June 14, 2013: The 5th Congress of the Petrovsky Cities in Saint Petersburg gathered representatives of the cities constructed at will of Peter the Great and where the tsar-reformer visited. Taganrog delegation headed by Mayor Vladimir Prasolov participated in the forum for the first time.

The main subject of the present assembly was strengthening of cooperation between Russian and Dutch cities within the framework of Dutch - Russian bilateral year 2013 "Russia - Holland / Nederland - Rusland". Both countries started preparing for the 320th anniversary of Great embassy of Peter the Great to Europe. In particular, in Holland the Russian tsar under a pseudonym of workman Peter Alekseev studied ship business to what the monument the "Tsar-carpenter" established on Neva Embankment near the Admiralty testifies.

In the forum's opening ceremony participated Mr. Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of Saint Petersburg; Mr. Daniil Granin, writer and St.Petersburg's honorary citizen, Mrs. Alla Manilova, Deputy Minister of Culture of Russian Federation, representatives of Consulate General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg.

The plenary meeting was finished by the ceremony of presenting banners of program "Peter's Way" to the cities of Groningen (Netherlands) and Taganrog.

"Taganrog is figuratively speaking the first among Peter the Great's cities. It was the first founded by the Russian emperor at the start of transformation of Russia. Many things that he tested in Taganrog was further developed in the northern capital and other cities, and finally transformed this country into a leading world power" - told in his address Vladimir Prasolov. Mayor of Taganrog thanked the organizers for the invitation and the banner, and told that the city is looking forward to use the experience gained by Saint Petersburg especially in the areas of history and culture protection.