On June 21, 2017, the Belgian city of Liège celebrated the 300th anniversary of the visit of the Russian Tsar, Peter I.
Ceremonies and other events connected to the unveiling of a new monument to Peter the Great were attended by his descendant, H.I.H. the Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand Duke George of Russia, as well as the Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Alexander Tokovinin; the governor of Liège Province, Hervé Jamar; the Alderman of the City of Liège, Pierre Stassart; the former Governor of Liège Province, Michel Foret; and the President of the Peter the Great Foundation, Valerii Dvoinikov.
Also attending the celebrations of this important date were the President of the Belgian Senate, Christine Defrain, and Archbishop Simon of Brussels and All Belgium.
Others in attendance included: the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at the Headquarters of NATO, Alexander Grushko and his wife; Regional Commissioner Katrin Delcourt; the Mayor of the City of Spa, Joseph Houssa; provincial deputies Katty Firquet and André Denis; the Financial Director of the province, Jacques Tricnont; the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the European Union, Sergei Kopyrkin; the General Consul of the Russian Federation in Antwerp, Evgenii Egorov; the Trade Representative of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium, Anatolii Gorshkov; the First Secretary and Attaché for Culture at the Russian Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium, Ella Nesterenko; the Director of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) in Belgium, Alexander Razumov; First Alderwoman of the City of Spa, Sophie Delettre; the sculptor Alexander Taratinov (who sculpted the statue to Peter I); the President of “Slavonic Europe,” David Chmelik, and his wife; the General Director of the Chamber of Commerce of Belgium and Luxembourg in the Russian Federation and Belarus, Arkady Arianov; the representative of the company “Lukoil” in Belgium, Bulat Subaev; the Assistant Director of the company “Gazprom” in Belgium, Vadim Nifatov; the General Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Belgium and Luxembourg in the Russian Federation and Belarus, Daniel Stevens; and other officials and honoured guests.
A number of other public and cultural events marking the 300th anniversary of the visit of Tsar Peter the Great to Belgium will be taking place over the course of the year. These events are being organized with the help of the Chamber of Commerce of Belgium in the Russian Federation and Belarus, the honourary president of which is the Tsesarevich George of Russia.
Previous events in Belgium included:
February 25, 2017. Tsesarevich George sent his congratulations on the 300th anniversary of Tsar Peter I the Great’s visit to Belgium.
March 21, 2017. A reception at the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg and Belgium in Russia in honour of the 300th anniversary of the visit of Tsar Peter I the Great to Holland and France.