believe, insufficient. And there are many of them, and the most important thing we have done is to create a unified support system: from support for a woman's pregnancy, elements of support are already beginning, up to the age of 17," the head of state said.

Now, on average, Russian women give birth to their first child at the age of 28-29, and "they don't have enough strength for the second or third," the president complained. He promised that the social sphere in the Chelyabinsk Region would continue to develop: separately, Vladimir Putin noted the development of Magnitogorsk, where hospitals, kindergartens and other facilities are being built and overhauled. He also got acquainted with one of them during the trip — this is the urban resort "Attraction" on 400 hectares, where there are playgrounds, catering establishments, lakes with beaches, an embankment and boulevards.

Another issue of concern to employees is the availability of cars amid sanctions and rising prices. The government is currently developing a support system for the domestic automotive industry, which should take into account the interests of customers and help increase production, Vladimir Putin said.

— We provide support to those who buy a car. Whether it's industrial enterprises or public transport, cities are bought by municipalities, regions, or citizens, individuals. Such programs always take place," the head of state emphasized.

The construction of a new airport in the city was also discussed: the participants of the meeting complained about the delay. The President said that he had already discussed this construction with Alexey Texler, Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region, and it was all about the contractor. Nevertheless, all planned activities will be completed: 2.6 billion rubles have been budgeted for them. The Head of State said that next week he was waiting for the new Minister of Transport, Andrei Nikitin, to report on the timing of the reconstruction of Magnitogorsk Airport.

On the same day, via videoconference, Vladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the Durtyuli —Achit section of the M-12 Vostok highway and launched traffic on this section of the expressway. The road passes through the territory of Bashkiria, Perm Krai and Sverdlovsk region. The new highway will increase the connectivity of the Urals with the Volga region, reducing the travel time of passenger transport from Kazan to Yekaterinburg by more than six hours, and freight transport by four. At the ceremony, the president promised that Russia would work out the construction of road transport approaches to the state border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and the DPRK.