Published on: 2026-09-28
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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The fifth, anniversary, exhibition “PROrestoration: Import substitution in restoration materials and technologies” has concluded in Moscow. The event once again brought together companies working on cultural heritage sites, material suppliers, design institutes, educational institutions, museums, as well as representatives from regions and foreign experts. The total exhibition area this year exceeded six thousand square meters.
“The exhibition not only showcased what we can be proud of in restoration, but also helped professionals find partners and like-minded people. We saw hundreds of live responses and a huge number of visitors—from professional restorers to very young Muscovites. Around 30,000 people participated in the exhibition over these days. Here, specialists presented more than 100 advanced domestic methods and solutions in the field of restoration. Participants were awaited by over 220 unique events: business programs, master classes, lectures, and conferences. Advanced developments in the restoration field were presented by 40 suppliers of special materials and more than 80 companies conducting work on the capital’s cultural heritage sites. We have seen that domestic materials are improving, technologies are confidently developing, and the restoration school in Moscow not only preserves traditions but also boldly looks to the future,” said the head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage.
Business program
As part of the business program, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences and achievements, as well as discuss current issues in the industry’s development.
The main focus was on topics such as monitoring and supervisory activities for the preservation of historical and cultural monuments, restoration of cultural heritage sites, their popularization, interaction with investors and patrons, as well as the preservation of archaeological heritage and others.
Foreign experts from Armenia, Belarus, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan took part in the discussion “International Experience in the Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments.” The participants of the round tables also discussed issues of preserving the cultural heritage sites of the peoples of the Russian Federation, innovations in project design and state expertise of projects, preservation of cultural heritage sites in border territories and new regions, and the nuances of the work of restoration engineers and technologists. In addition, during the business program, modern technologies of design and execution of works, import substitution, adaptation of cultural heritage sites for modern use, and artificial intelligence services in restoration were discussed.
At the section with investors and philanthropists, examples of successfully implemented cases of cultural heritage site preservation were presented. During the discussion, the conversation touched on the project economics and return on investments for investors, legal mechanisms, business motivation, and the role of private investments in the revival and development of historical territories.
Competition of Young Restorers
The exhibition traditionally featured competitions for young restorers. Ninety students from 29 universities and colleges across 12 regions of Russia, including the Donetsk People’s Republic, as well as students from Belarus and Kazakhstan, took part in them.
The competitions were held in 11 categories, including the restoration of terrazzo plasters and stone decor, monumental and easel oil painting, works made of wood, metal roofing, and stucco decoration.
As a result of the competitions, representatives of Moscow educational institutions won in four out of 11 competencies. In the direction of “Restoration of stucco decoration and plasterwork,” first place was taken by Alexander Altantsev and Anna Dromanova from the urban planning educational complex “Stolitsa.” In the competencies “Restoration of metal roofing” and “Color compliance: adaptation of the design color to a cultural heritage site,” the winners were students of the College of Architecture, Design, and Reengineering No. 26 (“26 KADR”), Denis Konovalov and Tatiana Polyakova. The best among young restorers in the competency “Color compliance: adaptation of the design color to a cultural heritage site” were Anna Lazareva and Vasilisa Zakharchuk-Molodets from the S.G. Stroganov Russian State University of Arts and Industry.
In addition, a student scientific conference was traditionally held as part of the exhibition. This year, 13 higher and secondary vocational education institutions from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Donetsk, Penza, and other cities participated in it.
The theme of the conference was “Preservation of Cultural Heritage.” This provided students with broad opportunities to present their research or practical work prepared during their studies. The scope of topics is always quite extensive: it includes restoration of specific objects of painting, stone, and wood, as well as professional practice at cultural heritage sites. For example, this year students from the Moscow Academic Art School presented a report titled “Experience of Restoration Practice at the Ostankino Estate.”
In addition, the students presented works mainly focused on research activities. For example, students from the National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering made a report titled “Graphic Reconstruction of the Fishermen’s Settlement in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky.” Considerable attention in the reports was also given to issues of adapting monuments for modern use. In particular, a student from the Russian State University named after A.N. Kosygin presented a report “Preservation of Historical Interiors under Conditions of Multifunctional Use on the Example of a Residential Stalinist High-Rise at Krasnye Vorota, 1953.”
Master classes
At the masterclasses, guests became acquainted with the techniques of artistic carving, restoration of icons and frescoes, application of gold and silver coatings on copper objects. Visitors had the opportunity to participate in stretching architectural forms and stucco, master the technology of producing glue from sturgeon fish, try their hand at watercolor painting, as well as learn how to restore books at home without special equipment.
One of the most popular master classes became a session on the art of creating mosaic panels and frescoes at the booth of the project “Children’s Restoration Workshops” in the capital. Department of Cultural Heritage. The project was launched in the spring of 2026 by the order of Vladimir Putin and Sergey Sobyanin. The program is designed for children aged six to eleven and focuses on introducing them to Moscow’s architectural monuments and the technologies used in their restoration.
The landscape workshop “Create Your Own Garden” was also popular among Muscovites and visitors to the capital. The most unusual activity was the restoration of a lost element of a woven chair seat: each participant made their own interior accessory and took it home. Visitors also highly appreciated the professional master classes “Restoration of fragments of wall paintings of Ancient Penjikent. Practical skills in revealing the paint layer” by the State Hermitage Museum, as well as “Strengthening inscriptions on woven bases of easel oil paintings” by the State Scientific Research Institute for Restoration.
Everyone interested was able to make ceramic products on an authentic potter’s wheel from the company “Ural Metlakh,” learn to use a vacuum table for restoring graphics at the “Art Technics” booth, as well as study the production of restoration mini-brick samples using a manual press under the guidance of experts from “Bashkir Brick.” Additionally, guests learned about the coverage properties of paints when applied to plaster from specialists at “Baumit” and tried out the gilding technique with gold leaf at the booth of the company “Argo.”
Together with the exhibition participants, visitors laid out several unique mosaics, completed the restoration of the architectural elements of the Grachevka estate in Khovrino, built a hut on the site of the “26 KADR” college, and treated the walls of the historic building of Ivan Sytin’s printing house with a special mixture.
Visitors to the exhibition learned about modern industry technologies, domestic materials and work methods, as well as saw architectural fragments from restoration sites. Among them were elements of facades and interiors of cultural heritage sites where work is being done or has recently been completed. In particular, one could see two restored monumental panels and an original chandelier from Pavilion No. 64 “Optics” at VDNH, sculptures of a caryatid and a lion from the Grachevka estate in Khovrino, among others.
For the first time, the exhibition featured the “People’s Restoration” section. Residents and guests of the capital brought their home decor and decorative-applied art items, and professional experts provided consultations on their restoration. One of the most popular topics was the restoration of Christmas tree ornaments and porcelain tableware.
The exhibition “FOR Restoration. Import substitution in restoration materials and technologies” was held from September 24 to 27 in the building of the former printing house of I.D. Sytin on Pyatnitskaya Street. The organizer was Government of Moscow in collaboration with the Russian Association of Restorers. Since 2022, more than 80,000 people have participated in the exhibition.
Photographs and other information about Moscow’s cultural heritage are posted in the section “Cultural Heritage” in the city media bank “Mosfoto.”
Presented on the mos.ru portal a large-scale special project, dedicated to the development of key sectors of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and the construction sector. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed over the past years, what initiatives aimed at making the lives of citizens even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its residents in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, Heritage, and Leisure Industry” you can learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital.
Moscow is the cultural center of the country and ranks among the leading metropolises in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. The city has created a film cluster that unites the Moskino film factory on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Gorky Film Studio, and the Moskino film park.
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