OREANDA-NEWS. On 28 May 2008 was announced, that the First Moscow Architecture Biennale is held till June 22 under the patronage of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Board of Experts at the Council at the President of the Russian Federation on realization of priority national projects and the demographic policy, and the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning (Moskomarkhitektura).

The First Biennale is going to reveal and evaluate general tendencies in contemporary urban planning. The Biennale will include exhibitions of the best Russian and international architecture, discussions on the perspective development of architecture, professional debate on the principles on which a quality built environment can be created.

The Biennials of architecture became an important part of cultural process in many countries. Architecture is a complex cultural product that is why the cities like Venice, London, Rotterdam, Sao Paulo, Istanbul and Gwangju started to show their architectural biennial exhibitions not so long ago. The most authoritative exhibition, the Venice Architecture Biennale will celebrate its 28th birthday in 2008.

The reason for Moscow to organize the Biennale lies within the logic of development of built environment.

Since recently, Russia has been experiencing a construction boom with remnants of Soviet traditions of low quality construction methods and standard solutions. The demand for beautiful, high-quality, stylish and modern housing is clear in Russian cities. Russia needs innovation; with its vast territory and a large amount of natural resources Russia can become a new field for the development of architecture and urbanism.

The Moscow Architecture Biennale is a forum for introducing and discussing questions of the development a post-Communist city.

Mirax Group, an international investment and development corporation, is the official sponsor of the Moscow Biennale. ‘The First Moscow Architecture Biennale is an international even. It will gather best professionals in the field of architecture, the creators of the largest cities in the world. It will be a nice playground for an exchange in experience, and mostly in ideas that wait for their realization in the nearest future,’ says Dmirty Lutsenko, Board Director of Mirax Group.