Moscow mayor announces plans to turn existing rehabilitation center into ‘palace’ for veterans of Russia’s war in Ukraine
A Palace for Veterans of the Special Military Operation will open in Yekaterininsky Park in Moscow’s Meshchansky district, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said.
The new facility will be created by converting the War Veterans’ Social Rehabilitation Center, which is currently being renovated. Work is scheduled to finish by the end of 2027.
Sobyanin said the palace would bring recovery and rehabilitation services together in a fully equipped complex. “The key idea behind the new approach is to combine active social reintegration with advanced rehabilitation methods without taking people away from their jobs and families. That is why the emphasis is on flexible, daytime, and short-term programs,” he said.
In February 2026, Sobyanin outlined plans to improve Yekaterininsky Park. He also mentioned the War Veterans’ Social Rehabilitation Center in the park, where “combat veterans, including those who served in the special military operation, undergo rehabilitation.” “With this in mind, improvements to Yekaterininsky Park will include making the park fully accessible for veterans,” the mayor wrote.
From Meduza’s archives
‘He survived war but not rehabilitation’An employee at a rehab center describes caring for Russian soldiers returning from the front
‘The system could collapse’A ceasefire would mean hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers returning home. Moscow is bracing for chaos.
Fighting their way to the front A Kremlin-backed foundation provides war veterans with electric wheelchairs and housing. Orphans and people with disabilities are left to fend for themselves.
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Special Military Operation
“Special Military Operation” is the Russian authorities’ term for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.