Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of St. Petersburg took part today in the celebrations dedicated to launching the construction of the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg.

Today, a ceremony was held to lay the foundation stone of the Church of the Smolensk Mother of God Icon. The church will be reconstructed based on drawings and sketches made by the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi who built the original church in Greater Pulkovo village in the 18th century by order of Catherine II. The church, however, was destroyed during World War II.

On 10 August a prayer mass was held on the foundation of the destroyed Church of the Smolensk Mother of God Icon. The mass was held on the icon’s feast day, which coincides with the soon-to-begin construction of a new church.

ExpoForum JSC and Etalon Holding Company signed an agreement for construction of the first structures at St. Peterburg's future convention and exhibition centre. This convention centre will be built according to the highest international standards and will be the city's leading complex for conventions and exhibitions.The contract is worth 14 billion rubles.

On June 20 ExpoForum representatives participated in a roundtable titled, "Investing in infrastructure for convention tourism,’’ that was organised by the newspaper, Construction Weekly.

Today, the design project for ExpoForum’s international convention and exhibition centre was sent to the State Expertise Centre. If a positive conclusion is given within 90 days then the company can obtain a permit, and begin construction.

On June 9, ExpoForum organized a business tour at the construction site of the international congress and exhibition centre. The tour was for participants of the conference, ``Managing a city as part of the state's innovation strategy,’’ that was held in St. Petersburg on June 8-10.