Notes 15th

·        Introductory presentation: Polish case studies of “top-down” and “bottom-up” strategies for financing heritage projects (Aleksandra Czyzewska). Spatial and strategic planning are integrated via development strategies that can get EU funds. Problems with regenerating historic city centers—addressing socioeconomic issues for jobless residents of historic centers, particularly when ownership is unclear. Development is not necessarily just driven by the market; historic districts must be carefully regulated by a Master Plan. Plans must be long-term—they should not be subject to major change or cancelation with each election.

·        Cultural Landscapes of Ukraine (Anna Zviriaka) National Ministry of Culture in Ukraine, responsible for coordinating protection of heritage places. It plans projects and coordinates public relations. Cultural landscapes incorporates multiple manmade elements (archaeological sites, structures, parks, green spaces) of heritage with natural heritage. Saving entire complexes rather than just individual buildings, which protects context. Landscape preservation requires a lot of research beforehand in order to research and incorporate the histories and present needs of all elements (using international forms and guidelines). Case study: Bugo-Gardovskiy landscape in Sabarozhia (urban landscape) incorporates all these various sites covering about 5km. The archaeological sites in particular are unique, including a canyon (once a river). The presenter described the historical and cultural significance of three cultural landscapes in Ukraine, as well as how their elements were documented and managed.

·        Armenian Industrial Landscapes (Gagik Sukhudyan). Natural resource extraction in Armenia led to changes in the natural landscape. Although the natural environment was often damaged by these activities, the industrial aspects have nevertheless become part of the country’s history, particularly dating from the Soviet era. Two sites in particular, Alaverdi and [place] are representative of Armenia’s industrial legacy. Up to the present, mining and industrial waste has been dumped into rivers, facilitated by corruption and compliance on the part of the government. These ecological problems violate European environmental standards, and at this point have become an impossibly complex problem. This becomes a particularly acute problem in earthquake regions, where seismic activity can cause damage to the industrial facilities and pollute surrounding areas. Government wants to clear a forest to make way for a pyramid, the “7th wonder of the world.” Making a petition against government environmental policies.  

·        Establishment and Management of Mtskheta’s World Heritage Monument (Konstantine Amirejibi) Collaboration with UNESCO experts on development of Mtskheta application; the zones of the city were first established. In doing so, some mistakes were discovered and corrected in the government documents regarding the borders on Mtskheta’s main monuments (Svetitskhoveli, etc.) Completed a viewshed analysis (using human views and aerial views) to further delineate historic borders. He described some of the main components of the landscape. Today, the historic districts of Mtskheta are threatened by government projects that do not respect the historic fabric.

·        Short Q&A and discussion about the morning presentations.

·        Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage in Georgia’s Kobuleti Lowlands (Nino Iniashvili, Izolda Machutadze). The current projects include archaeological excavations dating to the period of Colchis. Conservation has become an issue, as the water levels in the Black Sea have changed over the last few years. Excavations yielded rich finds showing Greek influences in pottery and metal-work. Salvage excavations were carried out in response to protests about building foundations being dug in the archaeologically rich region. Kolkheti peat bogs, a biodiversity hotspot, also contain evidence of pre-Christian settlements and are quite well-protected. This site was nominated for UNESCO’s world heritage list, but problems arose with the application as parts of the total territory are located in Turkey. Hopefully, funding will help start a program of ecotourism and general infrastructure development.

·        Problems of Preservation of the Architectural Environment of Regions of Repatriates of Yerevan (Emma Harutyunyan) The role of historic outer neighborhoods—these areas are usually neglected, because they aren’t as visible as the historic downtown cores. These areas were not inhabited until later, but are still a testament to historic events and population movements. Beautiful examples of Yerevan’s urban vernacular are preserved here, although most people don’t know it, and lack of knowledge about it means that buildings are lost quite often.

·        Problems of Preservation of Visual Disclosure of Historic Landscapes as an Example of Kiev (Liubov Apostolova-Sossa) The left and right banks of the Dneiper River are both important landscapes incorporating cultural and natural elements. The river itself contains islands without any significant built-up areas, providing a place for rest and recreation in a green space.  Discussion of the preservation of landscapes within the context of urban development (addressing housing shortages and economic growth). Legislation regulates individual heritage buildings, but not entire landscapes.

·        Group discussion

·        Closing presentation on Polish case studies of public participation in revitalization programs (Aleksandra Czyzewska).

Notes 16th

·        Opening movie on financing and getting expertise for revitalization projects, particularly facing these challenges in a post-Soviet country without legal or political infrastructure (Aleksandra Czyzweska). 

·        Discussion about international funding sources. Cultural landscapes present unique opportunities for funding, because they are also about environmental conservation. Monuments with significance to other countries can be jointly funded (German monuments in Poland). Konstantine Amirejibi discussed problems facing Mtskheta, including some problems created by the government.

·        Presentation on revitalization program planning and financing.  Description of funding and initiatives available for cultural revitalizations. Money for hard (construction, renovation) projects and soft (education, workshops, awareness) projects. Funds are often attached to goals that address social and economic problems in addition to culture. The EU prioritizes the reduction of social and economic issues in its now-expanded area, but some programs require that resulting projects generate income and will be able to function independently. Ownership structure can be a significant factor in planning projects. PPP (public-private partnerships) have been proposed as a solution to investments for infill design in historic districts, and was effective in Poland. (Aleksandra C.)

·        Case study of royal properties in Poland.

Discussion of future workshops:

Legal procedures; legislation on cultural and environmental conservation

Public participation (coordination of public initiatives)

Public-private negotiations

Education and awareness (addressing the low level of public knowledge about conservation issues at all levels: school, university, public administration)

Note by Angela Wheeler