Switzerland to Present St. Petersburg with Floral Clock for 300th Anniversary

At the exhibition Saint Petersburg: 300 years of spiritual culture the consulate general of Switzerland in Saint Petersburg presented its programme of events for the celebration of the city's 300th anniversary. As a Rosbalt correspondent was told by Swiss Consul Madlen Isabel Lyuti, part of the programme has already been confirmed. For example it has already been announced that Mayor of Geneva Mr Ferradzino will arrive in Saint Petersburg on May 16, 2003 for the opening of a floral clock, which will be a symbol of Geneva and a present from Switzerland to Saint Petersburg. The clock will be planted by Swiss florists in the Alexandrovsky Garden and the clock will be run by a special mechanism. Different kinds of flowers will be planted according to the season of the year although it is likely that the clock may be stopped during the winter.

In May there will also be a presentation of the book 'The Swiss in Saint Petersburg', which 30 Swiss and 50 Russian experts helped to compile. On June 6-13 there will be an event called Days of Tichino, a Swiss canton which provided many of the architects of Saint Petersburg, including Domenico Trezzini. During this period there will be presentations of Tichino cooking, performances by Swiss theatres, lectures in the Science Academy and business negotiations between Russian and Swiss entrepreneurs.