The 2nd Meeting of Municipal Employees from Partner Cities was held in Perm.

Photo by Vitaly Koksharov

On July 15 and 16, Perm served as a platform for the exchange of best municipal practices. For the second year in a row, the capital of the Perm region hosted the Meeting of Municipal Employees from Partner Cities. Delegations from 12 Russian cities participated in the event: Yekaterinburg, Izhevsk, Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Tagil, Novorossiysk, Orenburg, Omsk, Tomsk, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, and Yaroslavl.

The official part of the Meeting program began with a plenary session, "Cities of Opportunity. Modern Challenges for Municipal Teams." Perm Mayor Eduard Sosnin welcomed the participants. He noted that the Gathering has established itself as a productive space where concrete approaches to solving complex problems are developed.

"I am convinced that the main value of the Gathering of Partner Cities is that it helps us feel part of a large professional community of municipal employees. We all strive for the same goal – to make our common home more comfortable and beautiful, and our city residents happier," said Eduard Sosnin.

In his report, the head of the regional capital outlined key development vectors for Perm. He emphasized the city's leadership in per capita investment and the quality of its transport infrastructure, while maintaining stable industrial growth. Particular attention was paid to two large-scale city initiatives: the "Green Perm" project, aimed at improving the city's environmental situation through landscaping, creating and maintaining green spaces, improving parks and squares, and raising environmental awareness among the population. The "Perm in Order" project encompasses comprehensive work on improving the quality of the urban environment: road repairs, street lighting installation, transport infrastructure upgrades, courtyard improvements, container storage facilities, as well as the proactive, systematic implementation of cleanup days and urban beautification. Guests were also presented with the digital guide "Perm is Here," offering over 1,000 routes and 200 excursions.

The session continued with presentations by Kirill Cherkess, Head of Regional Relations at the Department of Regional Development of the "Russia – Land of Opportunity" Presidential Platform, Vyacheslav Simakov, Head of the Kirov City Administration, and Anna Svetlakova, Director of the School 21 campus in Perm. The work then transitioned to thematic roundtable discussions on public safety, urban management, and the organization of mass events.

During the field trip, the delegation visited urban infrastructure facilities. The guests praised the extensive landscaping and comprehensive improvement work on the city esplanade. At Komsomolskaya Square, the participants also inspected the results of a complete modernization of the facility: replacement of the road surface, installation of new outdoor lighting, renovation of building facades, and comprehensive landscaping.

Furthermore, the program included a visit to the Perm City Business Incubator, which demonstrated effective measures to support small and medium-sized businesses in the creative industries. The Perm Administrative and Technical Inspectorate gave guests a tour covering compliance with landscaping regulations, the maintenance of urban areas, and the monitoring of outdoor advertising and information. Inspectorate representatives demonstrated the process for identifying and correcting violations and discussed their collaboration with other municipal agencies to maintain cleanliness and order in Perm.

Partner city delegations also toured the children's cultural and educational center at Library No. 5, which was modernized as part of the "Family" national project. They also visited the "City of Labor Valor" monument, the Perm Art Residency, and the "School 21" educational campus at the Morion Digital technology park.

Following the meeting, participants noted its effectiveness as a platform for sharing best practices and expressed confidence that the practices learned will be successfully applied in their cities to improve quality of life.