Russia's new ruling class is being formed on the shores of Lake Senezh, about 40 kilometers northwest of Moscow. There is an 85-hectare campus, with hotels, gyms and residences surrounded by forests.
At the entrance to the campus is a simple sign with red lights: “Management Workshop.” Here, what Vladimir Putin calls Russia’s “new elite” is being trained. All the participants are veterans of the war in Ukraine.
The program is called “Time of Heroes” and was created to form new leadership cadres, selecting only veterans and participants of what Moscow called “special military operations.”
The program began on March 1, 2024. Two days earlier, during a speech to the Federal Assembly, Putin had stated that military personnel returning from service should take up leadership positions in various sectors of the country.
"They are the cream of the country, not those who got rich during the 90s," Putin had said.
School of the new elite
The lessons are taught by Kremlin and government officials, representatives of ministries, regional leaders and heads of large companies.
The program consists of four modules, each 30 days, and lasts a total of 2 years.
It is organized by the Higher School of Public Administration, part of the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow. The institution is under the direct control of the Kremlin.
Interest was overwhelming from the start. More than 6,000 applications were submitted in the first three hours of registration alone. In total, during March and April 2024, the number of applications exceeded 44,000.
But places were limited.
On May 16, 83 participants were selected: 79 career officers, from lieutenants to generals, three soldiers and four women. 20 of them had received the title of "Hero of Russia".
The first course began on May 27. Just three days later, the participants boarded the icebreaker “50th Anniversary of Victory” and headed for the North Pole, where they underwent tests for “physical and moral endurance.”
Upon their return, they were received by Putin. The president told them that, after completing their training, which included internships in the Duma, they would have the opportunity to choose between continuing their careers in the Armed Forces or moving into the civil administration.
For an old and consolidated nomenclature around Putin's power, the "Time of Heroes" is not just a career opportunity. It is a direct path to important positions.
By the end of January 2025, 18 of the 83 participants in the first group had already taken up positions in the administration.
Among them was Artyom Zhoga, former commander of the “Sparta” battalion in the Donetsk Republic and Putin’s representative during the 2024 presidential election. He was appointed plenipotentiary representative of the president in the Urals region. Others also gained important positions.
Artur Orlov, a major and commander of a tank battalion, became chairman of the board of the Russian youth organization "Movement of the Firsts."
While Vladislav Golovin, a platoon commander in the 810th Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, was appointed chief of staff of Yunarmiya, the paramilitary youth organization that promotes patriotic education.
Newly elected officials
The recent elections for the Duma and regional councils showed that this trend is expanding.
49 former servicemen were elected deputies, and more than half of them had gone through the program on Lake Senezh.
In total, more than 120 participants of "Time of Heroes" have received new positions.
Putin welcomed them, saying their experience would be valuable in shaping future decisions.
"The experience of our heroes is in high demand and the voting results have clearly confirmed this," he declared.
Political scientist Andrei Kolesnikov sees this “new elite” as part of the consolidation of a “state of force” in Russia. While his colleague, Nikolai Petrov, argues that the authorities are trying to show that “the new hegemon is represented by the participants of the special military operation.”
Accusations of war crimes
The creation of the "Time of Heroes" was initially interpreted as a blow to the Russian liberal elite, which Putin had criticized for a lack of patriotism during the war.
But now, the militarization of the Russian political elite appears to be morphing into a broader system. And that may give some idea of the direction the Kremlin intends to take in the coming years.
At least 13 participants in the program are accused by Ukrainian authorities of war crimes.
Among them is Artyom Zhoga, who is suspected of torturing and executing several prisoners in Donbas.
The list also includes two people decorated with the title of “Hero of Russia”: Lieutenant Nursultan Mussagaleev and Major Boris Dudko. Ukrainian authorities link them to the Bucha massacre. In Putin’s Russia, however, these accusations have not prevented them from rising to important positions.
