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