Professor Sergey Sementsov Awarded The Alexander Nevsky Prize

Nadezhda Akulova, Head of the Department of Architectural and Urban-Planning Heritage; Sergey Sementsov; Yulia Yankovskaya, Head of the Department of Urban Planning; and Andrey Surovenkov, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture

Sergey Vladimirovich Sementsov, a visiting professor at the SPbGASU Department of Architectural and Urban-Planning Heritage, has been awarded the St Petersburg Governor’s Prize named by Alexander Nevsky "For Merits in Strengthening National Unity and Preserving Cultural and Historical Heritage."

The award is presented to citizens of the Russian Federation who exemplify conscientious service to St Petersburg, the fulfillment of civic and military duty, and a commitment to the ideals of morality and culture. In 2026, more than 40 nominations were submitted, and twelve individuals were named laureates.

Sergey Vladimirovich Sementsov, DSc in Architecture, is a prominent specialist in the history of urban planning and the preservation of architectural and urban heritage. He has published nearly 400 scholarly articles and monographs. He is a member of the St Petersburg Union of Architects and an advisor to the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences.

Professor Sementsov’s research interests focus on the study of St Petersburg’s historic built environment and urban planning, the Neva and Lake Ladoga regions prior to the founding of the "Northern Capital," and the history behind the creation and implementation of the city's master plans. Sergey Vladimirovich was awarded the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts for his monograph *St Petersburg in Plans and Maps: The 20th Century*. An alumnus of the university, he has long served on the departments of Urban Planning and of Architectural and Urban-Planning Heritage, and he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at SPbGASU from 2012 to 2017.

The prestigious award conferred upon Sergey Vladimirovich Sementsov stands as a testament to his outstanding contribution to the study and preservation of St Petersburg’s historical and cultural heritage, and reflects the achievements of the school of architectural heritage study and conservation at SPbGASU.