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Windows Covered, Roads Blocked, Residents Indoors — Novosibirsk Tightened Security for Putin’s Visit
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Novosibirsk on the night of August 11 under strict security measures to open the Siberian Circular Photon Source in Science City Koltsovo and a new student campus in Academgorodok.
Police officers were stationed every 50 meters along the route starting the evening before his arrival, according to Astra.
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Local residents living along the motorcade route received instructions from security officials to remain indoors during the procession, keep windows covered, and stay away from glass.
People were instructed not to use optical or electronic equipment and were ordered to clear parked vehicles from Bolshevitskaya Street.
In Academgorodok, roadways were blocked and metal barriers were erected around university buildings. Students at Novosibirsk State University received chat messages instructing them not to open or approach windows.
At least five dormitories were notified of movement limits, potential network and internet disruptions, and expected delivery delays. The campus dining hall and swimming pool were shut down, and electric scooter rentals were disabled across the city center and Academgorodok.
Municipal authorities prepared for the visit by repaving asphalt, repairing sidewalks and building facades, and laying down new lawns.
During his visit to Novosibirsk, Vladimir Putin stopped his motorcade and stepped out to approach a crowd of children gathered on the sidewalk. A Teboil gas station located near the stop had its price display turned off.
Shut-down fuel stations have become a defining symbol of this summer, with many forced to close due to an ongoing fuel crisis, and local media reported that price displays at stations along the presidential motorcade route were deliberately switched off.
In Novosibirsk, fuel prices remained unchanged leading up to the official visit, marking a clear departure from the patterns observed during earlier presidential trips.
Ahead of visits to Irkutsk in July and Krasnoyarsk in early August, local residents reported temporary drops in fuel costs along with the sudden disappearance of long queues at gas stations. However, no such relief occurred in Novosibirsk, where station owners kept prices steady despite the high-profile arrival.
On the morning of August 11, prices for AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline remained steady across various local stations, ranging from 63 to 85 rubles ($0.76 to $1.03) per liter.
The trip follows a shift in regional travel patterns after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with presidential visits avoiding the European regions of Russia due to regular Ukrainian drone operations in those areas.
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During a meeting of the Council for Science and Education in Novosibirsk, Putin urged private domestic companies to finance scientific development as state funding declined due to heavy defense spending during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
With one out of every three federal rubles directed toward the military and security forces, state funding for civilian science fell to 792.1 billion rubles ($8.7 billion)—accounting for only 2.5% of total government expenditure.
As a result, Putin called on commercial enterprises to act as direct customers and fund breakthrough technological solutions themselves.
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