Published on: 2026-06-11
Source: Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University of Peter the Great –
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At the Engineering and Construction Institute of Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University of Peter the Great, a solemn opening of the interuniversity landscape design festival “Secret Garden” took place. The event was held in the inner courtyard of Hydrobasis-1 and brought together teams of third-year students from the leading specialized universities of the city: Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University of Peter the Great, Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, and Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University named after S. M. Kirov.
The solemn ceremony was opened by the Vice-Rector for Educational Activities of SPbPU Lyudmila Pankova. She noted the importance of cooperation between higher educational institutions and expressed confidence that this initiative will receive further development and go beyond the university campus.
For the Petrine Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, this is the first significant event in the field of landscape design, and importantly, teams from several universities gathered here. I am confident that this is only the first step, and the project will be implemented not only within the walls of the university. We hope that student projects will find their continuation in graduation qualification works and real urban improvement projects.I express special gratitude to the Committee for Improvement of Saint Petersburg for supporting the initiative and to the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Engineering and Construction Institute for the high level of organization of the festival, ” emphasized Lyudmila Pankova.
In the welcoming speech, Olga Cherdantseva, Director of the Center for Competence on the Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment in St. Petersburg under the Committee for Improvement, noted: I am confident that this project has great prospects. The process of designing and creating landscape objects is engaging, and the opportunity to present one’s ideas on such a platform is an invaluable experience for future specialists. I thank the leadership of St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University Peter the Great and all the participating universities for the work done.Everything secret becomes clear, and I have no doubt that the created gardens will become a beautiful decoration of the campus and a starting point for new large-scale initiatives.
The main theme of the 2026 festival was the history of Russia in the 20th century, illustrated through the prism of key stages in the development of the Polytechnic University. The Polytechnic team presented the exhibition garden “Where Geometry Meets Life…”, dedicated to the era of post-revolutionary industrialization and the aesthetics of avant-garde and constructivism. The concept of the project reflects the spirit of the times, when bold engineering solutions and faith in progress shaped the new face of the country.
Other university teams also presented their own interpretations of the historical era. Students of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering created a garden dedicated to the period of war and post-war restoration, turning to the aesthetics of domestic brutalism. And the project “Life grows through concrete” symbolizes resilience and revival: harsh concrete forms and corroded metal are softened by blooming white lilac—a symbol of hope, and bright shrubs reminiscent of memory and the cyclicality of history.
The team of the Saint Petersburg State Forestry University named after S. M. Kirov presented the garden “Take Off!”, reflecting the era of technological breakthroughs and the romanticism of the 60s–70s, a period of Soviet modernism. The project embodies an aspiration for the future, an innovative spirit of the time, and a belief in unlimited possibilities of science and technology.
Exhibition gardens are not just demonstration objects, but full-fledged spaces where every campus guest can relax, enjoy the aesthetics, and appreciate the professional approach to shaping the urban landscape.
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