The article is dedicated to the symposium of the WC2 association (World Cities, World Class Network) that took place in Brazil in August of 2017, and covers the activities and thematic strands of the network. The author of the present article, an Associate Professor of Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University, participated in the event. The article focuses on the specificities of the work of the Group “Global Cultures.” This thematic strand focused on sociocultural aspects of technological development of the cities, as well as on commemoration practices in global cities. Publication of the proceedings of the WC2 symposia is strongly recommended.