The international conference is devoted to broadly understood protection of historic ruins and historical determinants of their preservation.

The complex issue of preservation of historic ruins has always been present in the discourse related to protection of works of art and historic monuments. As external conditions changed, the most prevalent approach remained the same: a ruin which has undergone a long-term process of destruction is a legitimate historic site and should be protected as such. At the same time, there have always been opposite viewpoints, arguing that such structures ought to be restored and used for practical purposes. Such tendencies, common in the early modern era, have seen resurgence in recent decades, because of a number of reasons unrelated to monument preservation, including technological, economical, organisational, social, and cultural factors. As a result, the restoration of ruins is becoming more and more popular in Europe and has reemerged as a major challenge for conservators.  

The conference aims to present a wide spectrum of problems related to protection, conservation, adaptation, and management of historic ruins. The key goal of the meeting is to provide a platform for a complex discussion about contemporary principles and practices related to conservation, adaptation and use of such sites and work out model solutions in the field of historic ruins protection and management.

The conference sessions will be focused on the theory of conservation, ruins management and use, as well as technical issues related to ruins conservation. Case studies will also be presented.

The programme of the conference is available below.