On June 1, 2026, Vladimir Putin met with Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko, Chairman of the Board of the Circle of Goodness Foundation for the Support of Children with Serious Illnesses.
The Krug Dobra Foundation was established by Decree of the President of Russia on January 5, 2021, as an additional mechanism to existing state programs for organizing and financing assistance to children with severe and rare diseases. He can purchase drugs that are not registered in Russia, and recently registered ones can be purchased in a simplified manner. Funds to the Circle of Good fund come from increased personal income tax for citizens whose incomes exceed 5 million rubles per year. The organization is constantly expanding the list of diseases for which it is possible to provide assistance to children. 
The Russian President regularly holds meetings with Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko. The following is a transcript of the conversation between the Head of state and the Chairman of the Board of the Circle of Goodness Foundation, posted on the President's website.
***
Vladimir Putin: Did you put this file in order to show how the work was going in 2025?
Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: Yes, today, on Children's Day, I wanted to tell you that the foundation contributes to the realization of the child's right to life and health. Since the beginning of the foundation's work, more than 30 thousand children have already received assistance.
Recently, the last school bells rang, and among those children who graduated from grades 9 and 11, 1,500 children are receiving medicines from the foundation. They write letters to the foundation, parents write. This book contains more than 300 letters that our parents sent us last year alone. If I may, I will read you two of them, which are very touching.
Vladimir Putin: Please.
Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: Natalia Afanasyevna, Ilya's mother from the Moscow region, writes: "Thanks to the medicine from the Circle of Goodness Foundation, everything is fine. The child graduated from school with a certificate without triples. He is currently studying at a technical school, and plans to work, be useful to his country, and definitely be happy."
Daria, she is 18 years old, she entered the Russian Biotechnological University last year, she is studying to become a doctor, she wants to be a geneticist. Despite the fact that she had a serious illness, thanks to medications, she is compensated and is successfully studying. She writes: "With my illness, I was forced to use a wheelchair, but now I walk normally, walking 20 thousand steps in a day is not a problem at all. For me, this is a significant breakthrough, the result of proper therapy."
The remarkable journalist Sofiko Shevarnadze recently made a film about the successes of the foundation's children, a four—part documentary that was presented at the Moscow Film Festival. Let me, on behalf of the filmmakers, give you this poster of the film.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: About some other results of the work of the Circle of Goodness Foundation.
The lists of purchased medicines continue to expand. Last year, the foundation's expert council authorized the purchase of 13 more drugs for the treatment of 17 diseases for which previously there was no therapy.
We are also conducting an analysis of clinical practice, and thanks to this analysis, doctors were able to expand the indications for prescribing 51 more drugs, and thus another 2,200 children began to receive pathogenetic treatment. Currently, there are 133 medicines on the list, including five gene therapy drugs, that is, the therapy that allows you to stop the development of a serious disease or completely cure it. And the therapy of dystrophic forms of epidermolysis bullosa began, there are butterfly children, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
I also wanted to tell you that the opportunity to treat children with hereditary diseases, which has appeared in our country, has opened up an opportunity for the development of orphan centers. Recently, 10 orphan centers and 15 gene dermatosis centers have opened in the country, and five more will open by the end of the year.
Medical and genetic consultations are operating in 69 regions, including 10 interregional centers that can detect diseases at an early stage. This is part of the planned work on the development of neonatal screening. You instructed us to develop neonatal screening, because it is very important to identify diseases at the earliest stages and start treatment. According to your instructions, two more diseases have been added to neonatal screening this year, and there are already 38. We hope that next year there will be another one, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and there will be 39 diseases. However, the Russian Federation is already a leader in the early detection and treatment of orphan diseases.
The foundation pays considerable attention to...
V. Putin: I know, and research is being conducted on these topics.
Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: And research.
Over the past year, 178 scientific publications have been published on medicines supplied by the foundation alone. This is a serious incentive for the development of Russian science.
You also instructed last time to create a scientific structure in the foundation that will analyze the results of the use of medicines. The Ministry of Health has prepared the relevant documents, and such a structure has been established.
The Foundation acts as a customer for the production of domestic medical products. In particular, Samara Medical University manufactures and manufactures sliding prostheses for our needs.
It is also important to note that recently, one hundred percent import substitution of test systems, reagents for neonatal screening and equipment for molecular diagnostics has been achieved. This is a very important element of the development of the domestic industry.
Well, speaking of things not directly related to the purchase of medicines, I would like to mention another important achievement. It is very important for us to be in contact with parents and learn first-hand how the treatment is going. It is especially important when parents find out the diagnosis, it is important for them to get an answer about the treatment status, when the medications will arrive, and for what period the child will be provided. We have worked with the Ministry of Digital Development on the possibility of communication through the Public Services portal. The feedback platform allows you to send a request and receive a response within a short time in a secure channel. And this system has been implemented. Thus, we use modern technologies to solve social problems.
Vladimir Putin: Does it work?
Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: Yes, it works, and we receive gratitude from the parents for the fact that they now have a complete picture of when the medicines will arrive, what remains and when the next purchase.
Vladimir Putin: Good. I would like to thank you and thank all the staff of the foundation for the noble work that you are doing in the interests of our children. Thank you.
Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: Thank you very much.
I wanted to share one more piece of news. She is a good example of how charity and mutual help bring people together.
Last time, I reported to you about how His Holiness Patriarch Kirill supported the work of the foundation and blessed that every year on October 1, all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church would offer special prayers for parents, children, and doctors. This initiative of His Holiness the Patriarch was supported by all traditional religions.
There was a meeting of the Commission for the Preservation of Traditional Values of the Presidential Council for Cooperation with Religious Organizations, and all religious associations made a proposal to make this a Day of Mercy, to join forces to help children. This is a wonderful example when love for people and the desire to actively help people unites us all.
Vladimir Putin: It's true, it is. thank you very much.
<…>
Kremlin.ru/Патриархия.ги