diff --git a/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/__init__.py b/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/__init__.py
index 7643f742e0067d..15bf3c6eb9671e 100644
--- a/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/__init__.py
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
 from openvino._ov_api import AsyncInferQueue
 
 # Import all public modules
-from openvino import runtime as runtime
+from openvino.package_utils import lazy_import
+runtime = lazy_import("openvino.runtime")
 from openvino import frontend as frontend
 from openvino import helpers as helpers
 from openvino import experimental as experimental
diff --git a/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/package_utils.py b/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/package_utils.py
index 6aa3f3ed39b556..2a89703d647983 100644
--- a/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/package_utils.py
+++ b/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/package_utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 from functools import wraps
 from typing import Callable, Any
 from pathlib import Path
+import importlib.util
+from types import ModuleType
 
 
 def _add_openvino_libs_to_search_path() -> None:
@@ -113,3 +115,16 @@ def __get__(self, obj: Any, cls: Any = None) -> Any:
         _patch(func, deprecated(name, version, message, stacklevel))
         return func
     return decorator
+
+
+def lazy_import(module_name: str) -> ModuleType:
+    spec = importlib.util.find_spec(module_name)
+    if spec is None or spec.loader is None:
+        raise ImportError(f"Module {module_name} not found")
+
+    loader = importlib.util.LazyLoader(spec.loader)
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    sys.modules[module_name] = module
+
+    loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
diff --git a/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/runtime/__init__.py b/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/runtime/__init__.py
index e22e2be08cacea..63367b9ab875f9 100644
--- a/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/runtime/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bindings/python/src/openvino/runtime/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,27 @@
 """openvino module namespace, exposing factory functions for all ops and other classes."""
 # noqa: F401
 
+import warnings
+warnings.simplefilter("always", DeprecationWarning)
+import inspect
+stack = inspect.stack()
+
+if stack[-1].code_context is None:  # python interactive mode
+    warnings.warn(
+        "The `openvino.runtime` module is deprecated and will be removed in the 2026.0 release. "
+        "Please replace `openvino.runtime` with `openvino` after 25.1 release.",
+        DeprecationWarning,
+        stacklevel=2
+    )
+else:
+    warnings.warn(
+        "The `openvino.runtime` module is deprecated and will be removed in the 2026.0 release. "
+        "Please replace `openvino.runtime` with `openvino` after 25.1 release.\n"
+        f"{stack[-1].filename}:{stack[-1].lineno}:\n\t{stack[-1].code_context[0]}",
+        DeprecationWarning,
+        stacklevel=2
+    )
+
 from openvino._pyopenvino import get_version
 
 __version__ = get_version()
diff --git a/tools/benchmark_tool/openvino/__init__.py b/tools/benchmark_tool/openvino/__init__.py
index 7643f742e0067d..15bf3c6eb9671e 100644
--- a/tools/benchmark_tool/openvino/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/benchmark_tool/openvino/__init__.py
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
 from openvino._ov_api import AsyncInferQueue
 
 # Import all public modules
-from openvino import runtime as runtime
+from openvino.package_utils import lazy_import
+runtime = lazy_import("openvino.runtime")
 from openvino import frontend as frontend
 from openvino import helpers as helpers
 from openvino import experimental as experimental
diff --git a/tools/ovc/openvino/__init__.py b/tools/ovc/openvino/__init__.py
index 7643f742e0067d..15bf3c6eb9671e 100644
--- a/tools/ovc/openvino/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/ovc/openvino/__init__.py
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
 from openvino._ov_api import AsyncInferQueue
 
 # Import all public modules
-from openvino import runtime as runtime
+from openvino.package_utils import lazy_import
+runtime = lazy_import("openvino.runtime")
 from openvino import frontend as frontend
 from openvino import helpers as helpers
 from openvino import experimental as experimental