25 million in four days: Kirov region to increase expenses for participation in SPIEF almost twice

      The Kirov region is preparing to present itself at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on a grand scale — according to the public procurement website, it is planned to spend 25 million rubles on organizing an exhibition stand. The relevant tender has been announced by the regional Investment Development Agency, and applications will be accepted on May 16.

      The future contractor will not only have to build a stand, but also provide it with multimedia content, as well as take care of the guests' entertainment. Among the requirements is the serving of currant—scented leaf tea, croissants with salami, cakes and sweets. In addition to the presentation part, the exposition should include areas for negotiations and demonstrations of investment projects.

      The region's participation in 2025 is focused on achievements in construction and tourism.

      It should be noted that in February of this year, Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov officially declared the Kirov Region "the leader in the non-implementation of the federal project for the construction and modernization of schools." And he secured the first place on the "red line" for the region. "Kirov, as the champion of the rear guard," the Russian minister said, "did not deliver five of the ten promised educational buildings."

      For comparison: in 2024, the Kirov region's stand at the SPIEF cost the budget 13 million. At that time, the exposition included elements of live gardening, the guests were greeted by a traditional Dymkovo lady with bread and salt, and the regional flavor was complemented by a fragrance created by local perfumers. As a result of the forum, 19 agreements were concluded, including with large companies such as Gazprom, T Plus and Uralchem. However, no public reports have subsequently appeared on how these agreements affected the development of the region.

      In addition to the SPIEF, the region participated in the Russia Forum at VDNH in 2023-2024. There, the exhibition with a milking cow, paleosaurus and Dymkovsky characters cost the budget 20.5 million rubles. In February of this year, Ruslan Mammadov, the former head of the Tourism Development Center, who was in charge of the stand, was detained on suspicion of bribery and embezzlement of funds.

      Despite the large-scale costs, the Kirov Region was not among the 40 regions with the best investment climate indicators according to the Agency for Strategic Initiatives in 2024. Nevertheless, the authorities expect that the new stand at the SPIEF will help attract investors. It is not yet specified whether the Dymkovsky lady will be back and whether the milking cow will return.