Yaroslavl to create interactive cultural heritage map for investors

Work on the restoration of architectural monuments in Yaroslavl Oblast will unfold according to a new scenario and unite history and modern technology. The initiator of the project is PSB (Promsvyazbank) together with the regional government and the Union of Restorers of Russia. A corresponding tripartite cooperation agreement was signed the day before.

The main goal of the initiative is to pass on unique architecture to future generations in its original form. Restored architectural masterpieces will adorn cities and rural settlements, make Yaroslavl Oblast even more attractive to travelers, and open new opportunities for tourism development.

An important part of the launched project will be a digital navigator platform. It will be an online database with the maximum volume of data on each cultural heritage site in the region, as well as a detailed interactive map of cultural heritage objects. Users will be able to easily find the needed objects and study all the information of interest to them.

Thus, investors, developers, and representatives of professional expert communities will find data on the investment potential of objects for launching new projects. And tourists and residents of the oblast will be able, for example, to learn interesting facts about the history of each architectural gem.

The project will start with the restoration of the famous bell tower in the village of Porechye-Rybnoye. This 80-meter (262-foot) beauty, part of the ensemble of the Church of St. Nikita the Martyr, is officially recognized as the tallest rural bell tower in Russia. Masters will recreate the original appearance of the facades and restore wall paintings. Inside, the staircase will be completely renewed and safe transition platforms will be installed. A clock will be reinstalled on the tower, restoring its historical function. After the work is completed, the bell tower will become not just a monument, but a powerful tourist magnet.

— Restored architectural monuments will have a positive impact on the tourist potential of the region. Moreover, the signed agreement will help in the implementation of a long-term strategy for the preservation of cultural heritage sites across Russia, aimed at perpetuating the national heritage, — commented PSB Chairman Pyotr Fradkov.

— The center of Yaroslavl is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We are actively working to preserve these values: including monuments in the state register, interacting with federal colleagues and owners, freeing up historic buildings in the center of Yaroslavl for their further development, — noted Governor of Yaroslavl Oblast Mikhail Yevrayev.

Yaroslavl Oblast is home to a large number of settlements of particular significance for Russia«s cultural heritage: Rostov Veliky, Uglich, Tutayev, and the capital of the »Golden Ring« itself. It was here in the 17th century that the famous school of architecture originated, giving the world monumental monasteries, elegant wooden churches, unique tiles and realistic fresco painting.

— Our task is to preserve these monuments, breathing new life into them so that they become an asset for the development of the region and its citizens, — said President of the Union of Restorers of Russia Vyacheslav Fatin.

The initiators of the project are confident that thanks to this approach, architectural monuments will cease to be mere «pages of history» and turn into real growth points for Yaroslavl Oblast.