Nizhny Novgorod region strives to preserve cultural heritage

A board meeting of the Regional Department of State Cultural Heritage Preservation took place in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Governor Valery Shantsev took part in the meeting.

"In the region, a lot of new objects are being built: the Volga Bridge, the metro bridge, Southern Bypass. But at the same time, when building road junctions, modern buildings and hotel complexes, we must preserve what we have left from previous generations - what serves as a vivid expression of the culture of previous centuries. This work is not easy, but one needs to be engaged into it very seriously," said Valery Shantsev.

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The year 2013 was declared the Year of Cultural Heritage in the Nizhny Novgorod region. As the head of the region said, there are about 3,500 monuments in the Nizhny Novgorod region today; about 600 of them are located in the regional capital. At the same time, some of them need restoration.

Under the federal law, it is the owners of monuments who carry responsibility for maintaining objects of cultural heritage. Today, the regional authorities aim to tighten control over the owners of cultural heritage objects in the region.

The funds to preserve the cultural heritage of the Nizhny Novgorod region are allocated annually. The funding for these purposes grows. In 2013, the budget allocated 850 million rubles, while in 2012 - 710 million rubles, officials with the regional government noted.

Another area of ​​work is to develop scientific and project documentation and establish security zones of cultural heritage. Currently, security zones for cultural heritage objects have been developed for 80 percent of the economically active territories of the region.

"In comparison with other cities of the Volga Federal District in terms of restoration, the Nizhny Novgorod region takes the lead, - the head of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Russian Association of Restorers, Vladimir Molokanov said. - Over the past few years we have restored Zachatskaya Tower, Sirotkins House, Rukavishnikov's manors and dozens of other monuments. That is, the work that has been conducted in the region during these several years exceeds everything that had been done during the previous ten years, at least."

Noteworthy, according to the Department of State Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Nizhny Novgorod region, the share region's objects, the condition of which can be referred to as satisfactory, makes up 73 percent, which is well above the national average.