12.04.2007 - Kazan acquired a right to host the IX World Congress of Organization of the World Heritage Cities (OWHC) on the contest, which was held in Cusco (Peru) in 2005.

Kazan acquired a right to host the IX World Congress of Organization of the World Heritage Cities (OWHC) on the contest, which was held in Cusco (Peru) in 2005. Capital of the Republic of Tatarstan was chosen among eight candidates – the world largest cities - members of OWHC. The congress will be held on June 19-23, 2007.

OWHC World Congress is a unique forum, which is held every 2 years and gathers representatives of state authorities, politicians and experts in historical cities preservation, especially those that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The I Congress was held in 1991. It gives the participants a fascinating opportunity to discuss different issues and share experience. The congress will be held in the Euro Asia region for the first time and it is a very important and honorable fact for Kazan, as it is one of seven regional OWHC branches location.

The program of the IX World Congress was worked out during OWHC and Jean-Paul Getty Fund delegations visit to Kazan in 2006 and business meetings with the city authorities. The organization committee, which consists of OWHC and City Hall representatives, was formed there; Kazan mayor Ilsur Metshin heads it. Scientific consulting committee was also established; it consists of Getty Fund Conservation Institute and grand international experts in the field of economics, cultural heritage preservation and study.

According to the proposition of Getty Fund specialists who worked on the IX World Congress program, the congress main topic will be “Heritage and Economics”. It implies issues connected with the effective usage of historical monuments and problems caused by economics and cities management. Different scientific sessions will be aimed at the primary question - how do culture and historical monuments preservation contribute to stable economic development of the city and guarantee its cultural integrity? The program specifies the following activities: workshops, discussions, sessions of students, stand reports sections and special workshop for the World Heritage Cities mayors.

The congress program includes OWHC General Assembly, where the Board of Directors members will be elected and the host city of the next X World Congress will be chosen. All the activities will be held in 5 languages – Russian, English, French, Spanish and for the first time in Tatar. More than thousand participants from nearly 100 cities of the world are expected to take part in the work of the congress.

The VI All-Russian meeting of the organizations, which are responsible for cultural monuments preservation, will take place in Kazan at the same time.

Issues of preparation for the congress were discussed on a regular meeting of OWHC Board of Directors and representatives of the Getty Conservation Institute and Kazan City Hall; it was held in January in Quenca (Ecuador). Work of the organization committee satisfied the participants of the meeting. Next meeting of the scientific committee will be held in Brussels in March, 12-13; the results of the scientific program realization will be summed up there. The next visit of OWHC Secretary General will take place in April in Kazan. The meeting with the city mayor will be arranged within the framework of the visit. Preparation level to the Congress and readiness of the city to host such a grand international forum will be estimated on this event.