Russia: plans for refurbishing the Dutch fortress in Rostov

On November 3, Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos visited Rostov Veliky to discuss possible refurbishment of the Dutch earthen fortification with heritage experts and local authorities. The ambassador took part in a two-day seminar with experts from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE). During the seminar, four urban design plans were presented, that had been developed by students of the Moscow Architecture Institute (MARCHI) as their graduate projects. The students developed a tourist route on the ramparts with new developments in the bastions, a refurbishment plan for the town’s embankment and other innovative design projects.

Denkmal Moscow Fair award
The projects were also entered in an architectural competition at the Denkmal Moscow Fair, the international trade fair for heritage preservation, restoration and museum technology. One of the projects, a plan for a ramparts route by Elena Peregudova, became the 2^nd prize winner. The prize was awarded on 10 November in Moscow by Leipziger Messe International GmbH and Drees & Sommer SE.

Dutch Earthen Fortification
The Dutch Earthen Fortification was built by Jan Cornelius van Rodenburg, an engineer from Amsterdam, in 1632-1634. The fortress had a system of canals and drainage moats that served the urban area of Rostov Veliky. One of the oldest cities in Russia, Rostov Veliky is a tourist centre in the ‘Golden Ring’ located to the northeast of Moscow. Since 2013, the Embassy has initiated projects to enhance appreciation of the Dutch fortress, which is in near pristine condition – a unique situation for Dutch heritage in Russia.