National libraries: National Library of Russia launches a conference on modern toponymy

On November 19 2010 at the main building of the National Library of Russia was launched a scientific and practical conference “Heritage of D.S. Likhachyov and modern city toponymy”.

The theme of the conference is compatibility of historical, Soviet and modern toponyms. Presently in Russia there is no science-based approach for handling this issue.

The conference has brought together members of the St. Petersburg Toponymical Commission, local-lore specialists, historians, cartographers, philologists, representatives of executive and legislative powers, journalists from St. Petersburg, Moscow and Novgorod.

Within the framework of the conference will be held two roundtable discussions: “Legislative provision of toponymical activities”; “Principles of appearance of new city places names”.

The conference has been organized by the St. Petersburg Committee for Culture, St. Petersburg Interdepartmental Commission for Place Names, the Russian Library Association, D.S. Likhachyov Charitable Foundation, and the National Library of Russia.