History of the SPb HN
The history of creation of the «SPb HN» is directly connected to the
history of national-cultural associations of SPb and the modern national
(ethnic) policy, carried out by the Government of St.-Petersburg.
The idea of creation of the House of nationalities belongs to the national society of St.-Petersburg incorporated into national-cultural communities - to National Cultural Autonomies (NCAs), associations (NCCs) and friendly associations, the majority of have entered in such etono-organizing structures as: Regional public organization «St.-Petersburg House of national cultures» and Regional association of national-cultural public associations of St.-Petersburg «League of the nations».
The «St.-Petersburg House of nationalities» was founded according to the order of the Government of St.-Petersburg 1158 from 8/2/2005. It was placed in a private residence on Mohovaya st., 15. It is an official structure, which is subordinated and supervised by the Committee for external relations of St.-Petersburg.
Solemn ceremony of opening of the «SPb HN» took place on the 21st of October of 2005. This action became an event in a cultural life of a multinational society of SPb. In the ceremony participated the Governor of St.-Petersburg Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko, the Chairman of Legislative Assembly of SPb Vadim Albertovich Tjulpanov, the Chairman of Committee for external relations Alexander Vladimirovich Prohorenko, and famous scientists, representatives of authority, leaders and active workers of public associations, mass-media of SPb.
During the opening ceremony took place appearances of the Governor of St.-Petersburg and the Chairman Legislative Assembly of SPb. Also the celebratory concert of the best creative amateur collectives of national-cultural associations of St-Petersburg took place.
Now «St.-Petersburg House of nationalities» is included in a number of ethno-related structures of St.-Petersburg: it became an activel "platform" for joint discussion of problems and questions, an informational exchange and transferance of experience of education of tolerance, organization of activity of NCCs and NCAs, performances and concerts of creative collectives, international and city conferences, exhibitions, presentations, seminars, trainings, round tables, master-classes, etc.
Today it represents a territory for dialogues, business contacts, partner communications, entertainments and holidays; a place of origin and realization of initiatives and innovations, preservations of national traditions, ceremonies, customs and various polycultural interaction.
The «SPb HN» has established and is developing partner relations with 75-th national-cultural associations of SPb. Activity of establishment, first of all, is directed to the expansion of interrelations and cooperation with NCCs and supporting their activity in a socio-cultural life of city; to harmonization of interethnic attitudes, formation and strengthening of tolerant consciousness of the citizens.
There is a successful cooperation of the «SPb
HN» with social partners: Commission for Human Rights at the Governor of SPb; Department
of federal migratory service across SPb and Leningrad Region; Municipal
Department of Internal Affairs of SPb and LD; Russian ethnographic museum;
Museum of anthropology and ethnography of Peter the Great; Russian Academy of
Science; regional administrations of SPb; public (including and youth) organizations,
educational, cultural and educational establishments of the city.
House of nationalities renders significant
methodological and organizational support from the Department for
communications with national-cultural associations of St.-Petersburg and
compatriots abroad of the Committee for external relations of SPb.
In 2006 in
the «SPb HN» the Press club was opened. Its constant participants are
journalists of leading mass-media of St.-Petersburg, working with
ethnosubjects. Methodical seminars for heads and leaders of NCCs are organized
here on a constant basis, various forms of actions of cultural, educational, methodical,
scientific character are realized.
The activity of the «SPb HN» includes various organizational forms. Among them
are scientifically and practically oriented conferences, youth forums, round
tables, seminars, debates and discussions, presentations, exhibitions, concert
programs and thematic evenings, etc. The choice of organizational form depends
on the character of the target audience and key subjects of actions.
Significant attention is given to work with creative collectives of NCCs for
which work-shops, master-classes, meetings with professional Russian and
foreign collectives are organized, conditions for rehearsals and performances are
provided.
«SPb HN» organizes and promotes organization of
the state and traditional national holidays, Days of memory, exhibitions,
concerts, creative meetings for representatives of national associations of
St.-Petersburg, and also the actions connected to the international, state and
city memorials.
The part of activity of the «SPb HN» is connected to the youth environment -
students, schoolboys, teenagers and children. Many actions are directed to the
education of their interest and tolerant attitude to the diversity of national
historical heritage, national cultures, various languages and their carriers - inhabitants
of SPb.
«SPb HN» in partnership with NCCs is realizing actions, that have become popular in the city: Festival of amateur collectives « We shall join hands, friends! » and «The tree of life »; «Day of slavic writing», autumn festival of german Finns «Inkerin Pyaivya»; Children festival of the Ukrainian creativity; actions, devoted to the Day of national unity and the International Day of tolerance; national holidays - "Pancake week", "Drinking bout", «Juhannus», «Peledysh payrem», «Akatuy», «Surharban» and others; traditional conferences - « Actual problems of interethnic attitudes in Russia », « Shevchenko Days in St.-Petersburg » and «Dorjiev readings».
Evenings for representatives of national-cultural associations of city: « Christmas meetings », « Fatherland I glorify ... », « Happy holiday, my dear! » (on March, 8th), « Around the laughter » (on April, 1st), meetings of veterans of Great Patriotic war and Blockade, and city dwellers with representatives of NCCs became a kind tradition in activity of the «SPb HN».
Working plans of the establishment include continuation and active realization of projects of the "SPb HN":
«From the Alphabet up to Academy of ethno-tolerance» - complex of actions of educational, cultural and educational and scientific educational character for NCCs of St.-Petersburg.
«Actual problems of harmonization of interethnic attitudes in St.-Petersburg» - institute of round tables for the state, public, national-cultural structures and the organizations.
«On a crossroads of ethno-cultures » - support of national holidays of people of Russia annually marked in St.-Petersburg.
And also: organization of exhibitions: a national suit, gallery «Multinational Petersburg », photo-exhibitions «Female person of multinational Petersburg », « We are your children, Petersburg! », exhibitions of children's creative works, carrying out of festivals - exhibitions of musical national tools, a national traditional doll, competitions by national kinds of sports and many other things.
The house on Mohovaya st., 15 
hospitably ploughs up the doors for carrying out of various sort of the
actions promoting expansion of interrelations between representatives of
various state, national-cultural and public structures, to interosculation and
enrichment of national cultures; to education of interethnic tolerance and
formation of "petersburgean" citizen identity.