Putin instructed to make teaching children to swim a public service

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed that children's swimming lessons should be included in lists of public services. The list of instructions of the head of state, approved following a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports, is published on the Kremlin website.

"Recommend to the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to ensure the inclusion of physical culture and recreational services (including services for teaching children to swim and other basic life skills) in regional lists (classifiers) of state (municipal) services and works," the list of instructions reads.

Putin appointed top officials of the subjects of the Russian Federation to be responsible for implementation. The head of state is waiting for reports on the implementation until May 1, 2025.

In addition, Putin instructed in 2025 to begin implementation of the program "Zemsky Coach", the purpose of which is to attract physical education teachers to the villages. The President also instructed to increase the share of domestic sports products in the procurement of goods for state and municipal needs and to stimulate demand for such products in non-state organizations working in the field of physical culture and sports.

Before that, on October 17, Putin paid a working visit to Ufa and opened six sports facilities in Bashkiria, Perm Krai, Nizhny Novgorod, Tula and Sakhalin regions. The head of state emphasized that all citizens of Russia - adults and children - should be encouraged to take part in sports and it is important to provide them with the opportunity to exercise regularly.

On the same day, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said at the international forum "Russia - a Sporting Power" held in Ufa that in 2030, the share of Russians who are regularly engaged in sports may exceed 70% of the total number of the country's residents.