Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a presentation of the Kaluga Region, Moscow, April 8, 2025

Mr Shapsha,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Your Excellency,

Friends,

I am pleased to have another opportunity to present the Kaluga Region – a land of boundless potential – here at the GlavUpDK Cultural Centre.

I am confident that today’s event will allow you to gain a detailed understanding of this dynamically developing entity of the Russian Federation and, above all, to appreciate its splendid landscapes, people, and traditions.

The region’s “calling card” lies in its profound scientific legacy. The Kaluga Region is the cradle of global space science. It was here that the great Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the father of modern cosmonautics, lived and worked. Pioneers of peaceful atomic energy also laboured on this soil. Under the leadership of Academician Igor Kurchatov, the world’s first nuclear power plant was launched in the Kaluga Region. Kaluga itself saw the construction of Europe’s first meteorological tower, Russia’s inaugural radiological medical institute, and the development of the world’s first high-speed nuclear submarine.

Today, building on the achievements of its predecessors, the region continues to advance confidently, having emerged over recent decades as one of Russia’s industrial and investment leaders. The Kaluga Region holds leading positions in industrial growth rates, per capita investment volumes, and the annual implementation of cutting-edge production technologies.

Over the past 20 years, more than 100 major enterprises – including those with foreign capital – have been established in the region. This success stems from its well-designed and forward-looking incentive system, supported by 16 operational industrial parks and special economic zones. Indeed, the Kaluga Region’s unique expertise in investor relations now serves as a model for other Russian regions.

Following the anti-Russia campaign – or, more accurately, the sanctions war – unleashed by the collective West, many Western investors withdrew from the region. However, the regional leadership swiftly reoriented external ties towards new partners from friendly states. Vacated niches are now being successfully filled by manufacturers from the Global South and East, who contribute actively to the development of the Kaluga Region and Russia as a whole. Notably, key enterprises in the automotive cluster have been rapidly relaunched.

The pharmaceutical sector is expanding dynamically, with construction underway of Europe’s largest radiopharmaceutical production facility.

The Kaluga Region pioneered Russia’s first multimodal transport and logistics complexes of a new generation. Among these, Vorsino stands out as the largest transit hub in central Russia linking Europe and Asia, ranking among the leading terminals for container handling.

An innovative economy demands highly skilled personnel. The region boasts a robust network of scientific and educational institutions, including branches of MEPhI and the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The Institute of Nuclear Energy is evolving into a global centre for nuclear education.

In collaboration with the Rosatom State Corporation, regional authorities are developing the ObninskTech International Scientific and Industrial Centre, which will train Russian and foreign specialists for the nuclear industry.

Kaluga also hosts Russia’s first Federal Technopark for Vocational Education.

The region actively participates in international educational exchanges, currently hosting 865 students from 70 countries – including the CIS, China, India, Turkiye, and states of the Middle East and Africa.

The Kaluga Region is renowned for its rich cultural and historical heritage, attracting millions of tourists from Russia and abroad. It hosts major international festivals such as Archstoyanie, World of the Guitar, and Tsiolkovsky, among others. Projects by the Dialogue of Cultures – United World International Charitable Public Foundation, aimed at strengthening friendly ties between nations and promoting Russian culture, resonate widely.

The region is home to one of Orthodoxy’s most revered shrines – the Optina Pustyn Monastery. This site was frequented by great Russian writers including Nikolai Gogol and Leo Tolstoy. Fyodor Dostoevsky penned his famed novel The Brothers Karamazov after visiting the monastery. So do come and visit. Should any of you possess creative inclinations, perhaps this land will inspire a timeless masterpiece.

I would also note that the region was the birthplace of the great Soviet commander Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

Our Ministry will continue to support the regional leadership’s efforts to expand its network of international ties and to identify promising new partners.

We undertake this work with enthusiasm, for the region truly ranks among our front-runners. When asked where I perceive the key to foreign policy success, I point to regions like Kaluga. We have many such exemplary entities, but it is here that concrete efforts are attracting foreign partners and restoring friendly relations with numerous nations.

In closing, I wish the regional leadership further successes. We will spare no effort in supporting these endeavours.