History of Russia: All-Russian archaeological congress in the Novgorod region

24 – 29 October 2011 the city of Staraya Rusa, Novgorod region, hosts the III (XIX) All-Russian archaeological congress. The forum brought together about 650 delegates and 300 guests.

During 11 workshops held within the forum, about 400 speakers will give their papers covering all ages, from paleolith to modern times. One of the workshops treats with problems of preservation of archaeological monuments in the modern Russia. Scholars will discuss urgent issues of protection of archaeological sites in some Russian regions (Smolensk and Sakhalin regions, Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Surgut and Mari El).

26 October the delegates of the congress will hold a session in Novgorod the Great, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the XV (Novgorod) All-Russian archaeological congress held there in 1911, in tsarist Russia. The Novgorod session will also mark the 60th anniversary of finding the fist writing on birch bark in Novgorod and celebration of the 1150th anniversary of the Russian statehood in 2012.

The first Russian archaeological congress took place in 1869. In the modern Russia this type of event was resumed in 2006, when such a forum was held in Novosibirsk. In 2008 archaeologists from all over the world gathered for a congress in Suzdal.