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international

group of colleagues, we promoted the importance
of the Sphere, raised awareness and campaigned
for its renovation. You won’t believe it, but a
miracle recently happened. The former Director-
General managed to implement the renovation
and even repair the rotation mechanism. It has
not yet been inaugurated, but I have seen it, and
it is breathtaking.
Mr. Petrovsky also supported many other projects:
our Memorial project, as well as J.C. Pallas’s book
about the architecture of the Palais des Nations,
which is still a bestseller among architects and
historians. Your father was fond of art and helped
with the publication on the cultural heritage and
artifacts of the Palais. Kofi Annan came to the
inauguration of both books (see photo). Soon,
when the doors of the Palais are opened again,
the public will be able to come and admire all of
this. We hope that day is not far off!
V. Petrovsky and a repository of knowledge, but also as a solid
K. Annan at the platform for the sharing of know-how. HP. My mother prepared a book that traces
presentation of the decades of my father’s professional life, and we
book of JC Pallas ER. Your father started, invented and called it “Years and People”. I think it’s a unique
about the Palais inaugurated many things that are still here today. project in the sense that it consists mainly of
des Nations For example, he opened the doors of the UN to photographs, resembling a family album. Only
the public by organizing Open Doors events. “family” in this case is the people who came into
Genevans were welcome at the Palais, and he contact with my parents and who were affected
personally welcomed them all. Unfortunately, by them (and also vice versa). The book is both
the Open Doors events were canceled due to truthful and in many ways informal – even when
the pandemic and subsequent renovations, dignitaries are involved. It is a life in pictures,
but we hope they will eventually resume. You and of course there are texts from my father’s
may have heard about the Portail des Nations colleagues and friends. And also notes from my
project, which aims to educate the world about mother, which are, in fact, wonderful prose.
the role of the UN, multilateralism and Geneva
International. It’s a splendid initiative that will My mother supported my father virtually in
truly open the UN to the public. Mr. Petrovsky all his undertakings. An accomplished scholar
would be so happy to see it; it is he who instilled, in her own right, she left the Moscow Institute
or literally ingrained, these ideas. for US and Canadian Studies when my father
HP. My father was dedicated to the idea of promoting was assigned to New York. She didn’t see it as
peace through his diverse activities. After the end a sacrifice, because she always made her own
of his term, he even launched an association called choices. While in Geneva, she chaired the
Comprehensive Dialogue among Civilizations. His Women’s Guild, and it was a warm and rewarding
conviction was that dialogue is a powerful tool for experience for all its members at the time. I see
resolving conflicts and promoting intercultural that you are conducting interviews with ladies
communication. He would also organize art from the Guild.
exhibitions to this end, the most memorable among
them marking the UN’s 50 anniversary, and for ER. We decided that the role of spouses is very
th
many years he championed the idea of renovating important, and your mother’s devotion was
the Celestial Sphere, a sculpture donated to the exceptional. We were so impressed and with
League of Nations in 1939 – a symbol of Geneva our then EiC Jean-Michel Jakobowicz we went
then, but also and especially now. to the Villa La Fenêtre to ask her to grant us an
interview. She graciously received us and agreed.
ER. He entrusted us with many things concerning The interview turned out to be a big success. As
the Sphere. For two decades after he left, with a for your book, it is remarkable in that not only

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