The legacy of Paul Nicolay
Paul Nicolay (1860-1919)
lived until his death at the family estate of Monrepos. Members of the Nicolay
family emigrated originally from Sweden to France. Paul Nicolay’s great
grandfather later moved to St Petersburg where he was tutor to the Emperor’s son.
He was raised to nobility and became President of the Academy of Science. The
father and grandfather of Paul Nicolay were diplomats and he himself was
destined for a high career in the empire.
At the age of thirty he expierienced a profound change. Realising the misery and poverty in his country he no longer could think of a personal career. He began to devote himself to the poor people of St Petersburg and the fishing population along the Gulf of Finland. Later he worked in the prisons right through Siberia. His main life work, however, was to be done in the university world. He became the right hand man of Dr. John Mott, leader of the World Student Christian Federation, responsible for the work in major Russian universities, Scandinavia and many countries in Eastern Europe and overseas.
The recent global crises have forced people to think of the root causes. Nicolay realised that nothing less than a true change in thinking, living and motivation in the individual can bring a cure to the problems of nations. One secret to his effectiveness was the attention he gave to the needs of individual people. During our time together in Vyborg we hope especially to study the significance of Nicolay’s thinking for our societies today.'
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International symposium in Vyborg Programme
12.00 – 13.00 Registration and
a coffee at the Aalto Library 14.45 - 15.30 Light meal 15.30 - 17.00 Nicolay and our own age. Panel of speakers and discussion
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| After the sessions at the Aalto Library participants are taken to Monrepos for a ceremony of laying of a wreath. |
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