Published on: 2026-05-19
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Meeting participants
A reunion of the class of 1996 was held at the Saint Petersburg State Architecture and Construction University, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of their graduation. After a decade, former students gathered again within the walls of their alma mater to see each other, recall their years of study, and once more walk through the places where their professional journey once began.
Head of the NTB Elena Romanova is giving a tour of the scientific-technical library
The dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, professor of the Department of Construction Management, met the guestsGalina Tokunova.An overview tour of the university was organized for the graduates. The graduates visited the museum, the library, walked through familiar corridors, and visited the Hall of the Academic Council.
In the library. In the center – Galina Tokunova
One of the main guests of the meeting wasViktor Borisovich ZverevA – a person whose professional biography is inextricably linked with the university, who has dedicated more than 50 years to working at SPbGASU. In 1969 he joined LISI (now SPbGASU) as a senior laboratory assistant in the Department of Building Materials. Later he worked as a senior engineer in the research sector, defended his candidate’s dissertation, became an associate professor, head of the Department of Building Materials, head of the Center for Testing Building Materials, and for over 20 years headed the Faculty of Civil Engineering as dean.
Viktor Zverev
In addition, Viktor Borisovich performed the duties of Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs in 2013, during one of the most difficult and responsible periods – precisely at the time of the university’s accreditation.
– Usually, preparation for accreditation takes several years, and I was appointed acting vice-rector literally six months before it started, but we successfully passed this test, – he recalls.
Today Viktor Borisovich is 81 years old. He wasn’t at the university for several years, so returning to the familiar walls became especially emotional for him.
– Of course, if you have worked here your whole life, the memories remain very different – both good and difficult, – he shared.
During the tour, Viktor Borisovich attentively inspected the renovated university spaces and noted how the Academic Council hall has changed:
– Previously it was called the Lenin Hall. Since then, the room has been greatly transformed, becoming modern and comfortable for holding conferences and meetings.
Speaking about the year of work at the university, Viktor Borisovich admitted that SPbGASU became not just a workplace for him, but an important part of his life.
– A Dean is not just a position. Every day, people come with their questions, problems, and concerns. And a teacher must always remember that they work for the students, not the other way around, he emphasized.
According to graduates, it is precisely the teachers and the atmosphere of the university that remain the main parts of their memories about their student years decades later. The head student of the graduating classRoman Pavilainentold that the preparation for the meeting took a lot of time.
“– I was the class monitor, so I decided to gather everyone for the 30th anniversary of graduation. We searched for a very long time. The last person was found literally two days before the meeting,” he shared.
Especially graduates from the hotel will see specifically Viktor Borisovich Zverev.
– I wrote in the general chat: “Guys, who are you going to meet at the university with?” Everyone wrote only one surname – Zverev. We were walking through the institute, and people continued to greet him. A true legend.
Graduates admit: studying at LISi/SPbGASU became their main professional success. Some continued their careers in the construction industry, some linked their lives with economics, management and investments. The head of the graduating class said that after graduating from university, he continued his education and later engaged in real estate investments.
– Theory and practice, of course, differ. But without the foundation provided by the university, it is impossible to move forward. After graduation, you continue to learn in the “institute called life,” Roman Pavilainen noted.
At the end of the meeting, the graduates did not part ways for a long time: they took photos, discussed their student years, and recalled the teachers who influenced their professional and life paths. After 30 years, the university once again brought together people for whom SPbGASU forever remained a part of their personal history.
Please note; this information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source asserts and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.