THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PROBLEMS OF RELATIVITY AND GRAVITATION
9th RUSSIAN GRAVITATIONAL CONFERENCE

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are glad to invite you to the 9 Russian Gravitational Conference "Theoretical and Experimental Problems of Relativity and Gravitation", organized by Russian Gravitational Society, Center for Gravitation and Fundamental Metrology of VNIIMS, Novgorod State University and Russian People's Friendship University with support of Russian Ministry of Science and Technological Policy, will be held in Novgorod on June 24-30, 1996. Its program includes lectures, original talks and poster communications, round tables and informal discussions on selected problems.

The cultural program of conference include excursions along historical places of Novgorod (Novgorod Kremlin, churches and museums of 12th century).

Novgorod may be reached from Moscow ( 530 km) by plane (approx. 230$ in both sides) and by train (100-170$ in both sides) or from St.-Petersburg (190 km) by train.

Organizing Committee: Profs. V.N. Melnikov (Chairman), V.V. Soroka (co-chairman, chairman of the local organizing committee), Yu.S. Vladimirov (Vice Chairman), M.Yu. Konstantinov and V.D. Ivashchuk (Scientific Secretaries), M.M. Abdildin (Kazakhstan), S.N. Bagayev, V.G. Bagrov, A.O. Barvinsky, V.B. Braginsky, K.A. Bronnikov, I.L. Buchbinder, N.A. Chernikov, E.V. Chubaryan (Armenia), A.P. Efremov, P.I. Fomin (Ukraina), D.V. Gal'tsov, A.A. Grib, I.M. Khalatnikov, V.R. Kaigorodov, M.Yu. Khlopov, E.V. Liverts, V.N. Lukash, V.M. Mostepanenko, P.I. Pronin, V.N. Rudenko, A.A. Starobinsky, G.V. Shishkin (Byelorussia), V.G. Zhotikov .

List of subjects:
1. Problems of classical general relativity and gravitation
2. Relativistic astrophysics and cosmology
3. Quantum gravity and cosmology
4. Observed effects of gravity and cosmology.
5. Related problems.
Deadline for application and abstracts: March 31, 1996.
Registration fee: $150.

Will you kindly inform us on your intention to participate? To do that please fill in the enclosed application form (if you do not send it before, or if your address/phone/fax/e-mail have changed) and send it to M.Yu.Konstantinov (Scientific Secretary of the Organizing Committee):

RUSSIAN GRAVITATIONAL SOCIETY

Center for Gravitation and Fundamental Metrology of VNIIMS,
M.Ulyanovoy Str. 3-1, 117313, Moscow, Russia
TEL: (095) 138 04 28 FAX: (095) 138 54 46
E-MAIL: konst@cvsi.rc.ac.ru

Please, inform us if you need official invitation.

Abstracts will be published before and Proceedings - after the Conference. Abstracts are to be prepared in 2 copies in a camera-ready form on 1 page A4, text size within 15.5 x 22.5 cm, using one of the typesetting systems or high quality typing. Please, send abstracts by mail. LaTeX files sent by e-mail are also acceptable.

Approximated costs of hotels in Novgorod (including meals 65 - 100$).

For more details about accommodation conditions you may address to the local organizing committee by e-mail: rgs96@lan.novsu.ac.ru

In the rest of this letter you will find the application form and some general information about Novgorod.

Chairman of the Organizing Committee,
President of Russian Gravitational
Society, Professor

V.N. Melnikov

Scientific Secretary of the Organizing
Committee, Dr.

M.Yu.Konstantinov

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9 RUSSIAN GRAVITATIONAL CONFERENCE, June 24-30, 1996
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General Information about Novgorod

Note: Full information about Novgorod you may see here

Location

Novgorod is situated at the Volkhov river, 6 km from the Ilmen lake, 31 deg. 17' 04" of east longitude, 58 deg. 31' 36" of northern latitude, 531 km from Moscow, 189 km from St.-Petersburg.

History

Novgorod is the oldest Russian city. Novgorod grew up on the waterway "from the Varangians to the Greeks", i.e. from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The first mention of Novgorod in the chronicle dates eleven odd centuries back to 859. Novgorod was converted to Christianity in 989.

The city of Novgorod was the symbol of Russian Lands for foreign visitors. In the world arena Novgorod was a powerful feudal state. During the XI-XII Cs. - years of the famous Republic of Novgorod it was proudly called "Lord Novgorod the Great".

For many centuries the city at the Volkhov used to be the northern Border-Guard of Russia. Being the biggest medieval center of trade, handicraft and culture Novgorod was widely known not only in Russia but in the countries of Western Europe and Arabic East.

The first school in Russia-theological seminary was founded in Novgorod in the beginning of the XI c. Novgorod is the place where the birch bark manuscripts of world-wide significance were discovered.

The Holy Place of Novgorod is the Kremlin. St. Sofia's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of old Russian architecture and the oldest building in Novgorod. "The Millennium of Russia" Memorial depicts the important role Novgorod played in the fate of the Russian native land.

Now Novgorod is a major cultural and industrial center.

According to the Decree of the Russian Federation Council of Ministers in the summer of 1993 the Novgorod Polytechnical Institute and the Novgorod Pedagogical Institute were merged into the Yaroslav-the- Wise Novgorod State University at which the Conference will be held.

Novgorod is a central place in European part of Russia at the cross road of several important highways; it is also directly accessible by train from St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Climate