Constructive Dialogue
First International Forum "Preservation of the Cultural Heritage"
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The International Centre of the Roerichs took part in the First International Forum "Preservation of the Cultural Heritage" which was held on November 22-25, 2011 in the All-Russian Exhibition Centre, Moscow.
The Forum was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Russia and the Committee on Culture of the State Duma of Russia.
In the Forum opening ceremony the following persons took part: Ms. G.I. Malanicheva,Chairperson of the Central Council of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments; Mr. A.V. Rabotkevich, Deputy Director of the Department of State control and supervision in the field of cultural heritage of the Ministry of Culture of Russia; Mr. A.V. Bokov, President of All-Russian public organization "Union of Architects of Russia"; Mr. A.N. Lesovoy, Director General of the Igor Grabar All-Russian Research and Restoration Center; Mr. S.N. Karpov, Director General of the Russian Research and Production Centre "Intelcom"; Mr. Y.A. Vedenin, Director of the Russian Scientific and Research Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage named after D.S. Lihachev; and Mr. V.V. Znamenov, President of State Museum "Peterhof".
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The international exhibition "The Industry of Cultural Heritage Restoration, Conservation, Protection and Popularization of Cultural Heritage" was opened within the framework of the Forum.
Mrs. Irina R. Krasavtseva-Baida, Chief Architect of the ICR, and Ms. Maria A. Titova, Senior Researcher of the artistic fund of the Museum named after Nicholas Roerich, represented two large-scale restoration issues — the Lopukhins Estate, architectural monument of the 17-19 centuries, and the portrait of Helena Roerich by her son, Svetoslav Roerich.
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The exposition was visited by Mr. G.P. Ivliev, Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia; Mr. V.N. Ilumzhinov, First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Kalmykia Republic; Mr. A.V. Rabotkevich, Deputy Director of the Department of State control and supervision in the field of cultural heritage of the Ministry of Culture of Russia; Mr. A.V. Kibovsky, Head of Moscow Cultural Heritage Department; Ms. G.I. Malanicheva,Chairperson of the Central Council of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, and others.
The Forum’s programme included a plenum of the Central Council of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments dedicated to the 45th anniversary of its creation.
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Mr. Alexander V. Stetsenko, First Deputy Director General of the Museum named after Nicholas Roerich, read a greeting address on behalf of Madam L.V. Shaposhnikova, Director General of the Museum named after Nicholas Roerich, and handled the sculpture "Saint Sergius of Ranonezh. The Unifier" by young Ukrainian sculptor Alexey Leonov to G.I. Malanicheva. The sculpture’s prototype was the painting "Saint Sergius of Radonezh" by N. Roerich.
The ICR presentation "Destroyed by human delusion, restored by human hope..." was held at the Forum. Mr. Pavel Zhuravikhin, Executive Secretary of the ICR, told that 22 years ago Svetoslav Roerich fulfilled the parents’ will and passed his family’s scientific and philosophical heritage from India to Russia. He chose to initiate the Museum at the historical complex “The Lopukhins Estate”. Mrs. Irina R. Krasavtseva-Baida, Chief Architect of the ICR, detailed the process of the restoration that saved this architectural monument from utter destruction.
The forum ended with the award ceremony, during which the participants received honorary diplomas. Mrs. Irina R. Krasavtseva-Baida, Chief Architect of the ICR, was awarded with the medal of All-Russia Exhibition Centre for her contribution in the field of cultural heritage preservation.