‘Our University Pays Great Attention to Protecting Cultural and Historical Heritage’
The regional programme of the VI Heritage Youth Forum, co-organised by HSE University, has opened at Durasov House. The goal of the educational project by the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage is to engage undergraduates, graduate students, and young professionals in work to preserve and integrate cultural monuments into the modern urban space.
The opening of the regional programme was attended by Alexey Emelyanov, Head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage; Nikita Anisimov, HSE University Rector; and Irina Martusevich, HSE University Vice Rector.
This year, teams from universities in Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Saratov, Samara, Crimea, Vladimir, and Voronezh will take part in the regional programme. HSE University will be represented by its campus in St Petersburg. Students will develop a concept for the preservation and development of a cultural heritage site in their city. The best works will be shown as part of the forum’s business and festival programmes.
‘HSE University has been partnered with the Heritage Forum for several years now. Our university pays great attention to the issue of protecting cultural and historical heritage. We highly appreciate the efforts of our colleagues from the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage to preserve significant sites and integrate them into the urban environment. It is nice to see that universities representing different areas of our country participate in the competition as part of the regional programme. Each of these cities has its own history, its own culture, and its own heritage. I am confident that your work will be able to help preserve the historical monuments of our country, create new centres of attraction for residents and tourists, and revive old ones,’ said Nikita Anisimov, HSE University Rector.
The rector invited forum participants on a tour of Durasov House on Pokrovsky Bulvar—an 18th-century city estate restored to its original form, a cultural heritage site of federal significance, and an HSE University building. He also explained that those interested can get acquainted with the estate’s history via a virtual tour on the Discover Moscow portal developed by HSE students.
A tour in English is available on the Durasov House website.
‘The regional section appeared in the programme of the Heritage Youth Forum in 2019, and it is a unique opportunity for students to present their projects in Moscow and communicate with industry experts. In total, more than 500 students from 35 regional teams have joined us during this time. Many teams and universities submit applications year after year, create projects, and successfully defend them,’ emphasised Alexey Emelyanov. ‘This year, eight regions are participating in the competitive part of the Forum. They will have to develop a concept for the restoration of one architectural monument in their city, giving it a new lease on life and turning it into a point of attraction for citizens and tourists. Teams that are included in the shortlist by the expert commission will be invited for an on-campus defence in Moscow.’
At the opening, HSE University Vice Rector Irina Martusevich spoke in detail about the educational component of the regional programme. It involves HSE University experts from Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, and St Petersburg.
‘To us, the opening of the Patriotic Institute in St Petersburg is a significant event. My colleagues and I are preparing a presentation dedicated to how the long-term restoration of this site took place and how it will be adapted for the current life of our university,’ said Irina Martusevich. ‘The Nizhny Novgorod campus will share information about the Heritage Leaders programme overlapping with the programme of the Moscow forum. Today, our colleagues are proposing to give a new meaning to local crafts in Nizhny Novgorod, while our Moscow colleagues will help students improve the skills that are necessary for the main part of our forum—project defence. They will explain how to effectively speak in public, as well as how to handle social media, which is a necessary element of project preparation.’
Educational programme events will take place from October 23 to November 12. Project defence is scheduled for November 24. Lectures by experts, as well as the Heritage Forum programme, are available on the project’s website.