About the project

The decision to work out the project «St.Petersburg — the Sea Capital of Russia» was made at the 7th conference of the Political party «United Russia» in December, 2006. A. N. Chilingarov, a member of the Bureau of Supreme board of the party «United Russia», a special representative of the President of the Russian Federation in international co-operation in the Arctic and the Antarctic, an outstanding Russian oceanologist, Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of the Russian Federation, a Doctor of Geographic Sciences, a Corresponding Member of RAS, was appointed coordinator of the project.

On February, 12 in 2007 at the conference «Legislative security of development of the port-industrial complex of the Gulf of Finland» the project was presented to the general public by the Chairman of the State Duma  B. V. Gryzlov.

Aims of the Project:

• Transformation of the Russian sea transport system into an effective, highly profitable branch, which would meet international standards in organizational and technical respects;
• Providing export of transport services;
• Development of a supporting network of inland waterways and increasing of their carrying capacity, safety support of the inland waterways;
• Reconstruction of the system of professional education in the transport sphere, broadening, improving and consolidating of the material, technical and scholastic base of all units of education;
• Development of the shipbuilding branch;
• Working out measures aimed at improving the ecological situation in big and port cities;
• Development of the sea and river tourism on the territory of Russia.

For managing the project, the working group and expert board were established. The latter included representatives of federal body of legislature and executive power, Administration and Legislative Assembly of sea and river regions of Russia, representatives of transport, shipbuilding and other enterprises, educational institutions, sea and river associations and representatives of Science.

On November, 15 in 2007 during a conference «About the course of realization of the project «St.Petersburg — the Sea Capital if Russia», headed by B.V.Gryzlov, the chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the 5th convocation, and Saint Petersburg governor V. I. Matvienko, it was decided to hold conferences in various courses of marine activities, within the framework of the project.

Since 2008 annual conferences on the topics «Transport-transit potential» and «Manpower policy» have been held within the framework of the project. In July, 2009 the First international conference dedicated to the development of the sea and river tourism «St.Petersburg — the Sea Capital of Russia. Sea tourism» took place.

The conferences have become an effective ground for All-Russian discussion and taking of important policy decisions in the fields connected with development of the sea potential of the country.