EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS
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St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 21-23 September 2006 |
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| Launch EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS |
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Successful events taking place during the Russian Federation ’s Presidency of the Ministers of the Council of Europe, marked the 15 th edition of the EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS in the stunning location of the World Heritage City of St Petersburg. |
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| The EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS, the joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, offer European citizens the opportunity to view and appreciate more than 30,000 monuments and sites of European value in 49 European states. It is estimated that more than 20 million citizens take advantage of the chance to visit these - usually closed to the public - monuments and sites during the September and October weekends dedicated to the European Heritage Days. The first EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS to take place in the Russian Federation were launched by a prestigious Ceremony in the Theatre of the Hermitage Museum (photo) on Thursday evening, 21 September. The resplendent semi-circular theatre built by the Italian artist and architect Giacomo Quarenghi during the reign of Catherine the Great, with its painted backdrop of the Russian two-headed eagle peering out between the stage curtains, provided the elegant and intimate setting for the ceremony. Welcoming speeches were given by Mr Andrey Busygin, Deputy Minister of Culture and Mass Communication of the Russian Federation, Mr Mikhail Oseyevsky, Vice-Governor of St Petersburg, Mrs Maud De Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Ms Odile Quintin, Director General, Education and Culture Directorate General of the European Commission. Ms Vera Dementieva, Chair of the Committee for the State Use and Preservation of Monuments of History and Culture of St Petersburg, presented to the audience two books on St Petersburg describing the city and its desire for rapprochement with Europe. After a musical interlude performed by the Hermitage Theater chamber orchestra, the ceremony continued with speeches by Mr Jacques Legendre, Chair of the Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Mr Dario Ghisletta from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The words of Denis de Kergorlay, Vice-President of Europa Nostra, Liaison Office of the European Heritage Days, closed the Ceremony. A reception followed in the monumental Marble Hall of the Russian Ethnographic Museum. During the Ceremony, warm words of praise were spoken for the City of St Petersburg, the quintessential European city and a symphony of Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture arranged along avenues and canals. The city was constructed following the visionary plan of Peter the Great of Russia in the 18 th century and in a collaboration between the peak of Russian and European talent, yet with colours and gild distinct to this northern city. St Petersburg is also quintessentially European in the threats it faces: of highrise buildings which would disfigure its skyline and of privatization potentially leading to less than optimal conservation of its monuments. The phenomenon of the European Heritage Days was praised as a wonderful opportunity for people to experience the often lost or forgotten feeling of enchantment gained through the beauty and harmony of Europe’s built and natural Cultural Heritage. An appreciation of the uniqueness of Europe ’s Cultural Heritage, of its diversity but also of its common elements, builds a sense of European citizenship in the participating public. On Friday 22 September a Colloquy was held at the State Memorial Estate Museum “Tsarskoye Selo” , Catherine the Great’s Summer Palace . The stunning setting of the Catherine Palace, with its sky-blue walls and white Classical columns and architectural elements and the gilded hall were the meeting took place, provided the inspiring setting for the theme of the Colloquy: “The Values of Europe’s Cultural Heritage”. The aims of the colloquy were to explore the values of Europe ’s cultural heritage for its citizens, its countries, its cities and villages, as well as for Europe ’s future in the modern world. It was also to illustrate the importance of Russian cultural heritage as an integral part of Europe ’s cultural heritage. The need for ever closer European cooperation between public authorities and civil society were demonstrated and the “Declaration of Tsarskoye Selo” was produced and approved, stating the importance of Europe ’s Cultural Heritage and calling for stronger and more intense activities to promote it. The first speaker of the colloquy was the Minister of Culture and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation, Mr Alexander Sokolov, followed by Mr Sergey Tarasov, Vice-Governor of St Petersburg, Mrs Gabriella Battaini-Dragonie, Director General, Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe, and Ms Odile Quintin, Director General, Education and Culture Directorate General of the European Commission. The colloquy was broken down into sessions. The first, The Benefits of Cultural Heritage to Society covered ‘Heritage as an asset for sustainable development’, and ‘Heritage as a tool for civic education’. The second session, Safeguarding and managing cultural heritage in Europe: Innovative practices, highlighted ‘Exemplary initiatives by public authorities and by non-governmental players’. Speeches and interventions were made by a wide range of experts in the field from international bodies as ICOMOS, UNESCO and ICCROM and from representatives of civil society in both the Russian Federation and Europe. The colloquy was also well attended by all levels of government authorities, and by members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The colloquy was closed by Vladimir Sucha, Dirctor for Culture and Communication of the European Commission and by Daniel Thérond, Head of Department of the Department of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Council of Europe. Daniel Thérond touched on the values of the excellent Cultural Heritage enjoyed by European citizens, and the importance of solidarity and partnership between the players in the Heritage field in all European countries, especially to assist those in countries in transition. The Russian hosts of the European Heritage Days events went out of their way to show the participants of the colloquy the best of St Petersburg’s built heritage. Guided tours were given at the Catherine Palace “Tsarskoye Selo” and the Yusupovsky Palace where a reception was held at the end of the colloquy. A boat tour through the beautiful and varied canals of St Petersburg gave participants of view of the city from a different angle. Also offered for visiting were the neo-traditional “Saviour on Blood” Cathedral, the Palace of A.A. Bezborodko and the St Petersburg Opera in the Von Derviz House. Participants were awed by the variety and richness of the Cultural Heritage of St Petersburg and a true feeling of solidarity was created during the days to which all were privileged to attend. |
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| EHDs website Launch of EHDs in pictures |
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