Published on: 2026-08-29
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the issue of opening new schools by the start of the 2026/2027 academic year. The event was attended by Sergey Sobyanin. The meeting was held in video conference format. The Mayor of Moscow gave his report from School No. 656 named after A.S. Makarenko in the Beskudnikovsky district, renovated under the city program “My School”.
On September 1, Moscow will open 145 new or fully renovated schools and kindergartens. Among them are 100 renovated schools, 20 new schools, five new schools with preschool groups, and 25 new kindergartens. The new schools will educate 115 thousand children.
“Every 10th schoolchild will go to a new school, this is a record in the entire history of our Moscow,” emphasized Sergey Sobyanin.
In Russia, 1,700 new schools have already been built, announced the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, Sergey Kravtsov. All of them have swimming pools, sports halls, and modern laboratories.
“More than seven thousand schools have already undergone the capital repair program. These are brand new schools. We also supply the necessary equipment. And it is important that two thirds of these schools are exactly rural settlement schools,” the Minister added.
In addition, all schools in the country operate under unified federal programs and use standardized state textbooks.
“The education system is also responding to challenges, so from the new academic year we are introducing a subject for grades five through eleven: ‘artificial intelligence and information security,'” said Sergey Kravtsov.
A subject about domestic heroes, including heroes of the special military operation, is also being introduced — the spiritual and moral culture of Russia.
Schools of the Future
Moscow is gradually implementing the “schools of the future” standard. Schools of the future are complexes of a completely different scale: they are designed for one to two thousand students instead of 550, that is, two to four times larger. Each building organically combines different educational levels, creating a full range of educational opportunities. At the same time, the learning zones are adapted to the students’ ages.
Such schools also have a unique architectural appearance. The best architectural firms are invited to develop the concepts.
Moreover, the projects are based on the idea of a school as a city within a city. The new buildings represent real childhood cities with their own squares and streets, sports and recreational areas. This is especially important in the Moscow climate, where inclement weather often sets in from November to March.
Another feature of the schools of the future is the functional zones. The equipment forms specialized centers: scientific-laboratory, sports and wellness, and creative-project. This is not just a set of classrooms, but an ecosystem for implementing individual educational trajectories.
The schools also feature transformable rooms that can be used for lessons with the entire class or in small groups. A new level of engineering and safety is also ensured, including energy efficiency, a comfortable climate, and fire safety.
Many elements of the new standard were implemented in the schools opening in 2026. At the same time, 11 “schools of the future” are currently at the design stage, which will fully meet modern requirements by 100 percent.
Government of Moscow also implements the “My School” program — an unprecedented in scale project for the reconstruction of existing school buildings. It has been operating for three years and has now reached full capacity. In 2024, four schools were renovated, and in 2025 — 51 schools. In September this year, 100 school buildings will be opened. The plan for 2027 includes renovating another 85 schools.
The reconstruction of the buildings represents a complete overhaul of the school environment. One of the features is the efficient use of shared areas. Instead of narrow corridors, perpetually closed assembly halls, and underused libraries, open lounges, multifunctional event spaces, and media centers appear.
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Inside, there is modern furniture and next-generation equipment that radically improves teaching in the natural science, engineering, and IT fields. This year alone, Moscow’s schools and colleges received 76,000 units of digital equipment: interactive panels, laptops, server and network equipment.
Modern interior design is created taking into account the specifics of school buildings. This year, two additional design options were developed — schools can choose one of three solutions. This gives them more individuality. New engineering and safety standards are also being introduced.
Schools located in historic buildings are renovated according to individual architectural designs with elements of restoration. In 2026, school No. 1520 named after Kaptsov and school No. 1574 were reconstructed in this way.
As a result, school buildings become modern, open, bright, and comfortable, with an atmosphere that is friendly and motivating.
As Sergey Sobyanin noted, Moscow’s experience in reconstructing school buildings will be in demand in regions where, as a rule, there is no need to build new schools, but the existing infrastructure requires significant renovation.
This work is currently being carried out in Moscow’s sister cities — Donetsk and Lugansk. In 2026, they completed renovations of five schools there. These include School No. 9 of Hero of the Russian Federation Major General P.Yu. Klimenko in the Donetsk city district, where major repairs were conducted, and the Republican boarding lyceum “Erudit” in Donetsk, which underwent repairs after shelling. The renovated buildings also include Lugansk Specialized School No. 57 named after G.S. Petrov and the Lugansk educational and upbringing association “Academy of Childhood,” where current repairs were carried out, as well as Gymnasium No. 52 in the city of Lugansk, where current repairs were performed.
“Overall, we have carried out a complete comprehensive reconstruction of 30 educational institutions. This year, we are launching five schools. We have also done simple repairs in school educational institutions. But this year, both in Donetsk and Luhansk, we are launching new schools comprehensively,” said the Mayor of Moscow.
The President emphasized the importance of such work and thanked Sergey Sobyanin for his special attention to this issue.
“I also want to thank you for personally addressing educational issues, and in this case, school education. And Moscow sets a very good example for other regions of the Russian Federation,” noted Vladimir Putin.
Reconstruction of School No. 656 on Beskudnikovsky Boulevard
School No. 656 named after A.S. Makarenko at the address: Beskudnikovsky Boulevard, house 29 was built in 1967.
The complete reconstruction of the building began in the spring of 2025. During the work, the facade was renovated, engineering communications, door and window units were replaced, as well as the installation of partitions and floor screed, and interior finishing. In addition, the school grounds were landscaped.
“The reconstruction was completed in the shortest time, in less than a year, and we have received a modern, technologically advanced building that is no less impressive than a new one. Everything here is designed for the students. Every detail is meticulously planned: classrooms, a spacious dining hall, a comfortable multifunctional space instead of a conventional assembly hall, where any activities can be held, from lectures and workshops to theatrical performances,” noted Anastasia Minigalina, the school principal.
The main focus was on organizing a modern educational environment for children and teachers. According to the “My School” program, the renovated building includes universal and specialized classrooms, learning spaces with movable partitions for lessons in large and small groups, and a modern media library with areas for group and individual work. There is also a laboratory-research complex for studying natural sciences, multifunctional multi-light spaces for events, lectures, and exhibitions, sports halls, and a cozy dining room.
The interiors are decorated in muted color tones with accents in the form of acoustic panels, bright furniture, and design elements. The use of glass partitions and doors will provide natural lighting and openness of the space.
The sports complex on the school grounds includes a multifunctional sports field for ball games, a gymnastics area, playgrounds for children of different ages, as well as parking spaces for bicycles and scooters. In addition, an accredited area for passing GTO standards will be set up here.
The renovated building of school No. 656 will reopen its doors on September 1, 2026. It will accommodate students from first through eighth grades.
“In fact, in this school, nothing old remains except the old walls. Everything is new: engineering systems, more spacious and well-lit classrooms, new laboratories, new public recreation areas, and so on,” said the Mayor of Moscow.
The students will continue to study certain subjects in depth — mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as participate in city projects “Mathematical Vertical” and “Natural Science Vertical.” There will be more opportunities for additional education for students in various areas. In particular, students will be able to attend sports clubs for volleyball, basketball, football, and chess, a theater studio, as well as study ballroom and modern dance.
School No. 656 named after A.S. Makarenko
School No. 656 includes seven buildings: four school buildings and three preschool buildings. It educates 2,524 children, including 1,707 school students and 817 preschoolers. The workforce consists of 220 employees, including 78 teachers, 43 educators, and 40 other teaching staff members.
In the past academic year, 79 eleventh-grade students graduated from the school. Among them, seven were awarded the federal medal “For Special Achievements in Learning” and seven received the Moscow medal “For Special Achievements in Learning.” Based on the results of the Unified State Exam (USE), 21 graduates, or 27 percent, scored more than 220 points in three subjects, including 10 who scored over 250 points. Three graduates scored 100 points each in Russian language, mathematics, physics, social studies, and chemistry. One graduate scored 300 points across three USE subjects.
In the 2025/2026 academic year, 37 students received diplomas as winners and prize-winners of the municipal stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad. One student became a prize-winner of the regional stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad, and another – a prize-winner of the Moscow School Olympiad.
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