On November 27, the Spiritual and Educational Center of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra will host a research conference entitled “Architecture of the Spirit: Building a Temple.”

The practical discussion, moderated by Philip Tyshkovsky from the Repin Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, will feature the following participants:

- Dmitry Borunov, diocesan architect of St. Petersburg,

- Elena Skryleva, architect-restorer at Liteinaya Chast 91,

- Alexei Mikhailov, honorary architect-restorer of St. Petersburg, “ACM Group,”

- Ekaterina Kuznetsova, architect of the “Creating World” foundation.

With the support of the company “Meeting,” the Association of Architectural Workshops, and the author’s media project “Business Angel.”

“St. Petersburg is so completely unlike anything I have ever seen before that I would probably be happy just to wander around it for days on end, doing nothing else. We walked the length of Nevsky Prospect, which is about three miles long and lined with many beautiful buildings. It must be one of the most beautiful streets in the world.”

Lewis Carroll

July 28, 1867

If anyone still thinks that identifying historical buildings in the mountainous part of Ingushetia is an easy job—just show up, take a look, snap some photos, jot something down in a notebook, and you're done—you are sorely mistaken.

Work on each complex and each local site begins with clearing the area, which often takes several days. Clearing dozens of trees and bushes, whose root systems are destroying unique monuments, is hard physical labor.

Only after the tower complex has been completely cleared do three groups of specialists take turns studying, describing, recording, and scanning unique medieval objects.

Often, the full cycle of field work on just one complex takes almost a month.

The work is carried out by ACM Group with the full support of the SAFMAR Charitable Foundation.

The B.V. Vedenev Hydroengineering Institute on Gzhatskaya Street in St. Petersburg has been recognized as a monument of regional significance.

In 1899, a decision was made to build a Polytechnic Institute in the capital, based on the Faculty of Water Management, which later became the Hydroengineering Institute. The institute was built between 1930 and 1934 according to a design by architect Tevel Shapiro.

The facades were decorated in the constructivist style with neoclassical elements. The main facade is accentuated by a wide, massive risalit with a stone staircase and double columns. The upper part of the front facade depicts figures of workers with jackhammers building a hydroelectric power station, behind them in niches is a dam from which water flows in waves. Below on the facade are scientists: Archimedes, Newton, and Pascal.

Based on materials from the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg.

“ACM Group” has completed the preparation of illustrated programs for the upcoming restoration and conservation of cultural heritage sites located in the tower complexes of Ingushetia. The programs, developed on the basis of previously conducted work on the identification and registration of monuments, cover only those complexes planned for restoration with the help of the SAFMAR Charitable Foundation. Previous research and survey work to identify unaccounted cultural heritage sites has made it possible to prepare the most comprehensive and accurate individual program for each of these unique complexes.

The programs have been prepared for 19 architectural complexes in Ingushetia.

At the Lower Pui Tower Complex in mountainous Ingushetia, in one of the residential towers soon to undergo restoration under the ACM Group project, a museum dedicated to the Civil War and, in particular, to the Georgian revolutionary Sergo Ordzhonikidze, one of the highest leaders of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Soviet state, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2026. The museum will feature models of weapons from the Civil War, and a wax figure of the fiery revolutionary will be installed on the grounds of the complex.

During archaeological work at the Thaba-Yerdy Temple, a cultural heritage site of federal significance in mountainous Ingushetia, archaeologists discovered preserved fragments of earlier stone floors of this unique temple at a depth of about 30 centimeters.

Archaeological work continues with the permission of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the full support of the SAFMAR Charitable Foundation.

Today, specialists from ACM Group conducted another inspection of the combat tower of the Meller architectural complex in mountainous Ingushetia. Expanded vertical cracks covering almost the entire height of the tower raise serious concerns about its condition. In addition to the walls, the cracks have seriously damaged the internal stone vault. Through cracks, through which one can insert a hand, clearly indicate that the tower is in a critical condition. Urgent emergency work is needed on this unique architectural monument.

“ACM Group” continues to identify unregistered historical buildings in the mountainous region of Ingushetia and add them to the Unified Electronic Database of Monuments in Ingushetia, which is being created by the company with the full support of the SAFMAR Charitable Foundation. Buildings that have the characteristics of cultural heritage sites must also be entered into the Register of Cultural Heritage Sites of Ingushetia for their legal and actual protection.

The ACM Group team has completed its work on studying and identifying buildings and steles in the hard-to-reach Kiazhi-Gala Tower Complex, also known as Lezhg. The existing register contains seven cultural heritage sites, including residential towers, ruins, and crypts. ACM Group specialists have identified 21 more historical monuments at the Lezhg complex that possess the characteristics of cultural heritage sites, including towers, crypts, and steles.

“ACM Group” sent 21 applications to the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of Ingushetia to include the identified sites in the Register of Newly Identified Cultural Heritage Sites of Ingushetia. We hope that within 90 working days, 21 more sites will legally become identified sites of the Russian Federation and take their rightful place among other unique monuments of the country. “ACM Group” is ready to provide all additional assistance necessary to legally protect the unique towers, crypts, and steles of the Lezhg Tower Complex.

Incidentally, during an inspection of one of the towers in the complex, a unique inscription was discovered on a preserved wooden historical lintel: “3.10.1928. Vyshegurov.”

The mansion of Nestor Nikiforovich Kaigorodov at 29 Teresa Avenue in St. Petersburg has been designated a monument of regional significance.

The exact date of construction of the two-story building is unknown, but the building itself and several courtyard structures are already marked on a map from 1858.

In 1905, Nestor Kaigorodov was stripped of his rank and dismissed from his post as commandant of the Sveaborg Fortress. He then settled in Lesnoy and became chairman of the “Society for the Assistance of Students of Prince Oldenburg's Lesnoy Girls' Gymnasium” and a member of the Russian Technical Society.

The brick mansion with a mezzanine is one of the few surviving buildings in Lesnoy and is the only remaining reminder of the history of the development of the Lesnoy area in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Based on materials from the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg.

The former almshouse for elderly members of the Society for the Assistance of Clerks and Servants at 87 Kondratievsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg has been recognized as a regional monument.

The almshouse and its church were built in 1901-1903 according to a design by civil engineer Nikolai Nikitin. The first floor was intended for the apartments of the priest, cantor, and administration, while the second floor was occupied by the church and rooms for the poor.

The facades of the building are eclectic in style.

In 1924, the church and the almshouse itself were closed, and the building was occupied by the 149th Soviet Labor School. In 1940 and during the Great Patriotic War, it housed an elementary school.

Based on materials from the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg.

Restoration work continues in the Smolny Monastery courtyard. Two churches, St. Zachariah and Elizabeth and St. Alexander Nevsky, were completely restored in 2021. Currently, the main focus is on St. Catherine's Church, where ancient decorations have been found inside. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2027.

At the same time, the building with the tower is being repaired. The exterior has already been restored, and now the interior is being worked on. It was discovered that the building does not have its own outer wall; it simply adjoins the fence. This historical feature is planned to be preserved.

Based on materials from the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg.

Tomorrow, the grand opening of the first historical gates recreated by ASM Group in Priory Park in Gatchina is planned. A report from the opening in Priory Park will be available tomorrow.

The first edition of a historical guidebook to one of St. Petersburg's historic districts, Peski, is being prepared for publication, featuring remarkable illustrations by the author, Victoria Konyshkova, created using digital techniques.

A remarkable publication with luxurious illustrations is expected!

This is how wonderful the courtyard of Nikolsky Rows looks today—a cultural heritage site of federal significance, Nikolsky Market, located at 62 Sadovaya Street in St. Petersburg.

A joint project by Liteinaya Chast 91 and ACM Group.

“ACM Group” begins work at the Russian State Archive of Ancient Manuscripts in Moscow. Files and archival materials on the history of Ingushetia from the archive’s holdings have already been ordered.

The work is being carried out with the full support of the SAFMAR Charitable Foundation.

An exhibition entitled “Love and Honor of His Title: On the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Architect Carlo Rossi” has opened at the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The name Carlo Rossi has become a symbol of architectural perfection in Russia's northern capital. His ensembles embodied the ideals of harmony and grandeur, defining the appearance of 19th-century St. Petersburg. The new exhibition invites visitors to trace the master's creative path, from his first student experiments to the grandiose projects that changed the cityscape. The exhibition features more than 150 authentic works—designs, drawings, sketches, and decorative art objects created based on the architect's drawings.

The exhibition will run until March 1.

In December and January, the Myasnikov Mansion at 45 Vosstaniya Street in St. Petersburg will host the Christmas market “The Magical Land of Dreams.”

For the first time, the first floor of the mansion will be dedicated to the jewelry art of Kostroma, the birthplace of Snegurochka and the jewelry capital of Russia. The Red Living Room on the first floor will also be open to guests, hosting master classes and lectures on art and fashion.

The market is organized by the Myasnikov Mansion, and the restored interiors are by the ACM team.

“ACM Group” has embarked on a comprehensive project to restore and adapt the former provisions warehouses on Zubovsky Boulevard in Moscow into the much-needed modern “Museum of Moscow.”

The warehouse complex was built in 1835 based on a design by architects V. Stasov and F. Shestakov. Historically, the warehouses were intended for storing food for military units stationed in the Khamovniki, Spassky, and Lefortovo barracks.

An interesting history and a fascinating, ambitious project.

On December 6 and 7, the Association of Architectural Workshops will hold its first winter event, “Architectural Christmas Tree,” at the Lenpoligramash lecture hall.

Topics:

- What is an architectural workshop? How can a novice specialist get there?

- What to choose? Go to a large bureau with a large staff or a small team?

- How to grow within a bureau? How not to lose interest, find something new in the profession, and not burn out?

OAM architects will share their experience.

In addition, the moderator, the esteemed Ilya Yusupov, will develop the topic “Who is an architect-restorer and how to become one,” and his questions will be answered by Elena Skryleva (Liteynaya Part 91), Alexey Mikhailov ( ACM Group), and Igor Pasechnik (Spetsproektrestavratsiya).

The results of the Architectural Photography Competition will also be announced.

The discussion part of the conference is in full swing, taking the form of an open conversation and questions from the audience.

Speakers:

- Dmitry Borunov, diocesan architect of St. Petersburg.

- Alexey Mikhailov, architect-restorer, founder of the ACM workshop.

- Dmitry Ostroumov, architect, Master of Theology, head of the Prokharam workshop, editor-in-chief of the almanac “Word and Stone.”

- Elena Skryleva, architect-restorer, founder of the “Litaynaya Chast 91” workshop.

- Ekaterina Boyarskaya, theater scholar, translator, writer, head of a public initiative to rebuild the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in Komarovo.

- Evgeny Raskato, rector of St. Anne's Church in St. Petersburg (Annenkirche).

- Andrei Shcherban, rector of the Church of the Nativity of Christ on the Sands.

- Ekaterina Kuznetsova, head of the “Church Construction” department of the “Creating the World” foundation.

- Maria Ivanova, investment director of NordEst Group.