On April 18, 2016, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin opened the Moscow government’s annual Days of Historical and Cultural Heritage. The opening ceremony was held at the restored by GlavUpDK mansion at bldg.1, 4 Leontievsky Lane. After the building’s scientific restoration organized by GlavUpDK and its adaptation for contemporary use, on April 11, 2016 the premises were transferred to the Greek Republic’s Embassy for accommodation.
The Greek Embassy’s mansion is a cultural heritage facility – the House of Meshchersky princely family, also owned by E.A. Volkova, N.V. Sorokoumovskaya - of the 1760s, 1823, 1880s, designed by Architect Alexander Kaminsky – has a special historic significance. In 2015, for the restoration of the mansion’s unique appearance GlavUpDK was awarded the grand prize of the Moscow government’s prestigious competition “Moscow Restoration” in the nomination “For the best organization of repair and restoration works.”
The Days of Historical and Cultural Heritage official opening ceremony was attended by Director General of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Vyazalov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Greek Republic to Moscow Ms Danai-Magdalini Koumanakou. The ceremony was also attended by Acting Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s GlavUpDK Elena Ryabtseva, Minister of the Moscow government and Head of the Culture Department of the City of Moscow Alexander Kibovsky and Head of Moscow’s Cultural Heritage Department Alexei Yemelyanov.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin examined the building and highly assessed the quality of the restoration works and expressed gratitude to the Russian Foreign Ministry and GlavUpDK for their careful attitude to monuments of architecture.
Director General of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Vyazalov said in his reply speech that Moscow’s mansions given to foreign diplomatic missions for accommodation are the national heritage and noted with satisfaction that foreign embassies take an active part in Days of Historical and Cultural Heritage.
Greek Ambassador Ms Danai-Magdalini Koumanakou expressed gratitude to GlavUpDK for returning the splendid historical appearance to the building in which the Embassy of Greece is housed since 1967 and promised that the Greek diplomatic mission will do everything possible to maintain the unique mansion in an excellent condition.