Winners Announced for Gazprom Neft’s “Multiplying Talents” Academic Tournament for High School Students
St. Petersburg has hosted the final round of the 10th annual “Multiplying Talents” tournament — one of Russia’s largest academic competitions in science, technology, and engineering. High school students from Moscow, Klin, Khanty-Mansiysk, Omsk, Muravlenko, Tarko-Sale, Tyumen, Tomsk, and Orenburg took home top honors.
The tournament is organized annually by Gazprom Neft as part of its “Home Towns” social investment program, aimed at identifying and supporting gifted youth — including students from remote and smaller communities across Russia. This year’s anniversary edition attracted over 3,000 students in grades 8–11 from eight regions. Following the regional stage in late March, 81 finalists advanced to the final round.
Real-World Challenges, Real Innovation
Unlike traditional academic contests, Multiplying Talents is designed around real-world industrial challenges. Over the course of a week, participants tackled tasks related to petrochemistry, mathematical modeling, and digital technologies in the oil and gas sector.
Working in teams, students were assigned specific industry cases — such as:
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Analyzing the impact of climate change on oil production
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Developing corrosion inhibitors to protect pipelines
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Designing a VR simulator for workforce training
Finalists presented their projects to a panel of experts from Gazprom Neft and academic partners. Winning students are eligible for up to 10 bonus points toward Russia’s Unified State Exam (EGE), which can be used when applying to leading universities, including:
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St. Petersburg State University
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Higher School of Economics
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ITMO University
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Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
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MIREA – Russian Technological University
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Omsk State Technical University
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Tyumen State University
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Tomsk Polytechnic University
“At Multiplying Talents, students don’t just learn — they build the future together with Gazprom Neft,” said Yarina Sugakova, Director of the Home Towns social investment program.
“Working alongside experts, they explore real-world challenges and propose innovative solutions to problems the industry hasn’t solved yet. This format gives students a glimpse into professional life and shows how their ideas can evolve into real impact. The tournament inspires confidence, provides mentorship, and offers a powerful first step toward a successful career.”
