In 2023, the Lavrentiev map is set to debut in the Novosibirsk region as a regional counterpart to the Pushkin card system. This development has been shared by the regional press service and confirmed by officials in the governor’s office, as reported by TASS. The initiative marks a milestone in linking cultural access with higher education and local research institutions in Siberia.
Under the new program, postgraduate students affiliated with Novosibirsk’s scientific institutes and universities would gain the opportunity to visit theaters, cinemas, and museums using a dedicated card. The intended benefit is to broaden cultural exposure for emerging researchers, students, and scholars, while fostering a deeper engagement with the arts as a complement to scientific training.
The card is named after Mikhail Lavrentiev, a distinguished Soviet mathematician and engineer who played a pivotal role in establishing the city’s flagship research hub, the Novosibirsk Academgorodok, and leading the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS). Lavrentiev’s legacy as the first president of SB RAS is widely recognized for helping to anchor scientific excellence in the region, and the card bearing his name is designed to symbolize the synergy between science, culture, and public access.
Earlier discussions touched on a broader policy idea proposed by lawmakers to expand educational benefits tied to cultural cards for schoolchildren. A State Duma deputy from the New People party, Anna Skroznikova, addressed the Prime Minister with a proposal to allocate funds to recognize outstanding academic performance in students through incentives tied to the Pushkin Card program. This consideration reflects ongoing conversations about how cultural and educational initiatives can be supported at the national level, even as local programs experiment with regional models in places like Novosibirsk.