Yasnaya Polyana Agreement

Shchekinoazot is located near Yasnaya Polyana, the birthplace of the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The State Memorial and Natural Preserve Museum-Estate of Leo Tolstoy Yasnaya Polyana is considered one of the best architectural and museum complexes in Russia. Today it is a centre where business, culture, and society meet and interact. It was designed to preserve and enhance the historical and cultural heritage of the brilliant writer, ensure the effective use of available territorial resources and human potential, and develop educational and training activities.

The promotion of social progress, sustainable development of territories, and improvement of people's living standards is a mandatory goal for any socially-oriented company. In 2004 the administration of the Tula Region, the State Memorial and Natural Preserve Museum-Estate of Leo Tolstoy Yasnaya Polyana, and Shchekinoazot developed and signed the Yasnaya Polyana Agreement on cooperation for the benefit of these territories and the entire Shchekino District.

The lives and health of people, especially children, are the highest priorities of this Agreement. One of the striking examples of our joint efforts was the campaign held in 2006 to raise funds to renovate the children's hospital. More than RUB 28 million was raised, and this money was enough to completely repair the building of the Shchekino children's hospital.

Long-standing and popular campaigns among the residents of Shchekino also include the following: 'Save Yasnaya Polyana for Future Generations' (more than 10,000 trees were planted in Yasnaya Polyana), 'Forest beauty' (Christmas trees in the churches of the Shchekino District are decorated for Christmas using various handicrafts made by children), 'Birds in the Shchekino District' (installation of birdhouses in Yasnaya Polyana), as well as various creative competitions.

For ten years "Tolstoy lessons" have been held for all children in all schools of the Shchekino District to study the life and work of Leo Tolstoy. Since 2015 this project has covered the entire Tula Region with more than 130,000 people taking part. 

This Agreement includes the following:

• The Participants (Parties) undertake to coordinate activities and contribute to the development of social and cultural facilities in the Region by modernising and improving their effective use.
• The Parties consider it necessary to cooperate in the development of proper legal requirements to create an institutional framework for new working methods in the field of regional development.
• Within the framework of the Agreement, the Parties intend to take part in solving specific tasks to create new social, cultural, and other facilities for the implementation of programmes and activities to create conditions for investments aimed at the development of the Region.
• The Parties will make efforts to establish cooperation with the subjects of the Russian Federation to expand the coverage of programmes and projects.

The Company is one of the main sources of tax revenue for the municipal and regional budgets. In this way Shchekinoazot also contributes to the development of the territories where it is located.