Conservation of the war heritage with the memorial function: Gerhardt’s Mill case study in Volgograd, Russia

The topic of preserving war heritage has been relevant for several centuries; it is also important nowadays based on different assets. During the research, the values of war heritage and the reasons to preserve it were identified, as well as the problems of its’ preservation in different time periods and parts of the world. While working on the thesis research, strategies for preserving the war heritage after the First and Second World Wars were analyzed, comparing Russian and European approaches. For a deeper understanding of the Russian example, the formation of the topic of heritage conservation is also analyzed, starting from the foundations of the idea of architectural heritage preservation, ending with an analysis of the influence of the Great Patriotic War on the approach towards heritage monuments. Using examples from Russia, Europe, and Asia, different approaches are shown, from cases related to the First World War to present conflicts. The enhancement of the war heritage by considering it as a part of cultural routes is shown as a necessary step together with preservation. The case study of the Gerhardt’s Mill, a monument to the Second World War located in Volgograd, is taken as the basis for a more detailed study of the war heritage of Russia. The goal of the thesis research is, to emphasize the significance of the mill as a war heritage of the Volgograd region, Volgograd city and Russia, to propose strategies for the restoration of the monument in the short and long term. For this purpose, a territorial, historical and state of conservation analysis of the monument was done. As a result, a detailed short-term strategy was proposed for preserving the monument from its possible collapse, giving the opportunity for a long-term restoration program with a view to its further use as a touristic site.