From January 2023 through mid-March, the nationwide program to overhaul residential buildings led regional authorities to purchase 4.8 thousand elevators, amounting to 17.1 billion rubles. This buying spree is reported to be 3.6 times higher than the same period a year earlier. The figure comes from Kommersant, which relied on calculations from the Russian Elevator Association. In other words, a surge in elevator procurement marked a notable shift in the market, even as it was uneven across regions.
When set beside January to March figures from 2021, the current pace stands out only in parts. In that earlier period, regional buyers acquired 5.5 thousand elevators for 13.4 billion rubles, a level that still reflected strong demand but did not persist in the same way in every year, as the current numbers reveal.
Analysts note that elevator purchases in Russia are not uniform; some areas ramp up rapidly while others lag. A striking example appears in the first months of 2023, when the Nizhny Novgorod region accounted for nearly half of all new elevators, about 2.3 thousand units. A year earlier, the same region had not bought any elevators at all, underscoring a dramatic shift in regional priorities and capacity during the overhaul program.
During the same period a Kyrgyz company, Sky Industrial Group, was identified as a supplier expanding its footprint in the Russian market. Its managing director, a veteran observer of industrial equipment, explained that the manufacturer had become a supplier of both passenger and freight elevators to Russia’s growing modernization needs. This development reflects how international participation intersected with large scale domestic programs aimed at upgrading building infrastructure.
In another policy development, the Federation Council approved early in December a measure enabling the Council of Ministers to set the procedure for supervising the operation of elevators and escalators. The move signals a formal approach to oversight that aligns with a broader push toward safety, reliability, and uninterrupted service for residents across regions. The approval suggests that oversight frameworks will accompany the continuing rollout of elevator replacements and modernization projects, as authorities seek to balance rapid procurement with standardized operation and maintenance practices.