The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Rescue Archaeology Center of the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences signed an MoU to cooperate on preserving cultural heritage in ICESCO Member States and the Russian Federation, harnessing the latest technologies for this purpose, promoting scientific and cultural programs, and facilitating the exchange of experts.

The signing ceremony, held on Thursday, 24 September 2026, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was attended by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum. The MoU was signed by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Dr. Natalia Feodorovna Solovyova, Director of the Rescue Archaeology Center.

The three-year MoU identifies several areas of cooperation, including supporting both parties’ activities in archaeology, architecture, restoration and heritage digitization, jointly organizing exhibitions, seminars, conferences and specialized workshops on heritage preservation, developing joint scientific and cultural projects, and implementing educational programs for students and researchers from both sides.

The MoU also provides for cooperation in specialized heritage activities involving archaeological research, capacity-building, documentation and the rescue of archaeological sites in beneficiary countries. It further covers support for joint field missions, emergency interventions to protect heritage and the exchange of scientific expertise.

The Rescue Archaeology Center is one of Russia’s leading research and scientific institutions specializing in cultural heritage management and protection. Reporting directly to the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Center conducts excavations and rapid rescue operations at endangered archaeological sites. It also advances the digital documentation of heritage by developing technologies and software to create 3D models of historical monuments