SPbGASU Participates in the Project of the "Mission to Preserve" Festival Winners

The Hermitage Theatre in St Petersburg hosted a ceremony summing up the results of the 10th anniversary Interregional Youth Festival of Social Projects in the Preservation and Popularization of Cultural Heritage, "Mission to Preserve." The festival is held annually by the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (KGIOP). In 2026, the event was held under the auspices of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and in partnership with the State Hermitage Museum.

The Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU) took part in the awards ceremony as a partner of KGIOP in the field of restoration and protection of cultural heritage.

Svetlana Golovina, Aleksey Mikhailov, the ceremony host, director of the National Drama Theater of Russia (Alexandrinsky Theater) Aleksandr Malich

For ten years, the festival has been a significant platform bringing together schoolchildren and students interested in preserving historical and cultural heritage. Its concept is directly aligned with UNESCO's key areas of activity—science, culture, and education—and focuses on youth as a priority audience. Program participants not only develop projects but also form professional competencies in demand in the field of urban preservation and development.

In 2026, more than 200 people participated in the festival, presenting over 50 projects. More than 30 initiatives, aimed at promoting, studying, and preserving the cultural heritage of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, reached the finals. Winners were selected in two age categories: 6 to 15 years old and 16 to 24 years old. The projects presented by the participants reflected a contemporary perspective on cultural heritage, having combined traditional approaches with digital technologies and new formats for interacting with urban space.

The awards ceremony took place in a festive atmosphere at the Hermitage Theatre. The winners in the 6 to 15 age category, Naval School cadets Valeria Tarlykova and Daniil Polyakov, were personally congratulated and presented with their awards by Svetlana Golovina, SPbGASU First Vice-Rector, Head of the Department of Architectural and Urban-Planning Heritage of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, PhD of Architecture, and Associate Professor.

Valeria Tarlykova and Daniil Polyakov

The winning project, "Experimental pool in New Holland: tactile architectural miniature and digital reconstruction," aims to create a modern multimedia solution that includes developing a digital model of the historical site, creating multimedia content, and a tactile architectural miniature. This integrated approach allows for a new presentation of lost or inaccessible elements of the urban environment and makes architectural heritage more accessible to various categories of users, including people with disabilities.

The project's particular value lies in its applied nature: it combines educational, research, and practical components, which aligns with modern trends in the digitalization of cultural heritage.

SPbGASU's participation in the festival underscores the university's active support of youth initiatives and the development of architectural heritage preservation projects. As a partner of KGIOP, the university serves not only as an educational platform but also as a center of excellence, providing scientific and methodological support for such initiatives.

It's important to note that the winning project will be further developed: its implementation is planned with the participation of SPbGASU, along with relevant specialists and partners. This will allow the results of the work to be integrated into the educational and professional environment, as well as used in promoting St Petersburg's cultural heritage.

Awarding of the winners

The festival is held by KGIOP with the support of partners - the Committee for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage of the Leningrad Region, the Education Committee of St Petersburg, ICOM Russia, the multifunctional project "Friends of St Petersburg" of PAO Gazprom, the Ilya Repin St Petersburg Academy of Arts, and UNESCO departments.