On December 15, the Mariinsky Palace hosted the opening ceremony of the exhibition dedicated to the 27th anniversary of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly and the 155th anniversary of the title of Honorary Citizen of St. Petersburg.
The institution of honorary citizenship originates historically in the ‘Charter on rights and benefits for the Russian Empire cities’. The privileged social estate category «urban dwellers» – honorary citizens in the Russian Empire was established in the Manifesto of 10 April, 1832 by the Emperor Nikolai I. Russian cities as well provided the title of honorary citizen to the persons known for their merits.
Today, the title of honorary citizen is awarded by the highest governing body of the city as an exceptional expression of gratitude and high appreciation of the services for the benefit of the city as well as to acknowledge special merits to the state and the people.
The honorary title for an outstanding contribution to the culture, science, and economy of St. Petersburg is awarded once a year before the celebration of the Foundation of St. Petersburg on May 27.
Director General of Almazov National Medical Research Centre Evgeny Shlyakhto awarded the Honorary Citizen title in 2020.