Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
celebrations in 2003, much of the historic heart was restored at vast expense, although
efforts are still continuing today.
Everyone agrees that the total regeneration of New Holland (
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) being undertaken by Roman Abramovich will probably be one of the
most exciting of the next decade. The hot rumour is that as well as being
a cultural centre, Abramovich will use the island to display his stellar con-
temporary art collection, which would really put St Petersburg on the map
of the international art world.
The governorship of Valentina Matvienko (2003-11) was marked by a shift from
preservation to construction, and the city saw a large growth in new building projects
during this time, not always to the delight of campaigners for the protection of St
Petersburg's architectural heritage, or Unesco, which awarded St Petersburg's historic
centre World Heritage status in 1990. The most noteworthy of contemporary architec-
ture projects in St Petersburg are the construction of the Mariinsky Second Stage (
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) next to the Mariinsky Theatre, and, even more controversially, the
ally slated to be built next to the Smolny Cathedral but after worldwide condemnation
and an unusually strong local protest movement it was relocated far from the city
centre.
