During Vladimir Putin's first visit to Novosibirsk since 2018, residents were ordered to stay indoors, avoid windows, and refrain from using electronic devices, while streets were filled with police.
Residents of Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, faced extraordinary security measures on Tuesday during President Vladimir Putin's visit. Citizens living along the route of the presidential motorcade were issued strict warnings to stay indoors, avoid approaching windows, and refrain from using any electronic or optical devices.
According to The Moscow Times, citing regional media outlet NeMoskva, the notice was distributed by the housing management company. It asked residents of buildings along Bolshevikskaya Street, one of the main thoroughfares near the city center, to "refrain" from going outside while the motorcade passed. They were also advised to take the recommendations seriously "to avoid unpleasant situations."
Similar measures were imposed on students at Novosibirsk State University who remained in dormitories. Movement around the campus was restricted, and barriers typically used for crowd control at demonstrations were set up near the new buildings of the research and education center.
Additionally, in a large part of Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk's academic district, as well as in several central streets, the rental of electric scooters was restricted. Operators marked large areas as zones where riding and parking are prohibited.
Putin arrived in Novosibirsk during the night before August 11, 2026. As early as Monday evening, police officers began taking positions along the expected route of his movement, stationed about 50 meters apart. A large number of traffic police officers were also seen along Bolshevikskaya Street.
Ahead of the visit, city services were busy paving roads, repairing sidewalks and building facades, and laying new grass, according to local media.
This was Putin's first visit to Novosibirsk since 2018. He was expected to visit the Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF), a large scientific complex in the nearby science town of Koltsovo, intended for research in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science, as well as the university campus in Akademgorodok.
The trip is part of a series of regional visits by the Russian president after months during which he rarely traveled outside Moscow and St. Petersburg. In recent weeks, he has also visited Kazan, Irkutsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Ulan-Ude.
