Russian President to Personally Inspect Restoration of St Petersburg Conservatory

The Russian government’s press service, citing Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, has announced that the restoration of the historic building of the St Petersburg Conservatory was completed on 29 December 2024. Khusnullin stated that the project was extensive and complex but was ultimately finished a year ahead of schedule.

President Vladimir Putin has pledged to personally visit the site and inspect the results of the reconstruction. Previously, he had expressed dissatisfaction with the project’s progress. As early as 2020, a government delegation visited the site to assess the work, with then Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko describing the situation as a complete mess.

The St Petersburg Conservatory building is recognised as a highly valuable historical and cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation. The restoration was initially scheduled for completion in 2019 but was repeatedly delayed. The situation was further complicated by a fire in early December 2023, which broke out on the first floor and spread across an area of 100 square metres before reaching the second and third floors. Fortunately, the flames did not affect the historic concert halls or the conservatory’s ornate interiors.

During the renovation, the building was restored to its original light beige colour, bringing it back to its 19th-century appearance. Additionally, glass and aluminium light-permeable domes were installed in the inner courtyards of this cultural heritage site, increasing the building’s usable space to nearly 32,000 square metres.

The N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory is now expected to reopen officially in 2025.