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The delegation visited the region at the invitation of the Governor.
The working meeting was dedicated to discussing new joint projects aimed at developing ties between St. Petersburg and Penza Oblast.
"An incredible number of interesting places in Penza," shared Natalia Sidorkevich, Chair of the Board of the World Club of Petersburgers. "If previously people asked what Penza was and where it was, now one thinks about how one could not visit there. Cooperation with Penza is strongly supported by the president of our club, Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky. It is valuable to us because we see a genuine commitment. It is very compelling when people love their small homeland."
Plans include continuing the local history project "Addresses of Penza," which has gained recognition among residents of the Penza region. Largely thanks to it, Penza culture has also become better known in St. Petersburg.
"Everyone notes that Penza culture has been noticed and recognized in the cultural capital of Russia," emphasized Oleg Melnichenko.
"I think that as a renowned local historian from Penza, you will decide how to proceed. There was an idea to go through the districts of the region. I am confident we will produce a magazine that will make it equally impossible to understand how one could not visit there," noted Sergei Yaroshetsky, Editor-in-Chief of the "Addresses" publishing house.
The guests from the region proposed popularizing the Abashevo toy in the Northern capital. Several examples are currently on display at the St. Petersburg Toy Museum. The institution's leadership plans to dedicate a separate exhibition hall to this folk craft from Spassky District.
"In 2025, we saw that the Abashevo toy generates great interest in St. Petersburg. I was surprised by this. Perhaps because the brightly colored animals stand out in our overcast city," said Dmitry Bagaev, Director of the St. Petersburg Toy Museum.
"We have begun reviving production, so we would be grateful if the Abashevo toy could be promoted in St. Petersburg," the Governor responded in support.
The meeting also discussed other projects aimed at fostering closer cultural and tourism ties between the region and the federal city.
During their trip, the delegation visited the Meyerhold Center for Theater Arts, the new building of the Penza State Museum of Local Lore, the Glass and Crystal Museum and the Bakhmetev Plant in Nikolsk, the Museum of One Painting, the Penza Art Gallery, the V.G. Belinsky Central Park of Culture and Leisure, and the Planetarium.