The International Exhibition DENKMAL 2010 (Monument 2010) in Leipzig
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“Only in unity…”
The International Exhibition DENKMAL 2010 (the Monument) was held in Leipzig in November 18-20, 2010 under the patronage of UNESCO. More than 400 exponents from Russia, Poland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and some other countries participated in the exhibition. During the two days of work the exhibition welcomed over 13000 visitors.
The first DENKMAL Exhibition was organized 16 years ago, in 1994. It was not by accident that Leipzig was chosen as the exhibition venue. This city, called the home of monuments in Germany, has 15000 cultural objects supervized by the national service for protection of monuments, including the Europe's famous Monument to the Battle of Nations.
The Forum gathered restorers, specialists on culture, architects, archaeologists, historians , i.e. all the professionals in the field of preserving cultural heritage from different countries and continents.
The opening ceremony heard greeting speeches by Andreas Muller, First burgomaster and deputy ober-burgomaster of Leipzig; Christian Manhart, Chief of the Sections of Museums and Cultural Objects (UNESCO); Piotr Zukowski, state secretary for the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, and others.
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It was the best restoration works from the latest years that Russia presented at the exhibition. The collective exposition “Restoration and Preservation of historical and cultural heritage in Russia” was awarded a golden medal “For the excellent documentation provision of the activity for Restoration and Preservation of Cultural Heritage”.
Under the auspices of the Department for cultural heritage, Moscow showed a stand “Moscow's restorers. Kind artists of their time”. Along with such important restoration projects as the Bolshoi theater building, the “Worker and Kolhoz Woman” sculpture and the “Ukraine” hotel, the visitors could see the exposition by the International Centre of the Roerichs on the restoration of the Lopukhins' Estate, historical and cultural monument from the XVII-XIX centuries.
“The antiquity keeps accumulating more and more tasks around itself that can not be solved solely by the scientists, but only in unity with artists, architects and writers“- these acute words, written by Nicholas Roerich over a century ago in his travel diaries, became a motto for the Moscow's exposition.
Russian specialists held the DENKMAL Moscow project presentation, a round-table and a meeting with representatives for diverse organizations and institutions during the exhibition. Irina Savina, Deputy Head of the Moscow Department of cultural heritage, highlighted the importance of the Roerich Pact for the cause of preserving cultural monuments and drew the specialists' attention to the scientific approach to the restoration of the Lopukhins' estate, maintained on a highly professional level. This work was listed as one of the Russia's hundred best-restored objects in the last two years.
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The International Centre of the Roerichs was awarded an honorary diploma for the participation in the exhibition. The Centre was represented by the chief building and restoration specialist V. Rodionov, chief architect I. Krasavtseva-Baida and chief architect of the Central scientific restoration design workshops I. Lubimova, the original creator of the Lopukhins' estate restoration project.
“The importance of such exhibitions can hardly be overestimated. Firstly, it was organized on a highly professional level. Secondly, it became a perfect platform for making professional contacts, exchanging experience, learning about new technologies. The exhibition had a flow of mutual respect, understanding and unity for the common cause of preservation and revival of Culture”, I. Krasavtseva-Baida noted.
The DENKMAL-2010 saw multiple international meetings, seminars and workshops, as well as field trips for the participants.
DENKMAL, held biennially in Leipzig under the patronage of UNESCO, is one of the most important exhibitions in Europe for the specialist in architecture and restoration, heads of building companies and all those interested in culture and art. DENKMAL focuses on the issues of restoring and preserving objects of cultural heritage and developing restoration technologies and crafts.