‘HSE University Is Located across 138 Buildings in Moscow—Eight of Them Are Cultural Heritage Sites’

On August 30, the plenary session ‘Creating a comfortable urban environment is a determining factor in the development of megacities’ was held at the Moscow Urban Forum. The speakers at the event were Deputy Mayor of Moscow Petr Biryukov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Dmitry Tetenkin, Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation Alexey Yeresko, and Vice Rector of HSE University Veronika Minina.

President of the Sistema Charitable Foundation Larisa Pastukhova and Director of the Centre for Development of Technological Entrepreneurship of Bauman Moscow State Technical University Viktor Malinin also took part in the discussion. Journalist, radio and TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov moderated the conversation.

The session was devoted to the main programmes and projects implemented by the Complex of Urban Economy of the Capital to create the best living conditions for Muscovites and tourists. Vladimir Solovyov said that recently, Moscow has been rapidly changing. ‘This is a city that strengthens our entire country with its grandeur,’ he stressed. ‘But this is only possible when it is done clearly and distinctly on a daily basis. And these well-coordinated gears of everyday work create an urban environment in which one wants to live.’

Petr Biryukov presented the results of many years of work to improve the city. He talked about improving the infrastructure and appearance of streets, planting trees regularly, and improving the quality of air and water in reservoirs. ‘We were faced with the task of changing the very concept of the “environment”, to prove that people are important to the city,’ explains Petr Biryukov. For a comfortable stay, security issues were taken into account, pedestrian streets were upgraded, and areas for recreation and sports were created. The speaker also noted that currently, 90% of Moscow residents have green park areas within walking distance.

Dmitry Tetenkin continued the topic. ‘The environmental issue is an integral part of a comfortable habitat,’ he stressed. ‘In total, more than 13 million trees and shrubs have been planted as part of city programmes since 2011. The quality of water in the Moskva River has improved by 67%, the content of oil products and metals has decreased by 50%, and the quality of small water reservoirs is also improving.’

Alexey Yeresko shared that Moscow has already received solutions, practices, and competencies that small towns in Russia can adopt. ‘By order of the President of the Russian Federation, the average index of the quality of the urban environment in Russia by 2030 should reach 254 points, but Moscow has long exceeded this task and has had an index of 299 points since 2022. It is impossible not to congratulate Moscow on it; this is the result of collaborative work,’ he said.

It is worth noting that the maximum value is 360 points, which are awarded on the basis of 36 indicators of six main types, such as housing, public business, social and leisure infrastructure, green areas, street infrastructure, and citywide space. Each of them is evaluated according to the following indicators: comfort, safety, eco-friendliness, diversity and identity, the authorities’ effectiveness, and the environment’s modernity. At the moment, the average quality index of cities in Russia is 192 points.

Veronika Minina, HSE University Vice Rector, said that more than 50,000 people study at HSE University in Moscow, St Petersburg, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, and the online campus unveiled this year.

‘HSE University in Moscow is located across 138 buildings in central Moscow. Eight of them are cultural heritage sites,’ said Veronika Minina. ‘Today we compete for the best students in the world. They choose not only the most modern educational programmes, but also the place where they will live and study. Together with Moscow, we actively participate in building the urban environment.’

The Vice Rector showcased some photographs of university buildings before and after HSE University’s tenancy in them. ‘All our buildings are built into the urban environment. The complex on Pokrovka is unique; it consists of 14 buildings under one large dome, including the Durasov House (an architectural monument of the 18^th century) and the former Kuibyshev Military Engineering Academy. The complex is open to and locals alike—we conduct tours,’ Veronika Minina stressed.