Russian Teachers in 10 Regions Face Partial Payment Delays Amid Budget Strain - The Moscow Times
Moscow Times
February 19, 2026
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Teachers in at least 10 Russian regions have experienced delays in receiving partial salary payments, particularly bonuses for class supervision. The delays have affected educators in areas such as Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Rostov, Arkhangelsk, Tambov, Ryazan, Zabaikalsky, Khabarovsk, Karelia, and Udmurtia. These payments, which are funded by the federal budget, were supposed to provide 5,000 rubles ($65) per month for teachers in larger cities and 10,000 rubles ($130) in smaller areas. School administrators have reported that funds allocated from the Education and Science Ministry have not been fully transferred, leading to these delays.
The situation reflects broader fiscal challenges in Russia. The country’s consolidated budget deficit reached a record high of 8.291 trillion rubles ($107.9 billion) in 2025, with the federal budget alone closing the year with a deficit of 5.7 trillion rubles ($74 billion), five times higher than initially planned. Regional budgets also faced significant shortfalls, posting a combined deficit of 1.5 trillion rubles ($19.9 billion), the highest in two decades.
Experts warn that these financial pressures are likely to persist. Oleg Vyugin, a former deputy chairman of the Central Bank and professor at the Higher School of Economics, noted that the Finance Ministry may struggle to meet tax revenue targets as Russia approaches 2026 with higher taxes and elevated interest rates, increasing the risk of a recession. Economic challenges include weaker-than-expected oil and gas revenues, sanctions on oil exports, and a discount on Russia’s crude relative to Brent, all compounding budget pressures.
The delays in teacher payments have sparked concerns over labor rights violations. The independent Teacher union has appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office for inspections and administrative penalties. Violators could face fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($65) for officials and up to 50,000 rubles ($650) for legal entities. This issue highlights the strain
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Originally published on Moscow Times on 2/19/2026