Putin signed the order during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
According to this plan, the new city of Sputnik will be located 30 kilometers from Vladivostok relatively close to the Chinese border. It is intended as an industrial center, where one day 300,000 people will live.
The word “sputnik” means “satellite” in Russian, and it was also the name of the first artificial earth satellite launched by the USSR in 1957, causing disappointment in the Cold War space race in the United States.
Last summer, Russia was the first country in the world to register a vaccine against Covid-19, and it was named “Sputnik V” in honor of its victory in space competitions.
The vaccine has now been approved by about 70 countries.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had previously urged the construction of several new cities in eastern Siberia to make the region more attractive.
However, now more and more Russians are tempted to live in the capital Moscow, where there is much better infrastructure than in other Russian cities, as well as better job opportunities.
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