June 6, 7:30 pm
The Northern Capital boasts the largest volume of industrial property of any Russian city. Since the days of Peter the Great, industry both military and civil has formed an important component of the city’s life, and has shaped its appearance together with the other functions of a capital city, be they administrative, educational or religious. The magnificent complex of New Holland island is just one shining example of this utilitarian architecture. An important role in the city’s architectural development was also played by the pursuits of post-revolutionary architects and engineers.
The lecture will focus not only on the glorious past of St Petersburg’s industrial heritage, but also on how these buildings are used today, at a time when production and manufacturing across the world are being moved out of urban centres. “In Russia at the moment the significance of our industrial heritage is not properly understood, and it is not only investors who are blind to its potential, but also the general educated public. In our city, the need to work out a strategy for renovating industrial territory is ling overdue,” Margarita Sergeevna observes.
Margarita Shtiglitz is professor at the A.L. Shtiglits St Petersburg State Academy for the Arts and Industry, a board member of the St Petersburg branch of the Russian Federation Union of Architects, and a member of the St Petersburg City Government Council for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. Shtiglitz specializes in the history of St Petersburg’s industrial architecture and the architecture of the Soviet avant-garde. She has written numerous books and over 150 publications on the subject in both Russian and international periodicals, as well as being the author of official historical-cultural expert guidelines for the preservation of cultural heritage sites.
This lecture is organized in collaboration with the magazine Project Baltia.Admission is free of charge. The number of participants is limited. Please register in advance.
