The Governor of St. Petersburg spoke about the results of the UNESCO World Heritage Center mission's visit to the city in January 2026.

"We act within the law, not just whatever we want. They have their violations, but we do everything according to order, as it should be. They recognize our advantage, the scientific advantage of our specialists; today, it's undeniable. When specialists come, it's generally easy to talk to them: professionals to professionals. But when political elements are mixed in, the conversation falls apart. In the matter of preserving cultural heritage, there are no higher standards than those we in St. Petersburg demand of ourselves. When our fathers and grandfathers, after the war and the siege, were restoring palaces in Pavlovsk, Pushkin, and Peterhof, destroyed and plundered by the Nazis, the relevant international organizations didn't even have the concept of restoration based on blueprints," the Governor noted.