A general meeting of the members of the Volga Cities Association was held in Samara.

      On May 15, 2026, a general meeting of the members of the Association of Volga Cities took place in Samara. The meeting was attended by Alexey Simonov, assistant to the authorized representative of the President of Russia in the Volga Federal District (via videoconference), as well as heads of administrative centers and cities in the PFO regions. This was reported by the press service of the authorized representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the PFO.

      Participants discussed issues of sustainable development of municipalities with an emphasis on improving the level of social well-being of the population. Key topics included the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage sites, digitalization of the management system, and the activities of local self-government bodies in the context of the special military operation. The results of the Association's work for 2025 were also summarized, and plans for 2026 were outlined.

      Alexey Simonov conveyed greetings from the authorized representative of the President of Russia in the PFO, Igor Komarov, and emphasized the significance of the municipal level of government in the development of territories and improving the quality of life for citizens. He noted the importance of the work of local self-government bodies in the upcoming election period: in September, in addition to the elections for the State Duma deputies, about 500 campaigns at the regional and municipal levels will take place, resulting in the distribution of more than 4,600 mandates. Among them are elections for deputies of representative bodies in Ufa, Saransk, Perm, and Saratov. Large-scale municipal campaigns are also planned in Mordovia, Kirov, and Saratov regions. According to him, local self-government bodies play an important role in preparing and conducting elections, as well as in informing residents.

      Participants also paid special attention to supporting participants in the special military operation. In the PFO regions, personnel programs are being implemented similar to the presidential initiative "Time of Heroes." Over the year, 70 veterans of the special military operation have joined the local self-government system in the district. Alexey Simonov emphasized the responsibility of authorities for the social protection of participants in the special operation and their families.

      Reports on the digitalization of municipal management demonstrated the practical significance of the IT solutions being implemented. It was noted that digital systems allow for the rapid monitoring of the situation in the media space, collecting feedback from residents, and responding more quickly to local problems, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of local self-government bodies.

      Participants also emphasized the importance of preserving and restoring cultural heritage sites, as well as integrating them into the cities' development strategy as one of the factors for improving the quality of life and social well-being of the population.

      Albert Salikhov, head of the administration of the Vakhitovsky and Privolzhsky districts of Kazan, spoke about Kazan's experience in this area. He presented the capital of Tatarstan's approach to preserving and restoring cultural heritage sites as one of the drivers of urban development. A central element of this system was the establishment in 2018, at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites and the "Center for Cultural Heritage of Tatarstan." Over eight years, an inventory of sites has been conducted: there are a total of 2,026 cultural heritage sites in the republic, of which 652 are in Kazan.

      According to Salikhov, significant results have been made possible by the implementation of major international and all-Russian events, including preparations for the millennium of Kazan, the Universiade-2013, and the BRICS summit-2024, as well as with the support of the republic, the state, and in partnership with investors. Among the implemented projects are the restoration of the Children's Creativity Palace named after Abdulla Alisha, the Tatar Theater for Young Spectators, the Aukhadeev Music School, the reconstruction of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the restoration of the mosques "Ak Mosque," "Iske-Tash," and "Al-Mardzhani," the transformation of the Shamovskaya Hospital into a hotel, the creation of a creative cluster on the territory of the "Adonis" factory, and the project to update the Krestovnikov Candle Factory.

      The municipality is building a systematic relationship with investors, accompanying projects at all stages—from idea to implementation. This approach allows for viewing the preservation of cultural heritage not as a limitation, but as a factor for the city's development, contributing to the growth of tourist attractiveness, attracting business and creative industries, as well as strengthening the urban identity and economic sustainability of Kazan.

      As a result of the meeting, it was decided to send proposals from municipalities to the authorities at all levels for further consideration and possible implementation. Photo: press service of the authorized representative of the President of the Russian Federation.