Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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A new section has been opened on the Active Citizen project website. voteParticipants will determine the best restoration project of 2025, according to Muscovites. Residents will have to choose from five options. Among them are the fairytale tower on Tverskaya Street—the Savvinskoye Podvorye; the UNESCO World Heritage Site—the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve; the only building at VDNKh decorated with wooden sculptures—Pavilion No. 67 "Soviet Press" (formerly the "Karelo-Finnish SSR"); the Swiss House at the Kuskovo Estate, inspired by Alpine chalets; and the Egyptian Pavilion at the Ostankino Estate—an authentic 18th-century wooden palace.
"The annual 'Moscow Restoration' competition is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Traditionally, Muscovites themselves choose the winner in one of the competition's categories. They will choose which of the five nominees impressed them most, so that at the gala ceremony, the title of 'Best Restoration Object According to Participants of the Active Citizen Project' goes to a truly 'people's' object," noted the head of the capital's Department of Cultural Heritage.
Thus, city residents can choose the Savvinskoye Podvorye as the best building. This building, constructed in the neo-Russian style and adorned with elegant turrets and windows of various shapes, was restored to its original appearance by over 150 specialists: artists, ceramicists, plasterers, marble experts, and professionals from other fields. They completed a full range of restoration work on the facades and interiors of the entrance halls. During the restoration, they not only restored the surviving architectural elements of the building but also uncovered details hidden behind later finishing: advertising signs, a marble arch, plaster moldings, and windows with Falconnier bricks. Special attention was paid to the restoration of the painted ceramic tiles, created based on sketches by the building's architect, Ivan Kuznetsov. Meticulous work in selecting the right glaze shades made the recreated tiles indistinguishable from the originals.
The Russian Terem on Tverskaya Street: How the Savvinskoye Compound is being restoredRestoration of the fairytale tower on Tverskaya Street has been completed, Sobyanin said.
The Church of the Ascension of Our Lord in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve could win the competition. It is a true masterpiece of 16th-century architecture of global significance, one of the first stone tent-roofed churches in Rus'. In 1994, the building was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to legend, the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord was built by order of Vasily III, as a token of gratitude for the gift of a long-awaited heir—the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Scholars speculate that the architect was the Italian Pietro Annibale, or Pyotr Fryazin (Petrok Maloy), as he was known in Russia.
The meticulous restoration took two and a half years. Particular attention was paid to the tent roof: the brickwork was cleared of dirt and old plaster, and treated with a biocidal agent. It was then primed and painted. The church facades are adorned with white stone kokoshniks, architraves, carved capitals, and lancet windows. Specialists cleaned them and meticulously restored any damage.
The unique ancient staircase with stirrups on the temple's tent was also preserved. The first mention of it appears in 19th-century sources. Specialists cleaned the staircase, primed it with red lead, and painted it. The brickwork in the interiors was cleared of plaster, and repairs were made exclusively in the basements. The white stone elements of the capital with their expressive carvings and the royal seat—the canopy on the eastern façade, crowned with a keeled zakomara with a double-headed eagle—were also restored. While cleaning the unique decorative elements, specialists intentionally left traces of time—fragments of ochre, terracotta, and green pigment, as well as untouched areas of white stone.
The opening of the church is planned for the feast day of the Ascension of the Lord in May 2026.
Restoration of the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye is complete – Sobyanin
To win in votingThe Egyptian Pavilion of the Ostankino estate is also a contender. The estate itself is an authentic wooden palace from the late 18th century. It was built using a frame construction technique, very rare in Russia at that time. The central part of the palace is connected by single-story covered galleries to the Italian and Egyptian pavilions. The building and its interiors have been completely preserved to this day.
The palace is associated with the name of Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, one of the noble, wealthy, and enlightened aristocrats of his time. He built a palace theater complex with a transformable stage and auditorium. The theater's leading actress was Praskovia Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, a talented serf actress who later became Countess Sheremeteva.
The Egyptian Pavilion, built in the classical Roman style, is adorned with four historic stoves with sphinx sculptures. Restoration of both the facades and interiors was completed in the fall of 2025. Specialists restored over 700 square meters of authentic artistic parquet floors made from various wood species, intricate door panels decorated with gilded and silver-plated carvings, faux marble, hardware and moldings, and the stoves with sphinx sculptures. Following the completion of the work, the exhibition "Visiting Count Sheremetev" opened in the Egyptian Pavilion.
Visiting Count Sheremetev: The Ostankino estate's Egyptian pavilion opened to MuscovitesThe Egyptian pavilion at the Ostankino estate has been restored, according to the Moscow Mayor.
Active Citizens can vote for Pavilion No. 67, "Soviet Press" (formerly "Karelo-Finnish SSR"). It is the only building at VDNKh decorated with wooden sculptures and one of four whose decoration features wood carvings. The pavilion was built in 1954 according to a design by architects Farid Rekhmukov and Alexey Reznicenko.
The carved bas-relief "New Life" by sculptor Lev Kardashov and six wooden figures mounted on columns in the pediment of the main façade's portico are considered the pavilion's main decorations. The sculptures of a peasant woman and a worker occupy the center of the composition, flanked by young pine trees with fluffy needles. The bas-reliefs symbolize the republic's main economic sectors: forestry, agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing, as well as their mechanization and electrification.
During the restoration of the pediment, specialists carried out a gentle cleaning, restored lost elements, and coated the carved bas-relief and sculptures with protective compounds. Missing fragments were recreated by hand, maintaining the original 1950s carvings. Craftsmen restored the six-column portico's red granite columns with copper capitals and restored the terrazzo flooring. They also recreated the plaster bas-reliefs depicting northern workers and bronze chandeliers, and restored the unique Karelian birch portal.
Larch, Karelian birch, granite, and copper: how the Soviet Press pavilion at VDNKh is being restoredA multimedia exhibition, "Beyond the Far Far Away: Masterpieces of Russian Painting Come to Life," will open at VDNKh.
The Swiss House in the Kuskovo Estate rounds out the list of nominees. This federal cultural heritage site was built in the 19th century according to a design by architect Nikolai Benois. The Alpine chalet-style building stands out from the surrounding buildings: the first floor walls are painted to resemble brick, while the second floor is adorned with wood carvings. Restorers restored the plinth and foundation, and reinforced the stone first floor. The surfaces were cleaned, treated with special compounds, plastered, and painted to resemble brick. Particular attention was paid to the wooden frame: it was suspended using a special system, replacing damaged elements. The interior features restored historic stoves lined with white tiles. The Swiss House will open to Moscow residents and visitors for the first time after an exhibition is established there.
Moscow Heritage specialists have begun restoration of Count Sheremetev's Swiss chalet in the Kuskovo estate.Sobyanin reported on how the historical appearance of the Swiss House in Kuskovo is being preserved.
Vote prepared by the Active Citizen project in collaboration with Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow.
The awards ceremony for the competition's winners, including the voting winner, will take place in December.
The Moscow Restoration competition was created to develop the traditions of the Moscow school of restoration, promote its popularity, and generate public interest in historical and cultural monuments. This year marks the 15th time it is being held in the capital.
In 2025, the competition received over 100 applications for more than 40 historical and cultural monuments. Over the course of 14 years, 1,077 restoration companies and design organizations, chief project architects and restorers, and restoration project participants and organizers participated. 508 participants won prizes, with 267 sites recognized as the best.
Project Active Citizen has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined, and over seven thousand votes have been conducted. Every month, 30 to 40 "active citizens" decisions are implemented in the city. The project is being developed by the State Public Institution "New Management Technologies" and the Moscow Department of Information Technology.
The creation, development and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant and other services in electronic form, are consistent with the objectives of the national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State" and the Moscow regional project "Digital Public Administration." More information about Russia's national projects and the capital's contribution can be found atspecial page.
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