Published on: 2026-08-25
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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Round table
Female students of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Ulyana Motorina and Alina Leonti participated in a round table on the improvement of public spaces on the Solovetsky Islands.
The meeting took place on August 19 in the village of Solovetsky as part of the annual Solovetsky Orthodox Forum in memory of Saint Philip. The round table was organized by the ANO “Directorate of the Solovetsky Archipelago.” Representatives from the restoration and major repair department of the Solovetsky Monastery, the Fund for the Development and Preservation of the Solovetsky Archipelago, the local administration, and village residents participated in the discussion.
Ulyana Motorina and Alina Leonti became the winners of the open architectural competition for the design project of the shopping area, organized by the Directorate of the Solovetsky Archipelago in the spring of this year. Thanks to the victory, the students were able to come to Solovki and get to know the territory personally, which they had previously studied remotely.
During the round table, participants discussed the competition entry by the students and the specifics of the further development of public spaces. Special attention was paid by those gathered to the characteristic elements of improvement typical for Solovki. In particular, experts recommended refraining from using certain small architectural forms in order to minimize unwanted associations with the history of the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp.
According to the students, working on the project required a deep immersion into the features of the territory, since during the competition stage they worked remotely. The trip to Solovki allowed them to gain new impressions and make additional conclusions for further work on the design project.
In the project refinement, it is planned to take into account the features of the terrain, existing landscaping and the preservation of trees on the designed sites, as well as the recommendations expressed by the round table participants.
In the future, Ulyana Motorina and Alina Leonti will continue working on the improvement project of the shopping area. It is expected that they will also participate in its implementation.
The meeting at Solovki became the first platform for an open discussion about the future of the settlement’s public spaces with the participation of restoration and architecture specialists, local administration representatives, residents, and young architects.
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