SPIEF’s propaganda pivot The theme of ‘social optimism’ permeates the Kremlin’s media coverage guidelines for this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The next St. Petersburg Economic Forum kicks off today, June 18, and runs for four days through Saturday. Before the invasion of Ukraine, SPIEF served as one of Russia’s main platforms for interactions between state officials and international business representatives. As has been the case for the past two decades, the main event this year will be a panel discussion led by Vladimir Putin. Meduza has learned that Russia’s state-run and Kremlin-loyal media outlets have already received instructions from the presidential administration on which events to cover in their reporting.

Meduza reviewed media guidelines that direct reporters’ attention to Wednesday’s presentation of a new crossover SUV from AvtoVAZ. The Putin administration also asked journalists to cover flag-raising ceremonies on the crab-fishing vessels Captain Skovpen and Captain Firsov (scheduled for Thursday) and Captain Taran (to be held on Friday). “This is one of the most modern fishing vessels in the world, with deep, waste-free, and on-board processing of catches. The vessel’s advanced technical and operational capabilities represent a significant improvement over all previously manufactured fishing vessels in this class,” the Kremlin’s guidelines state.

Reporters are also encouraged to cover a video conference during which the small town of Berezka in the Tambov region and the Technical Products Factory in the Kirov region will be connected to gas networks (scheduled for Wednesday). Although the event isn’t particularly remarkable, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller will be in attendance. 

According to a political strategist who’s worked with the Putin administration, the focus of this year’s media instructions reveals the Kremlin’s desire to broadcast “social optimism.” The source told Meduza: “Previously, news from [SPIEF] was mainly devoted to foreign investment and high-profile foreign guests [such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Emmanuel Macron, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe], and was supposed to showcase success in that area. These days, investment money is tight, and we need to talk about what we’ve got, to give the appearance that everything’s moving forward.”

Nevertheless, the Kremlin’s guidelines also invite reporters to visit a handful of international-focused events. On Wednesday, Far Eastern Development Minister Alexey Chekunkov will meet with Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries. Russia promises to export energy resources, metals, and fertilizers, while also offering benefits to Thai investors in the Far East. On Thursday, SPIEF will host a plenary session where Russian and African officials will discuss geology and mining rights. However, journalists have not yet been informed who will represent the African countries.

The president’s team is especially eager for journalists to cover events hosted by the Znanie (“Knowledge”) society and the Russia: Land of Opportunities (RSV) organization. Officials working under Sergey Kiriyenko, Vladimir Putin’s first deputy chief of staff, control both these groups. Kiriyenko heads Znanie’s supervisory board, while RSV runs various personnel selection processes for the Kremlin, including the “Time of Heroes” competition for former soldiers. The competition launched in May 2024 with the aim of elevating veterans to public office, although its chief beneficiaries to date have been individuals who were already active in politics before the war in Ukraine. Znanie will host a book stand at SPIEF, while RSV will publicly sign personnel training agreements with Russia’s Labor Ministry and several governors’ offices.

The Kremlin also directs reporters to a presentation of books published in the People’s Commissars of the Great Victory series, with instructions to focus on “the role of State Planning Committee head Nikolai Voskresensky in the Great Victory” and “the main ideas and principles of wartime economics.” Additionally, the Putin administration wants loyal journalists to attend a session titled “Fighting Fakes: Building Global Infrastructure and Consolidating Efforts.” Participants include Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Vladimir Tabak, head of the Dialogue organization (responsible for distributing state propaganda), and former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl.

The Telegram channel Faridaily noted that this year’s SPIEF will again feature the children of numerous high-profile Russian elites: 

• Vladimir Putin’s daughter, Ekaterina Tikhonova, who heads the Innopraktika foundation, will join a session exploring the conditions for foreign businesses to return to Russia.
• The son of Anton Vaino, Putin’s chief of staff, will be there too. Alexander Vaino, who oversees the Young Professionals program at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, will participate in three sessions and moderate one of the agency’s panels.
• Also attending various SPIEF events are the son of former Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Promstroibank head Pavel Fradkov;
• the son of Sergey Kiriyenko, VK head Vladimir Kiriyenko;
• the grandson of Mikhail Kovalchuk, VK vice-president Stepan Kovalchuk; and
• the son of Boris Rotenberg, Russian Hockey Federation vice-president Roman Rotenberg.

However, none of the events featuring these influential figures’ offspring appear in the Kremlin’s SPIEF coverage guidelines.