An international photo exhibition “Let’s save the heritage of centuries!”, timed to the 30th anniversary of the inclusion of the historic center of St. Petersburg in the UNESCO World Heritage List opened in the Main Library of Mining University.
On December 12, 1990, the Northern Capital of Russia became the first site on the territory of Russia, inscribed on this World Heritage List. It is unique not only for our country, but for the whole world by the scale and complexity of its structure: it includes 36 items, consisting of 126 components. The value of St. Petersburg as the embodiment of a unique urban design and open-air museum goes beyond national borders. And so it is intended to be the property of St. Petersburgers, Russians and all visitors to the city.
The exhibition consists of three parts - St. Petersburg, UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Russia and the CIS. It was prepared with the direct participation of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, and since December 2020, was presented at the Mariinsky Palace. Now students, staff and guests of Mining University will be able to see it.
"The choice of the location for the next venue to display this interesting and extremely important exhibition was not accidental. There are a number of facts that connect us to it. For example, one of the exhibits depicts, the Sergievka palace and park ensemble, which belonged to Duke Maximilian of Leuchtenberg. The son of Napoleon Bonaparte's stepson and son-in-law of Nicholas I, he was the administrator of the Institute of the Corps of Mining Engineers, as our institute was called in the mid-19th century. In addition, he also owned the Mariinsky Palace, erected by order of the Emperor in honor of the engagement of his daughter Maria Nikolayevna to the Duke," said Natalia Pashkevich, first vice-rector of the oldest technical university of Russia, at the opening ceremony.
The second point linking the higher education institution with the exhibition is the fact that Mining University is the only university in Russia with an International Competence Center under the auspices of UNESCO.
“The historical center of St. Petersburg is a special diamond in the crown of our city. We have an obligation to preserve and pass on historical, architectural and cultural heritage, recognized as a world heritage, to future generations. Exhibitions like the one that opened today with the support of UNESCO, and the cooperation with this organization benefit Russia. International cooperation and diplomatic activity, conducted by the Mining University Competence Center, make a serious contribution to the development of relations between our state and other countries in the sphere of education, economics and science,” stressed the Chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Vyacheslav Makarov.
In his greeting speech the Head of St. Petersburg Parliament expressed his gratitude to the University’s authorities for their activity and pointed out the necessity to involve students into St. Petersburg genetic cultural code, which history goes back 317 years.
