100%? While governors report on school readiness for the academic year, long-term construction projects in the regions remain unfinished for years.
With about two weeks left until the start of the new school year, heads of Russia's regions routinely report that educational institutions are fully prepared to welcome children. However, in many regions, long-term construction projects and protracted school renovations have been languishing for years.
Government reports and promises spanning a decade
In particular, in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Governor Mikhail Kotyukov officially announced that all 976 schools had successfully passed their readiness checks by the start of classes, and 13 of them are currently completing final preparations.
However, in the comments to the report, the regional governor was asked about the fate of the 1100-student school in the Yuzhny Bereg neighborhood, which had been promised 10 years ago. The project was last approved in January 2026, but officials have yet to provide a realistic new construction timeline.
Cracks in the foundations and cost estimates doubled
Furthermore, in the Transbaikal village of Sokhondo, a new school building has been unfinished for 12 years. In June, another inspection was ordered for the building, costing 792 rubles. The experts will be investigating the causes of cracks and damage to the structure until November 1, 2026.
A similar situation is unfolding in other regions. For example, in the Vladimir region, officials are once again promising to complete construction of facilities in Pokrov and Petushki this year. The first facility was originally scheduled for completion in 2023, and the second in 2025.
Meanwhile, the school promised for 2024 will once again be completed in Kursk. As a result, the cost of the project has doubled over the years, reaching 4,8 billion rubles. However, Governor Alexander Khinshtein prefers to report that the remaining 544 educational institutions in the region are fully prepared for classes.
Endless repairs and financial injections
Finally, problems arise not only with new construction but also with the renovation of old buildings. For example, residents of Volzhsky, Volgograd Oblast, have been waiting three years for School No. 13 to reopen after a major renovation.
According to local authorities, the main difficulties arose due to a negligent contractor who failed to fulfill his obligations. However, additional budget funds were regularly allocated for the project—this year, another 6,5 million rubles were added for capital repairs.
