From school to Abramovich's assistants. What gives ordinary children study at the Sirius Center

Another brilliant victory was brought to Russia by December. All Russian schoolchildren who took part in the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO), which was held in Amsterdam, won gold medals, and one of the team members became the absolute champion. All six winners are graduates of the Sirius Educational Center in Sochi, where they work with gifted and talented children. What is talent? How to identify it? Why exactly today should the state support talented children? What do we expect from them? Elena Shmeleva, director of the Talent and Success Foundation, which founded Sirius, answers the questions of RG.

Elena Vladimirovna, two years ago the All-Russian Center for Gifted Children was opened in Sochi. Today "Sirius" has more than 18 thousand graduates. What do you have to do to get into Sirius? Win the Olympiad, study for one five, prepare a brilliant scientific project at school?

Elena Shmeleva: We are visited by guys who have already shown themselves very clearly in one of our areas (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, hockey, figure skating, chess, academic music, ballet, painting, literary creativity). Any Russian student can apply for these programs. The decision on enrollment is made by the expert council of the center. It consists of world-famous scientists, artists, athletes, writers, teachers - prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater and the Milan theater "La Scala" Svetlana Zakharova, mathematician, Fields laureate Stanislav Smirnov, artist Sergei Andriyaka, rector of the Moscow Conservatory Alexander Sokolov, director of the State Literary Museum Dmitry Bak, director of one of the best schools in Russia Maxim Pratusevich, Olympic champion Alexei Urmanov, chess player Vladimir Kramnik and other very famous and successful people. The idea of ​​the president, who created the Sirius Center, is to strengthen Russia's position in the field of science, art and sports by inviting the best teachers from all over Russia to work with young talents in Sochi, the former Olympic venues. This is a unique center not only for Russia, but throughout the world.

We do not have regional quotas for schoolchildren, but as a rule, children from 50-60 regions come to each program.

We accept winners of olympiads, international and all-Russian competitions, authors of successful technological projects and those who have scientific articles. Our task is to give the most motivated schoolchildren the opportunity to study with us, regardless of the region of residence and family income - education, food, travel, everything is completely free for children.

18 thousand talented schoolchildren from all over Russia have already visited the educational center "Sirius"

Is it possible to come to "Sirius" several times?

Elena Shmeleva: Yes, guys who have been to Sirius two or even three times almost 20 percent. These are those who have achieved the next significant victories after graduating from Sirius.

Very soon, Sirius will have real scientific laboratories, in the future - a technopark. Why do students need it?

Elena Shmeleva:"Sirius" is not only an educational project, but also an infrastructure project: it gives children the opportunity to see new horizons. Get to know your peers. And not simply, but in a professional sense, on the basis of professional interests, in the future, I am sure, on the basis of joint projects. Get to know other teachers and schools, then to find the right university, decide on the next steps in your development.

Very significant adults often talk to our students - heads of large companies and development institutions, engineers, scientists, writers, directors, trainers. They come to "Sirius" to talk with the guys about what interests them.

Vladimir Vladimirovich often comes to Sirius and always with his children. These are always serious intonations, questions and a serious attitude to their school successes. The "non-childish" conversation of the president with our students, which took place this summer, lasted three hours!

And this greatly expands their perception of the world, forms a comprehensive idea of ​​what Russia will become in the future and what role each of them chooses for himself, what task he sets for himself.

Therefore, our scientific laboratories will become a "meeting place" for scientists and professionals to solve complex multidisciplinary problems that are most relevant today. Of course, with the participation of our graduates - students and young scientists.

Temporary scientific teams will come here to carry out their part of a large research task under the guidance of world-renowned scientists. There will be patents and invention applications.

The technopark will develop high-tech startups in three priority areas for Sirius - genetics and life sciences, information technology, and cognitive research in education.

The Sirius Science Park will become a forge of personnel for Russian scientific teams and high-tech enterprises.

As a rule, guys from 50-60 regions come to each program

Recently, at a meeting between the Minister of Education and Science, Olga Vasilyeva, and the winners of an international natural science Olympiad, it was discussed that work with gifted people should be started as early as possible. Your opinion?

Elena Shmeleva: All these six winners of the Olympiad, by the way, were graduates of the August Sirius program when they were preparing for this Olympiad. One of the team members became the absolute champion! Once again, congratulations to the children and their teachers!

Of course, children should be involved in creative, research work as early as possible. Now our schoolchildren participate in Olympiads from the 7th grade, but they only reach the municipal stage. Regional winners and winners of the final stage are determined from the 8th grade. It turns out that the high school falls out of this competition. But in general, there are few scientific and technical competitions, few creative competitions, and this is an opportunity to show oneself, to understand what exactly needs to be worked on, to find interesting partners and tasks. Already from the 5th grade, it is necessary to provide an opportunity for all children to try themselves in different directions, actively involve them in scientific, technological and interdisciplinary activities, develop programs for those who go beyond the school curriculum, maintain their interest, make it fashionable, create all conditions for self-expression. And besides Sirius, new schools and new educational environments are emerging, where you can work both individually and in groups, according to mixed full-time and part-time programs, and as a result, develop much faster. This means that it is right to choose a profession for yourself in the future and achieve more as an adult. It is necessary to replicate these successful experiments, to improve the qualifications of teachers.

But it is important not only to identify talent, it is necessary to support it. But as?

Elena Shmeleva: The Sirius Center was created to solve only this problem. Today, work with gifted schoolchildren, support for their teachers is the main state priority. This is the only way to fulfill the tasks laid down in the Strategy for the Scientific and Technological Development of the country, which is equated with the national security strategy.

The development of mathematical abilities is a strategic resource, more important than oil and gas. If this is not done, we will not have development prospects.

In Russia, a system of strong specialized schools and boarding schools at universities has long been established, but we offer a different form of work. The peculiarity of "Sirius" is in intensive programs, which is connected both with the size of Russia and with the task of reaching out to every strong student and supporting him in what he does better than others.

Thanks to the idea of ​​using the Olympic legacy in this way, the community of talented teenagers - Sirius graduates - is rapidly growing in Russia. And the number of partners to support them is constantly expanding - these are leading universities, research institutes, large companies that open profile programs for working with gifted youth.

Thanks to the intensive programs of Sirius and its partners, these guys have different ways to keep moving forward - we have external studies, early admissions to the university, contracts and internships in large companies, our graduates become teachers at Sirius, discover mathematical and natural sciences. scientific circles in their schools. Many of our graduates become recipients of grants from the President of Russia - for this they need, in addition to winning school olympiads, to study well, conduct research work in universities, and focus on applying their talent in Russia.

That is, the task of Sirius is to continue to develop a permanent system for identifying, developing and applying their talents for the benefit of Russia.

Maybe regular schools need to revise the schedule and approaches to teaching?

Elena Shmeleva: It is very difficult to prepare programs that lie at the intersection of disciplines. And there are not so many teachers, especially in non-capital regions, who prepare their students for high-level Olympiads, give their subject in depth and interestingly.

But the regional Centers for the identification and development of gifted children, which are created according to the Sirius program model, will be able to do this. This year, such programs have already opened in Sverdlovsk, Leningrad, Voronezh, Murmansk, Oryol regions, Dagestan, Komi, Mordovia, Tatarstan, Khakassia, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk. Next year, the Magadan, Belgorod, Vladimir, Novosibirsk and Tyumen regions, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania will join. Centers will open in other regions as well. For two years of work, we have managed to unite around Sirius all those who are effectively involved in identifying and developing talents.

Are there buildings, frames?

Elena Shmeleva A: Everything is very different. The main thing is not to start with solving exclusively infrastructural issues, you can first use what you have. For example, the possibilities of regional universities. They just need to open the doors for schoolchildren. We provide all the necessary methodological assistance to colleagues, our teachers and shift leaders travel to these regions. The most important thing is to rely on the strongest teaching staff, improve the qualifications of school teachers, and replicate the experience of the best of them. Since March 2018, Sirius has been launching a professional retraining program for 500 teachers who will work in regional centers under our programs. The recruitment of teachers for this program begins in January.

Also competitive?

Elena Shmeleva: Necessarily. We will take into account their experience of working with gifted children - the victories of students at the olympiads, necessarily - design, creative, research work of their students. Significance for enrollment will be author's developments, articles of applicants.

The program itself consists of four modules. The first is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of giftedness, the problems of identifying and developing talents. As well as the demands of society and the labor market in accordance with the priorities of the scientific and technological development of Russia. The second introduces the experience of the leading specialized specialized schools in preparing students for participation in high-ranking competitions and olympiads, in organizing design and research work.

The third will present technologies for working with gifted students in remote environments, teach how to create modern educational programs using new technologies, new educational environments. And the fourth, the most important one, is focused on how to bring up responsibility for one's talent, a business that a young talent chooses. How to help him improve his efficiency, teach him how to work in a team.

In the final, each teacher will defend their program for working with gifted children, creating it specifically for their region. After all, each region has its own industrial enterprises, priority projects, and they will definitely be reflected in the work of the Centers for the Development of Gifted Children.

Since March 2018, we have been launching a retraining program for 500 teachers

Is it true that students can now come to Sirius too?

Elena Shmeleva: This year we opened scientific and technological schools-conferences for students - graduates of "Sirius" and recipients of grants from the President of the Russian Federation. Such schools are needed in order to orient them to the areas of technological breakthrough. So that the strongest Russian students can prepare for the future competitive selection of our partners - for internships during training and employment after its completion. I am sure that these same guys will be among the first residents in scientific laboratories and the technopark.

We have another group of students, though only undergraduates, with whom we work very intensively. These are young teachers who come to us as shift supervisors. In fact, on our site they improve their skills. We see how much needs to be changed now in the system of teacher education, which takes little account of the needs of the modern economy. Society faces new and very serious tasks, but they are little taken into account in the preparation of teachers and the development of textbooks. There is an idea to involve our shift leaders in work with students in pedagogical universities on the basis of regional centers. "Sirius" is ready to become a permanent partner of pedagogical universities.

Maybe more related faculties and specialties should be opened in pedagogical universities, and emphasis should be placed on project work?

Elena Shmeleva: May be. We conduct scientific and technological, multidisciplinary project shifts in Sirius with the participation of our partners - universities, companies, research institutes, and we see how useful and important it is for children. The directions are serious and promising, they correspond to the Great Challenges facing Russia and the world, to which there are no answers yet, but it is there that breakthroughs are expected. Big data technologies, security, modern energy, unmanned vehicles and logistics systems, space technologies, new materials, development of the Arctic. Up to 150 hours are allotted to work on the project, as results there are already development contracts with partner companies, internships and targeted training, scientific articles, patents.

The Minister of Education and Science promised that the examination of school textbooks and, apparently, themselves will change. Are special textbooks needed for gifted children?

Elena Shmeleva: The textbook should be interesting. We have begun to create additional materials for textbooks in grades 7-9, which go beyond the scope of the school curriculum. First - in mathematics and physics, computer science, plans - in chemistry and biology. They will show teachers how to captivate, interest, give more not only in "their" subject - in the classroom, in the circle, in the center of additional education, to show where the most advanced research is being conducted in Russia today, technologies are being created.

But it's not just textbooks. Strong schools and universities should strive to create an atmosphere around them, how to call it ... educational clubs, developing environments for schoolchildren (in person and on social networks) to discuss the tasks laid down in the strategy of scientific and technological development of Russia.

We use our developments in SiriusOnline, a remote environment where children are selected for shifts in science, prepare for the program, and after full-time study, they can stay with their teacher for up to six months to study in absentia.

I wonder if you remember your best teachers?

Elena Shmeleva: I studied in Leningrad, at the 71st school at the Polytechnic University. And I thought that I would definitely become an engineer, but Galina Vasilievna Serdyuk, a teacher of Russian language and literature, gave me the most.

To achieve a result, you need to study at least 5-6 years with one teacher. I was lucky, Galina Vasilievna taught us from high school, she was our class teacher. As a result, I had victories at the Literature Olympiads. But it's not about winning. Any classes, conversations with her were superimposed on my personal attitude to life, to what you do and why. Such questions cannot be asked to a stranger. She has always been a concrete example for us of what kindness, science, art are, how to treat the work that you are doing and to each other.

I well remember Zoya Fedorovna Marochkina, a physical education teacher who taught me not to leave the race, no matter what, and Vera Evgenievna Malysheva, thanks to whom I really loved mathematics, statistics and computational sociology at the university, as a result, this became my specialization.

There are three directions in the Educational Center - science, sports and art. What unites them?

Elena Shmeleva: Each direction opens programs for other guys. Our mathematicians are skating, athletes are making great strides in creating 3d models, and twice a week everyone can attend an open master class in painting. And they all go to classical music concerts, ballet, figure skaters and hockey matches together. But there is also a program, a kind of integrator - Literary creativity. Everyone is showing great interest in her. And this does not surprise me. After all, the word unites a scientist, an artist, and an athlete. We cannot develop science and technology without discussing their effect and consequences. And here interdisciplinary communication comes to the fore. And we invite journalists from "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" to conduct master classes for our students, as well as to accept our graduates for internships.

Dmitry ZAKHAROV: “I can’t stand herding”

The host of the program “Their Morals” Dmitry Zakharov, remembered by viewers since the 80s as “the most intelligent” in “Vzglyad”, is re-mastering the role of a young father. Ten months ago, his daughter Vera was born, and Dmitry, with all the consciousness accumulated over 50 years, is raising her. And he also keeps his eldest daughter, twenty-year-old Anna, under supervision - he sent him to a car driving course. Through “I don’t want to,” the child learns to drive along Moscow roads in the “loin” bought by dad. The father is clearly pleased. The presenter told our correspondent about what still pleases him and at the same time about his own morals.

Surrogate nanny

Your eldest daughter is in her third year of journalism. She already gravitates toward some specialty: say, television or gloss?

She does not gravitate towards gloss, she is a normal girl ... It is clearly formed in the intelligentsia stratum: not to be obsessed with things, money, and even, in the end, not be obsessed with what you do.

- Not going to get married yet?

I don't think it will happen soon. She's too smart.

- And independent?

Yes, she is about twenty years old, and she is an absolutely independent person. And he lives with his grandmother - my mother, whom he loves very much and cares about very much.

- You recently had another daughter, Vera.

The little one is about 10 months old. This summer, she swam in the sea for the first time: she dived underwater. At first I was very afraid, then I got involved. From the age of three months, we began to teach her to swim with a swimming specialist. So the baby develops faster, so she got up very quickly, and she is very strong.

- Who is in charge of education?

Wife. We hired a nanny for a while, but then my wife realized that this was still a surrogate. She went to work two weeks after giving birth, but then decided that it was better to stay with the baby.

- You teach your daughter to swim so early. What other parenting practices do you follow?

I don't really believe in all these methods. You see, when a child appears at the age of thirty, it is taken for granted. And here, when you are fifty, you already know what you want to invest in this person, you notice the smallest reactions. I will never approach her without a smile, and neither will my wife.

I grew up in the same conditions. My parents never quarreled, in almost thirty years of living together, I have not heard anyone at home screaming or stamping their feet. This is very important, because a good psyche is being formed.

“Hello, I am Lena Shmeleva!”

- Is your current marriage similar to your parents' marriage?

I think yes. Lena is my second wife. We have been together since 1993. And next year will be ten years since we signed. And during this time they never quarreled.

- How did you meet?

She hosted the program that I produced - “Automig”, and she said: “Hello, I am Lena Shmeleva!” It was a small transmission...

- I remember this “slogan” very well!

We were probably brought together by the fact that, like me, she absolutely did not want to work in the frame. And then - she is a very erudite, versatile educated person. In terms of art history, let's say she will give me 20 points ahead.

She wanted to enroll in higher directing courses, then in art criticism ... But working in the daily program - writing texts for the presenters, when you need to write 40 pages a day - it takes a lot of effort. So I hope she settles down writing movie scripts. And no daily work!

Black-black plates

- Since the spouse is sitting with the child, it means that you are always provided with homemade food?

We read all kinds of gastronomic literature and try to make something that is not only tasty, but also beautiful.

I have black plates at home, because food looks more elegant on them than on white or some other. And my kitchen walls are orange because it stimulates the appetite.

- This, apparently, in some tradition?

No, it's just very cozy - it's very cold outside, and a small light speaks in the kitchen, and it's all so ... the color of Moroccan orange. Very pretty. But all other rooms are absolutely normal.

- And where do you live?

(Points over his shoulder to Leningradsky Prospekt - we are sitting in a coffee shop not far from the Belorussky railway station.)

Ordinary Stalinist house. Three bedroom apartment. No crazy furniture, statues, vases, everything is calm. A lot of books.

- What are you reading?

Mostly technical and historical literature, but all the so-called “glamor press” as well. Since they are talking about it, I should be aware.

Now it would be necessary to read Potter, so as not to violate the reporting. I have read six volumes. There is absolutely English school humor, and since I spent my childhood in England, I understand a lot of what is inaccessible to our readers. And JK Rowling's style is very good, but the translation is terrible.

"Fake" the originals

- In addition to family, history, work, books, is there anything else that fascinates you?

When I was younger I was good at drawing, now I'm lazy. And for the most part he gave away his paintings. A fairly wide range of work was: from landscapes to portraits. Copied originals. He even swung at Rublev's Trinity. Painting is such a thing that only through it you can understand what the creator wanted, what he thought, and much more.

- Do you have any artistic ambitions of your own?

I have rather ordinary abilities for this - which you can observe in abundance in any art salon and on Krymsky Val. But you can’t bring something so bright - well, for what?

- How much are you exposed to male hobbies - a bathhouse, football?

In general, everything that is herd, I do not like. I am a cat that walks by itself. I like those sports in which you are on your own - tennis, fencing, racing, something for which you are responsible yourself, where you think through everything to the smallest detail. In racing, you have to feel the road like your own skin, and the car, respectively, like a glove.

- You spoke so beautifully about racing cars, do you have any experience?

I love cars very much. I now have a Subaru Impreza with a very heavily modified engine. Because sometimes the soul demands to poke a slipper on the floor, but this is on empty roads when you do not pose a threat to anyone. Just for the feeling of speed and insane power of the car.

In my youth, I mastered what I wanted - karate and tennis. If I were in my thirties, I would love to learn sports driving.

(At this time, a terrible roar behind the glass of the cafe, Zakharov comments with a smile.)

It's funny when a direct-flow pipe is attached to a Zhiguli, they make a lot of noise, but at the same time they drive like a Zhiguli. My car also makes a lot of noise, but it accelerates like a sports bike, that is, the only serious competitors on the road are the Porsche Turbo or the Lamborghini.

You know, with cars it's the same with painting: in order to understand the creator, you need to try to do it yourself. When you understand the internal mechanics and how it works, you feel some satisfaction from what you have done.

The institute of staff co-chairs was introduced for the first time. In 2000, Vladimir Putin's election campaign was led by Dmitry Medvedev, who at that time held the position of Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation. In 2004, the head of the headquarters was Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the Presidential Administration, in 2012, co-chairman of the central headquarters of the All-Russian Popular Front, State Duma deputy, film director Stanislav Govorukhin.

Elena Shmeleva's career lift: from research institutes to Sirius | Krasnodar Territory | FederalPress

SOCHI, December 7, RIA FederalPress. In his message to the Federal Assembly dated December 1, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for the first time about gifted children and mentioned the educational center for outstanding representatives of the younger generation "Sirius". It is known that one of his trustees is Sergei Roldugin, a musician and close friend of the head of state. Another figure involved in the emergence of Sirius is Elena Shmeleva, head of the Talent and Success Foundation, which created Sirius. Shmeleva's biography is an example of an amazing career lift.

Putin's headquarters will be headed by a curator of gifted children, a doctor and a machine builder

Who will be the head of the campaign headquarters of Vladimir Putin, until recently, was unknown. The president was asked about this during the Big Press Conference in December, and then he said that there was no decision yet. “I would like them to be authoritative people, well-known in the country,” the president emphasized at the time.

Elena Shmeleva Sirius Putin's sister? — Your Questions & Our…

Yelena Shmeleva, 45, was born "under a lucky star" and has had a dazzling career as a voice at the right time for a coveted idea of ​​public investment in the nation's intellectual resources: gifted children. It so happened that she was always close to the highest officials of the government and Putin himself.

Elena Shmeleva: there is an atmosphere of living knowledge in Sirius

On July 21, Vladimir Putin will visit the Sirius Center for Gifted Children in Sochi. Pupils of the center will be able to personally ask him their questions. Elena Shmeleva, head of the Talent and Success Foundation, spoke about the work of the center itself. The latest news from Russia and the world, politics, economics, business, exchange rates, culture, technology, sports, interviews, special reports, incidents and much more.

Heads of Putin's headquarters turned out to be connected with Roldugin

To embed material in LiveJournal or another blog, copy the code. Related news:Roldugin Foundation to receive 5.6 billion from the budget

Elena Shmeleva Sirius Putin's sister? — Your Questions & Our Answers

What is Elena Shmeleva known for?

Elena Vladimirovna Shmeleva was born in 1971 in Leningrad. Graduated from the Faculty of Sociology of St. Petersburg State University (1995). In 1993–1999 she worked at the Research Institute for Comprehensive Social Research at St. Petersburg State University. In 1999-2006, she headed the Russian branch of the research institute Media Tenor. In 2006–2007, he was an expert at the Center for Strategic Research Foundation, head of the analytical department of the central executive committee of United Russia. In 2007–2011, she was the head of one of the departments at the Faculty of Journalism of St. Petersburg State University.

Roldugin's fund turned out to be a major owner of real estate in Sochi

The construction company sued Roldugin for 50 million rubles The Sirius Children's Center, created by the Talent and Success Foundation, one of the founders of which is cellist Sergei Roldugin, is a major owner of real estate in Sochi, Vedomosti writes.

Biography of Elena Shmeleva - RIA Novosti, 01/10/2018

Shmeleva noted that Vladimir Putin has been involved in the Sirius Center for a long time and considers it an important and systematic project. The head of the center had several working meetings with the President of Russia at the end of last year, but then Vladimir Putin had not yet decided to run. The president's wish to see Shmeleva as a co-chair of the election headquarters came later.

"Komsomolskaya Pravda", teacher and hockey player: why did Putin choose such bosses of his campaign

Shmeleva has long been favored by Putin. The Talent and Success Foundation was founded by a friend of the president, cellist Sergei Roldugin. The Foundation manages the Sirius Educational Center in Sochi. Putin has been to Sirius more than once, the last time he met with children there in the summer against the backdrop of protests in which many young people participated.

The head of the Sochi center "Sirius" became the co-chairman of Putin's campaign headquarters. Full biography

“I would like to ask you and everyone who will be engaged in this staff work to act exclusively within the law, without violating anything,” Vladimir Putin addressed the staff members. - And as for the collection of signatures, so that everything is correct, without violations.

Biography of Elena Shmeleva

Head of the Talent and Success Foundation Elena Vladimirovna Shmeleva was born in 1971 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). In 1995 she graduated from St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Sociology. Candidate of Sociological Sciences (2005).

ELENA SHMELEVA: Almost today all corporations are already going to the level of schoolchildren and even to schools and systematically work with them. Another thing is that we can probably already afford to announce systemic large projects, that is, when a child still has the opportunity to improve his academic knowledge and already get some kind of specialization, because you can’t give specialization without giving a base. In this regard, of course, it is necessary to combine the resources that are in the region, because in Sochi we see some ideal conditions. But this makes a lot of sense when the resources of the Olympics work in the interests of absolutely all regions. We do not have a region where children and teachers have not come to us for a year and a half of work, because today we have 10.5 thousand graduates and 2.5 thousand teachers who have undergone advanced training at Sirius.

D. NADINA: All day today we have been discussing Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly. The lion's share of the speech was devoted to internal problems, only at the end did the president mention external problems when he spoke about cooperation with other countries, in particular with the United States. Well, in general, issues related to education, medicine, in particular telemedicine, and civil society were raised.

I would like to dwell on education, because, among other things, the president spoke here about the need to eliminate the third shift, create a comfortable environment for students, open more clubs and sections - this is all understandable, but in particular, the president mentioned the Sirius center - an educational center for talented children, which operates in Sochi. He mentioned it and said that it is necessary to think about the formation of similar centers in other regions of the country. In general, I would like to talk a little about this interesting place with Elena Shmeleva, the head of the Sirius Educational Center. Elena Vladimirovna, hello.

E.SHMELYOVA: Hello.

D.N.: You have an absolutely extraordinary educational center. On the one hand, many say that it was the idea, in principle, of Vladimir Putin, and now he was created. On the other hand, some crazy simple money is really attracted there, and the richest people in the country pump in and share part of their resources in order for the center to exist. Well, unfortunately, it so happened that such a center is really the only one in the country. How much funding does your center have in terms of a year?

E.Sh.: Maybe you will first understand what the center is? And how is everything arranged there?

D.N.: We'll talk about this. Just, you know, everyone is always interested in money. This is actually some very impressive amount.

The center is located at the facilities of the Sochi Olympics. Objects transferred for educational needs

Elena Shmeleva

And this is probably a completely unique situation. We have a former four-star hotel with its own access to the sea at the disposal of children. They have absolutely unique conditions for training on the ice. A lot of hockey players come to us - 150 people, figure skaters - 50 people every month, chess players come to us, children come to practice ballet. And the Olympic infrastructure was built with a large margin, and we have completely unique classes - three classes for ballet classes. We have painting studios. Musicians come to us, and we have unique opportunities to train these musicians.

And children come to us who are engaged in natural science, exact disciplines and have shown themselves in them. Under them, we created a science park. Accordingly, rather unique laboratories have been created, because in these laboratories schoolchildren - the most gifted schoolchildren in Russia - are already working with their future development partners, I mean universities, enterprises, research institutes. In this regard, we see that, of course, we have an infrastructure that corresponds to these new programs that allow schoolchildren to decide early, and moreover, a student who is well prepared academically, because this is the principle of selection to our center: children come there, only those who won the All-Russian Olympiads, those who are preparing for international Olympiads. And for a year and a half of work at the Olympic venues, we have strengthened them not only with sports medals, but also with international medals in mathematics, in physics, of the highest standard, in chess. And our children have already, some of them, been invited to the figure skating and hockey teams.

Therefore, this center is really top and federal level. It is located in the Krasnodar Territory, accepts children from absolutely all regions. And the travel of these children, training, which lasts 24 days, and according to the profile it can take us up to 100 academic hours - all this is free for children. Therefore, of course, today we receive subsidies for children, including from three ministries: these are the ministries of education, sports and culture, but we spend significant funds on the maintenance of these facilities.

D.N.: I just mean that, well, the president says that it is necessary to create such centers throughout the country, but objectively you will not find such an infrastructure right away, if we talk about the scale of the whole country - this is first. Secondly, again, try to persuade Abramovich to give money for 10 "Sirius" or someone else. That is, purely technically, it is probably really unrealistic to simply organize ...

E. Sh.: Well, you see, in order to work with children who have shown themselves, we need a teacher in the first place. If the eyes do not burn, then, accordingly, the program is meaningless in this case. Therefore, we are talking, of course, about systemic work - systemic work that will allow us to pool the resources that the regions have. Today we have a large number of regions. We have now begun to work primarily with regions that are leaders in investment development at the end of last year and are interested in personnel who develop clusters and certain topics. And here are the partners you mentioned today, almost every large corporation today has programs related to the development of education, and this education is no longer limited to students.

Almost all corporations today are already going to the level of schoolchildren and even to schools and systematically work with them

Elena Shmeleva

Another thing is that we can probably already afford to announce systemic large projects, that is, when a child still has the opportunity to improve his academic knowledge and already get some kind of specialization, because you can’t give specialization without giving a base. In this regard, of course, it is necessary to combine the resources that are in the region, because in Sochi we see some ideal conditions. But this makes a lot of sense when the resources of the Olympics work in the interests of absolutely all regions. We do not have a region where children and teachers have not come to us for a year and a half of work, because today we have 10.5 thousand graduates and 2.5 thousand teachers who have undergone advanced training at Sirius.

D.N.: And how can you give specialization to a child in 24 days?

E.Sh.: I mean globally. We are talking about partners, we talked about their programs that they are developing. Yes, each, probably, corporation can tell about their professions. And this also makes a lot of sense - to include in educational programs not only teachers, but also scientists, like we have at Sirius, because, you know, one of the visiting cards of the center is when a leading scientist comes and talks about discoveries. And if we do not tell schoolchildren today about how technology will develop, they will not be able to make a choice even within the framework of subjects. And this is very important, because the training of highly qualified specialists begins early, just like athletes. We see that children from 10 to 17 years old come to our playgrounds. And in fact, preparation for the national team begins six or seven years before it enters.

D.N.: How are all these children selected? Here are all these 600 children - where do they come from? You said winners of the Olympiads. But it’s just that our Olympiads seem to be held less in the country every month.

E.Sh.: No, you know, we have a lot of Olympiads. All-Russian Olympiads for schoolchildren are held in 22 subjects, there are a lot of serious competitions that are organized by universities and the same corporations that we have repeatedly mentioned today. Children come for effective participation in existing competitions. If we talk about athletes, then this is team participation. If we talk about everyone else, then this is an individual offset in this case. Our competition is high, but we invite children even without such events confirmed at the all-Russian level, we select them by regions, including through the system of olympiads and competitions. And including they come to us for the final shift. In July, just when you were remembering, when Vladimir Vladimirovich was visiting us, it was the year of the work of Sirius. And the children came just in time for the project shift, when a lot of partners came from the industries. And these partners actually told and created laboratories together with schoolchildren, which help them to actually try themselves in research activities, and most, probably, of our graduates in the "Science" direction will work in science; try yourself in some interdisciplinary teams as well. And this is exactly what Vladimir Vladimirovich was talking about today, that success comes to those who have learned to work in a team, who can set a task, allocate resources and get a result, scientific or scientific-practical, because to identify where you can apply your talent is very important. Indeed, unfortunately, we are talking about the fact that we really have a very good pedagogical school, but so far we are famous as a donor country of personnel for high-tech industries in other countries.

D.N.: There are a lot of questions from listeners here. He asks: "Are there similar centers abroad, for example in the USA?"

E.Sh.: Thanks for the question.

We analyzed the best experience, not only Soviet and Russian, looked at the programs of Stanford, MIT, and Singapore, and created our own programs

Elena Shmeleva

Therefore, we are perhaps devotees here, because there were no such centers yet, but this year the Thai government decided to create exactly the same center with 24-day programs. And we are expecting a delegation from Thailand in the near future in Sochi. Only instead of hockey players there will be football players. Therefore, in this regard, we consider this recognition.

D.N.: The listener asks: "And how many children come to you on the recommendation?"

E.Sh.: Good question. Not at all. We only have recommendations from our expert council, which actually uses a multi-level selection of children. They submit their applications on the site sochisirius.ru. Accordingly, the expert council evaluates - first of all, the effective participation in olympiads and competitions of the all-Russian level, international is evaluated. And then you can still submit a description of your scientific and technical project, you can submit your other merits, which will also be considered by the expert council when enrolling in shifts, in educational programs. Therefore, you can apply, you can submit them repeatedly and wait. I think everyone has a chance.

D.N.: Here they ask you: "Is there a scholarship for children?"

E.Sh.: Scholarships exist, they are received by the winners of those events that the federal executive body approves as events that identify promising schoolchildren in their industries who become students. And accordingly, now we are operators for the payment of grants from the Russian Federation to students who, just being winners, in some cases, winners and prize-winners of All-Russian Olympiads, schoolchildren, as well as in other competitions that are included in the register of gifted children. And they must fulfill two more conditions: enroll in full-time education and declare today the desire to work for at least three years in the Russian Federation after graduation. The grant is 20 thousand rubles a month until the end of the training period. This is very serious money. And I think that they will help to master the educational program as fully as possible, complete all the necessary internships and, of course, come already with the right, trained specialist, who, in general, is expected at our enterprise today.

D.N.: You probably know that when I was young, you study in the morning, work at night, work in the evening, and sleep on the weekends. Let's take a call. Hello.

LISTENER: Hello. I want to say that in Soviet times there were stations for young technicians. Thanks to this SYUT, I found a future job, I saw it - this is in aviation. Now I'm working as an engineer. I liked designing airplanes, designing...

E.Sh.: It is obvious that such forms of work need to be restored. And again, if you go back to the Sirius example, those 600 children that I spoke about are equal shares of children from sports, science and art. That is, 200 children each come, they live and stay together, and this, of course, is a very important experience for them, because what we are now remembering - many thanks to the listener for the comment - is really familiar to each of us, because in that, still Soviet and post-Soviet, time, very many, having proved themselves in one direction, for example, in mathematics or physics, went in for either sports or some musical specialties. It was okay, because it was an opportunity to go and try yourself, to stay. Everything depended on the teacher and on some of the opportunities that were in this or that house of the pioneers, as they were then called. And of course, we see that this unique environment is being created, because, you know, programs where children teach children are also very important.

We have the First Olympic Ice program, when, for example, athletes - figure skaters and hockey players - put mathematicians on the ice and teach, let them try to skate on Olympic ice

Elena Shmeleva

This, of course, is a very important and necessary experience. And we are saying that this combination and equal attention to all three areas - sports, art and mathematics - is very important. And we would like the support platforms that Vladimir Vladimirovich spoke about today, about which we are actually negotiating with some regions, to develop according to the same principle, so that children have the opportunity to see and look at each other's work, because they all on the same wavelength. Children who, from the age of six or seven, are engaged in six or eight hours of some kind of their main activity, are children who have great respect for the same activities, but in a different direction.

D.N.: Here they ask: "Why only hockey, figure skating, chess? Why don't you develop other sports?"

E.Sh.: This is simply due to the peculiarity of those objects that we inherited as the heirs of the Winter Olympics, so we are developing these areas. But, of course, we expect that when we form a network of strongholds in the region, we will develop those sports that are somehow organically connected with this region. We are sure that we will be able to develop these sites, because we have already accumulated methodological baggage, that is, a year and a half of work, the programs have taken place, a unique network of teachers has been created who come to Sochi and implement these programs. And of course, we hope that we will become a full-fledged educational center not only for schoolchildren and their teachers, but also for young teachers. Much has been said today about the development of teacher education. So, over the past year and a half, the Sirius Center has become such a serious platform for improving the skills of even those teachers who, perhaps, have not received a diploma. MCs come to us, they work with children, they work with our masters who come to programs. And of course, if you were able to become an assistant to Zhores Ivanovich Alferov and work with children, Nobel laureates come to us, very high-level researchers come, of course, I think this is a great help for our system of pedagogical education.

D.N.: It is cynical, of course, to say, but nevertheless, because there are not an infinite number of gifted children. 600 people come every month - this is more than seven thousand a year. At some point, gifted children will run out. And it turns out that you will bring everyone else.

E.Sh.: I want to say that children, first of all, grow up very quickly. Secondly, gifted children cannot run out, especially in Russia. Thanks again for the example of our listener - this is a gift. Vladimir Vladimirovich spoke today about the fact that every person is talented. Our task is to create opportunities for him to express himself. Accordingly, the sooner he can try, the sooner he can get carried away with something, the more likely he is to prove himself. It is clear that we, as a federal center, can only work with children who have really already confirmed some of their successes, this is precisely because we are creating programs of this level for them.

The head of the fund, cellist Roldugina, bends down the Forbes list.

The Talent and Success Foundation is run by Sergei Roldugin, an old friend of Vladimir Putin and godfather to one of the president's daughters. The organization was founded by several figures in science, culture and sports: ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, mathematicians Stanislav Smirnov and Ivan Yashchenko, hockey player Vladimir Kamensky, artistic director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Academic Symphony Orchestra Yuri Temirkanov. To finance its main project, the Sirius children's center, the Roldugin Foundation attracted almost the entire financial elite of the country. Even Igor Zyuzin, who cannot restructure the numerous debts of Mechel, financially supports the cellist.

Only the budget financing of Sirius in 2017-2019 will amount to more than 1 billion rubles, but this is only a tenth of what the oligarchs donate to it. The children's center, built on the basis of former Olympic facilities in Sochi, has become a factor in the political and financial life of the country, and the administrative resource of the head of Sirius, 45-year-old Petersburger Elena Shmeleva, is the envy of many influential officials. Shmeleva herself has become the exclusive channel through which billionaires can communicate directly with the president.

According to Vedomosti, Sirius accumulates not only money, but also real estate. The center began a large-scale construction in the Olympic Park, before that the Krasnodar authorities donated 320 m of the beach between the Mzymta and Psou rivers until May 1, 2020 in order to "carry out activities to organize beach holidays for citizens and develop the sanatorium complex of the Krasnodar Territory."

Waiting for a distinguished guest

This year Vladimir Putin spent his birthday in Sochi. On October 7, he brought the Hockey Legends team to the ice, which played a friendly match at the Shaiba stadium against the Sirius center team. The game came out tough. “When Vladimir Vladimirovich is on the ice, the players try to be more careful,” says an eyewitness to the match. “But the president’s halo does not work on children, on the contrary, they tried their best to beat him.” This is not the first match on the site of "Sirius" with the participation of the president. In the foyer of the former 4-star Azimut Hotel near the Olympic Park in Sochi, and now the educational center and the Sirius children's campus, there are many photos from hockey matches - not only Putin, but also ministers, oligarchs and stars pose for them with children. In addition, Puck, also owned by Sirius, now hosts various amateur competitions, such as Night Hockey League matches and state-owned company cups. “We are constantly on our toes here, distinguished guests can arrive at any moment,” says an employee of Sirius.

The sports facilities of the Sochi Games turned out to be very useful for children. The Azimut lobby, which cost 4,500 rubles a night in 2013, is now filled with schoolchildren. Some rush to the dining room, others to classes, others discuss the conditions of the upcoming quest with their counselors. The bar no longer sells alcohol, smoking is prohibited not only on the territory of the hotel, but also at all Sirius facilities, the strongest drink is coffee. And even then only adults can buy it - that is, employees of the Sirius Center. There are 720 rooms here, children of different ages live and study. They come here for free all year round for a 24-day shift. Every day teachers and coaches work with children in different areas: exact sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry), sports (hockey, figure skating, chess) and art (music, ballet, painting and literature). Counselors follow the schedule.

In the basement of the hotel there is a children's library equipped with computers with Internet access. Books are freely available, they can be taken and read right there, sitting on bright soft sofas of a bizarre shape. The library has a complete list of Russian and foreign classics from the school curriculum, plus expensive colorful picture books for kids. Some rooms are now classrooms, and the spa area has a medical center with pediatricians.

The hotel restaurant has a children's dining room with colorful furniture. For lunch, there are three first and three hot courses to choose from, even more - side dishes, vegetables, fruits, juices, and in the middle of the dining room - a chocolate fountain. There is a crowd around him, children laughingly bathe bananas and grapes in white chocolate. The cook in the hall bakes cheesecakes, which are offered with honey, condensed milk, sour cream, jam. “The ballerinas asked us to remove pancakes from the menu so as not to be tempted, but this caused a protest from the children from the shift of mathematicians who demanded carbohydrates,” says one of the Sirius employees. “As a result, they, having teamed up with hockey players, defended the pancakes.”

The former hotel has a vast green area with a swimming pool, a lake and a former nightclub. The club building, whose walls and ceiling shine with rhinestones covering them, is now an observatory: next to the bar counter, which has not yet been dismantled, there are modern telescopes and other equipment for observing stars. In the evenings, young astronomers study the stars, and during the day there are fabulous performances. That is, everywhere you can find a reminder that a couple of years ago no one thought that schoolchildren would get these premises. Why are they so lucky?

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Vekselberg's legacy

“White elephants will never come to Sochi,” Dmitry Chernyshenko, who then headed the organizing committee for the preparation of the Olympic Games in Sochi, began his speech to journalists on the day the London Olympics in 2012 ended with these words. This phrase refers to facilities built for the Games, but abandoned after they were held. "White Elephants" is one of the most painful topics for the International Olympic Committee: around the world, a fair number of Olympic stadiums are falling into disrepair, which are not in demand in everyday life. To reduce the enthusiasm of potential hosts of the Games and generally spoil the image of the Olympic movement, it is enough to recall the ruins in Athens or Salt Lake City, explains one of the functionaries of the Russian Olympic Committee.

The Sochi 2014 organizers promised that nothing like this would happen in Russia: they immediately tried to figure out what to do with the Olympic venues after the Games. For example, the grandiose media center under construction in the Olympic Park was supposed to become a trade and exhibition complex, three of the five ice arenas under construction were going to be made collapsible and then transported to other regions, and the hotels being built for the guests of the Games were then to be filled with vacationers. But already a few months before the Games, it became obvious that something had gone wrong. Investors turned out to be owners of toxic assets: they did not know how to pay off VEB, which financed at least 70% of the cost of construction. Hotels in Sochi were built in excess and at the end of the Olympics, tourists could not fill them. Those wishing to immediately rent 155 thousand square meters. m of a media center for trade and exhibitions was also not there. And, for example, the Shaiba hockey arena, the construction of which cost Andrey Bokarev and Iskander Makhmudov's UMMC Holding 3.3 billion rubles, cannot be transported to Vladikavkaz as planned. Half of its cost was the foundation and the refrigeration unit, which could not be transported. Investors donated the stadium to the Ministry of Sports for free.

The Ministry of Sports also calculated that the state would have to spend 2.4 billion rubles a year on the maintenance of Olympic sports facilities alone, and there were no forecasts about their payback - and indeed the demand - was not. Shortly after the end of Sochi 2014, the president came up with the idea of ​​giving the Olympic facilities to children, say two officials involved in the preparation and holding of the Games.

One of the eyewitnesses recalls how the president, after the Olympics, walked around the 4-star Azimut hotel, launched for guests of the Games near the Olympic Park, and praised the work of the investor, Renova, Viktor Vekselberg. The businessman had to take on the object at the last moment. Telman Ismailov, the co-owner of the Cherkizovsky market, began to build Azimut, but in the end he failed. The complex also included a 3-star hotel of 12 buildings, one of the largest in Eastern Europe - with more than 2000 rooms, but, unlike the "four", did not have access to the sea. “And somehow it turned out that the conversation turned out to be a good idea to give this hotel to children,” recalls one of the participants in the trip. “As far as I know, Vekselberg wanted to give away a 3-star hotel that was part of the complex for children in order to pay off the VEB loans taken for the construction, but after a direct offer was made to him, he said: well, take this one. And the president reacted very warmly to this,” the eyewitness continues.

Officially, for the first time, Putin said that a center for gifted children would be created in Sochi at the Olympic venues at a press conference after a message to the Federal Assembly in December 2014, recalls Shmeleva. The Talent and Success Foundation was registered on December 24, 2014. By that time, some kind of Olympic infrastructure was already settled in by young athletes who came through the Ministry of Sports.

"Sirius" also first began to accept athletes. In the winter of 2015, the fund bought a hotel from Renova. “For how much they built, for how much they sold,” says Renova representative Andrey Shtorkh, without naming the amount. “We are satisfied with the deal, returned our money and paid off VEB loans.” Vekselberg estimated investments in the construction of the entire hotel complex at 16 billion rubles, 90% of which was loaned by VEB. The reporting of "Talent and Success" says that last year 6.38 billion rubles were spent on the acquisition of fixed assets, another 2.7 billion rubles - land lease. Shmeleva explained that this money was used to buy the hotel building, rent the site under the hotel and the beach at the hotel.

The rest of the Olympic facilities - ice arenas "Puck", "Ldinka", "Snezhinka" and the building of the former media center - the government handed over to the fund free of charge, it also received about 10 hectares of land in the Olympic Park for rent.

However, the "four" "Sirius" no longer fits, so he rents two buildings in a 3-star hotel. The employees of the center live in them. Today there are about 800 of them, most of them came from other regions. Many participated in the preparation of the 2014 Olympics. “I was made an offer that could not be refused, one might say, the motherland ordered,” says one of the Sirius employees, who left his family and position in the ministry in Moscow. “I came to Sirius of my own free will from a large private company, even with a slight pay cut, but I have no regrets,” says another employee.

All Forbes in one place

Among the fund's benefactors are all the main Olympic investors and contractors, one of the donors says: "This is a continuation of the Olympic history: first they built it - now they need to take care of it."

At the end of July 2016, the building of the former media center of the Olympics received guests. Putin gathered there the benefactors of the Talent and Success Foundation to thank them for helping children and urge them to continue this good deed. The President also expressed the hope that the owners of enterprises "without prejudice to production" will find an opportunity in the future to organize internships for the most talented young people.

Judging by the videos, the meeting around the tables shifted in a rectangle looked like an illustration for the Russian Forbes list. Shmeleva was seated to the left of the president. And on the right hand - billionaire Roman Abramovich, nearby are the president of Lukoil Vagit Alekperov, the head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov. A little further one could see Surgutneftegaz CEO Vladimir Bogdanov, Viktor Vekselberg, President of the Industrial Investors Group Sergey Generalov, Rusal President Oleg Deripaska, Mechel owner Igor Zyuzin, businessman Suleiman Kerimov, co-owner of NLMK Vladimir Lisin, the main owner " Evrokhim Andrey Melnichenko, President of Interros Vladimir Potanin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works Viktor Rashnikov, owner of Volga Group Gennady Timchenko, Chairman of the Board of Rosnano Anatoly Chubais, investor David Yakobashvili, Head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group Ilim" Zakhar Smushkin, owner of the Sinara group Dmitry Pumpyansky, the main owner of Severstal Alexei Mordashov, the owner of Uralchem ​​Dmitry Mazepin, the main owner of AFK Sistema Vladimir Yevtushenkov, the president of Sberbank German Gref, the founder of the Magnit network Sergey Galitsky, chairman of the board director Andrey Bokarev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ESN Group Grigory Berezkin, President of the Alliance Group Musa Bazhaev and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alfa-Bank Petr Aven.

It was hard to miss the event. “Andrei Fursenko, my old friend, called me and asked me to come,” Yakobashvili recalls. He himself arrived in advance - walked around the classrooms and scientific workshops of Sirius, located in the media center. I liked the tour: the atmosphere in the building was friendly and calm, the FSO employees were almost invisible, as if the presence of the first person of the state was not expected. Most of the meeting participants said that they helped the foundation and plan to support it further, in a variety of ways. “Of course, I donated money, like everyone else,” said Yevtushenkov.

Some of those present hope to limit themselves to "expert methodological assistance", but the majority are ready to help both with money and expertise. So, Yakobashvili plans to organize classes for children and introduce the craft to restorers of antiques, as well as watchmakers. Generalov plans to popularize shipbuilding and maritime professions among children through sponsored organizations. Vekselberg - to organize internships for children and teachers from different regions on the basis of Sirius.

Presidents of Sberbank German Gref and Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov, chairman of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina, officials and big businessmen come to give lectures to children. Thanks to the help of donors, the educational classes and workshops of the center are provided with equipment that leading institutions can envy.

Partners approach the choice of equipment with imagination. For example, Sberbank gave Sirius an unusual device - artificial intelligence, which during a conversation studies the personality traits of the interlocutor, adopts them, and then provides the person with the opportunity to "talk to himself." And Volga Group Timchenko donated its development - the unmanned bus "Matryoshka", says Shmeleva: "Our children will program it. In general, we are developing the topic of ecological transport very seriously.”

The company does not disclose the amount of donations, but, judging by the fund's statements for 2015, it amounted to 10 billion rubles. From it, the fund received an income of 944 million rubles. This amount is practically enough to ensure the work of the Sirius center with talented children, but more is needed for the development and maintenance of infrastructure, Shmeleva said.

“Earlier, all big businessmen, despite the fact that they have both personal and corporate charitable foundations, were constantly spun to finance some obscure concerts, festivals and other events - where you can’t track where the money went at all,” one of the corporate philanthropy experts. “Now they are being asked to give money for a more understandable project that has a clear concept, and this is already a step forward.”

Administrative resource

The influence of Shmeleva is amazing. Ministers, heads of the largest companies come to her meetings in Sochi at the first invitation, she can easily call anyone. To date, only one other organization with a similar resource is known - Innopraktika at Moscow State University, headed by Putin's daughter Katerina Tikhonova. Rumors about Shmeleva's kinship with the president are nonsense, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

Shmeleva is an excellent professional, explains a person close to the presidential administration. She really moves this project very strongly: Shmeleva is fanatically passionate about education, she has actually had her entire career connected with this, so she is exactly in her place, one of the officials who communicated with Shmeleva believes.

“Elena Vladimirovna is an example of an amazing career lift,” admits one of her former colleagues. She was born in St. Petersburg, in the family of a builder and economist, graduated from the Faculty of Sociology of St. Petersburg State University, was engaged in marketing research, sociological projects for United Russia, then headed the charitable project of the AFK Sistema Foundation Vladimir Yevtushenkov "Lift to the Future", which helped talented schoolchildren from the regions to get acquainted with career opportunities in the corporation.

While working for Yevtushenkov, Shmeleva taught at the Higher School of Innovation Management (faculty) of Moscow State University, which grew out of Sistema's corporate university. Since 2012, she began to cooperate with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), created at the initiative of the President, which also supported young talents. It was while working at ASI that Shmeleva came to the attention of Kremlin officials, her former colleague believes. When the Kremlin administration turned to ASI for advice on whom to entrust Sirius, the name Shmeleva was named, another colleague knows. Shmeleva was the second candidate for the position, the first one considered by the president refused with the words “I won’t pull it,” says Fursenko.

“You will be surprised, but Vladimir Vladimirovich invited me to work at Sirius,” Shmeleva laughs. “Of course, I was very worried,” Shmeleva recalls of her meeting with Putin in Novo-Ogaryovo. - The President said that, in his vision, the fund should become a place where the most talented, motivated children from all regions of Russia are involved in science, professional sports and art, regardless of the wealth of their families. And then they are supported, accompanied, so that they stay and work in the interests of Russia’s development.”

Today Shmeleva lives in Sochi, but often visits Moscow. She has her own office in the presidential administration building on Staraya Square. “This is my workplace, it is convenient to have meetings there,” she says.

Now "Sirius" is busy with large-scale plans for the development of the center. Next to the campus building, by the first quarter of 2018, it is planned to build a general education school, which will simultaneously become a center for advanced training for teachers, Shmeleva said. This project, according to preliminary estimates, can cost 2-2.5 billion rubles. In February, at the Sochi Investment Forum, Sirius will present a project for the reconstruction of the media center, designed for two to three years and providing for the construction of a concert hall with unique acoustics, a modern planetarium and a scientific 64,000 sq. m, added Shmeleva. This project is still being developed, so it is too early to talk about the total amount of investments, she notes, but investments in the creation of scientific and educational facilities are estimated at €1.5-3 thousand per 1 sq. m. m. "If we decide that we do not need to raise the roof of the building, we can meet these boundaries," says Shmeleva. The planetarium and the park will receive residents and guests of Sochi.

The Sochi investment forum in the reconstructed exhibition part of the media center brought the fund 120 million rubles in September, and 14 events are already planned there for next year. But the oligarchs who do not want to be arrested should take part in financing investment projects, the head of Sirius hopes. “When you have the support of the President of Russia, you can do whatever you want,” a major federal official is convinced of the reality of Sirius' plans.

Indigestion "Sirius"

Now Talent and Success has accumulated such an amount of funds that even Sergei Roldugin is not able to master. According to the head of the Accounts Chamber, Tatyana Golikova, in 2016, 384 million rubles were allocated to support gifted children, but by October 1, only 15.5% of these funds had been used. Golikova noted that, despite such significant resources, the fate of young talents after graduation is not monitored in any way, which means that the effectiveness of investments is doubtful. President Putin spoke on the same occasion. “Either all the same, work on development properly, or you don’t need so much money, and then send it to other social goals,” the head of state said. True, the head of the presidential administration, Anton Vaino, reported no less promptly that the low rate of spending was of a technical nature. But "Sirius" is able to function and generally state support. Due to extortions from the oligarchs, he himself can finance anyone.