The role of urban planning and engineering in the revival of historic territories was discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The panel discussion "Revival of Historic Territories" was held on 8 April as part of the expert programme on architecture and urbanism "Looking into the Future," organised at the National Centre RUSSIA. Participants of the meeting discussed the role of modern urban planning and engineering in the revival of the country's historic territories and identified architectural principles that will form the foundation for their development and renewal.

The panel featured the Head of the Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin, Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev, founder of the architectural journal "Project Russia," independent publicist and architectural critic Anatoly Belov, Vice President of the Union of Architects of Russia, First Vice President of the Union of Moscow Architects, Head of the "Komov and Partners" bureau Alexei Komov, and Director of the Department for Integrated Territorial Development of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation Maria Sinichich. The moderator of the meeting was Roman Plyusov, a host at the "Russia-24" TV channel.

Denis Pushilin, Head of the Donetsk People's Republic, noted that the region is actively undergoing revival and that Donbass represents a unique platform for implementing architectural solutions of the future.

"The future image of Donbass will depend on the quality of our joint work and on how well we can convey the meanings that must combine both historical context and certain characteristics of current events. Among the most interesting and large-scale projects that have already passed the approval stage, I would highlight those to be implemented on the coastline. Very soon, we will see new architectural complexes and public spaces in the region — highly modern, yet realised with consideration for historical retrospect," said Denis Pushilin, Head of the Donetsk People's Republic.

He also emphasised that the main goal during the restoration of historic territories is to ensure comfort for their residents.

"In both our housing and public spaces, our priority is our residents and our youth. They are the ones who should evaluate and contribute their suggestions. And developers, along with other members of the professional community — including young specialists and architects — must sense what is perhaps in the air, but still must become part of real, tangible projects," Denis Pushilin stressed.

New large-scale construction projects must also take into account the unique historical character of the territories being restored, in order to make them even more attractive for living and to fully unlock their tourism potential. Using the example of the major presidential project "New Chersonese," Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev demonstrated the importance of addressing this task.

"The museum and temple complex 'New Chersonese' is located in the historical heart of the city of Sevastopol, and since its opening last summer, it has been visited by almost two million people. These include residents of Sevastopol, people from Crimea, citizens from historical regions, and, of course, those who come specifically to admire this remarkable complex," said Mikhail Razvozhayev.

He emphasised that new projects must be harmoniously integrated into the historical context and offer a fresh impetus for developing infrastructure that is appealing to both residents and tourists.

"We are restoring old landmarks significant to Sevastopol, while also striving to seamlessly integrate new structures into the surrounding environment. We are not forgetting about the transport accessibility of new sites. For example, when New Chersonese opened, we launched new transport routes, organised a system of convenient intercept parking lots, shuttles, and so on. As soon as it becomes feasible, we plan to use maritime routes as well, so that both Sevastopol residents and tourists can arrive at 'New Chersonese' from the bay side," added Mikhail Razvozhayev.

As part of the National Centre RUSSIA’s programme "Looking into the Future," architects, builders, urbanists, developers, entrepreneurs, investors, representatives of state and municipal authorities, public figures, and members of the media discussed the architecture of the future and the system of state visual communications. The programme was divided into two thematic tracks: architectural and urbanist. Panel discussions were held, including "Architecture of the Future," "Visual Code of Russia," "Discussion of Growth Points," "City for All: from Theory to Practice," among others. A presentation of a study on the issues of future architecture, conducted by the National Centre RUSSIA in cooperation with the Higher School of Economics, also took place.