April 18 is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day. This holiday was established in 1982 by the Assembly of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), under UNESCO. On the eve of this day, the Yusupov Palace on Liteyny Avenue, which is closed for restoration, hosted an interdisciplinary discussion titled “Yusupov Palace on Liteyny: Strategies of Preservation and Scenarios of Development.”
The discussion was organized by the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club, the Organizing Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards, and the State Museum of St. Isaac’s Cathedral.
The Yusupov Palace on Liteyny Avenue was built for Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova (1810—1893), née Naryshkina. Throughout its history, the palace had many owners and users — from Felix Yusupov, the infamous assassin of Rasputin, to the Society “Knowledge.” In 2023, the architectural monument was transferred for use to the State Museum of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Currently, specialists are conducting a full engineering survey of the building to begin its reconstruction and restoration. After the restoration, the palace will be open to the public and will become a part of the cultural life of the city.
The event began with a tour of the palace’s luxurious halls, conducted by the scientific staff of the State Museum of St. Isaac’s Cathedral.
The guests of the discussion were welcomed by Yuri Mudrov, Director of the State Museum of St. Isaac’s Cathedral; Natalia Sidorkevich, Chairwoman of the Board of the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club; and Pavel Chernyakov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards.
The speakers included Nina Kukuruzova, director of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika; Daniil Kashkarev, curator of the funds of the State Museum of St. Isaac’s Cathedral; Maria Ivanova, co-founder of the FULLHOUSEDESIGN design studio; Tatiana Petrova, leading teacher of the New School of Design and Art, art historian; Mikhail Anikushkin, head of Trimetari Consulting; and Eduard Gorin, investor and creator of the SENO public space.
According to Pavel Chernyakov, the interdisciplinary approach to the organization of the event was fully justified. By gathering museum workers, restorers, designers, teachers, and investors on one platform, the meeting provided a new perspective on the task of finding new meanings for such unique objects of cultural heritage as the Yusupov Palace on Liteyny Avenue.
Photo by Vladislav Kuznetsov
More news of the Golden Trezzini Awards:
https://goldtrezzini.ru/en/news/
Follow us on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/trezziniawards/
https://www.instagram.com/trezziniawards/