VDNKh

The First All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Industries Exhibition opened in 1923 on Lenin’s initiative. The goal of that exhibition was to demonstrate the economic achievements made by the Soviet government in its first five post-revolutionary years —especially the achievements in the field of agriculture, built on a socialist basis. The exhibition was supposed to show the Union republics the undeniable advantages of socialism. For this purpose, 255 buildings were built, including pavilions of mechanical engineering, animal husbandry, pavilions dedicated to different fields of Soviet industry and of course pavilions representing the Union republics.

General plan of the First All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Industries Exhibition (1923)

People visiting exhibition (1923)

The pavilion of mechanical engineering (1923)

The pavilion of mechanical engineering (1923)

Constructivist Machorka pavilion (1923)

Here you can see pictures of Jewish pavilion, The Far East region pavilion and a dwelling of peoples of the North. Most of the exhibition buildings are made in the revolutionary constructivism style, a style which the Bolshevik party considered to be an ideologically useful architectural tendency, as it was subordinated to the production needs of the proletariat. However, most of the Republic’s pavilions did not follow this tendency and instead were small, made of wood, and did not embody the revolutionary potential of the Soviet Nations.

The pavilion of the Far-Eastern region (1923)

The Jewish pavilion (1923)

Dwelling of peoples of the North (1923)

In February 1935 the Central Committee of the CPSU decided to celebrate the recent success of socialist agriculture, industrialization and nationalization. The party did not want the temporary wooden exhibition anymore. Instead they wanted to build monuments that would model an ideal communist world. By the 20th anniversary of the revolution, they were to open a new exhibition, which would show the glory of socialism.

The pavilions of the new exhibition were to be built of concrete, marble, and iron, and link together constructivism and classic architecture. Of course, the party wanted the Republics’ pavilions to be “national in form”, but “socialist in content”, and this time they wanted the pavilions to be big and impressive, inspiring in people a socialist constitution.

Kolkhoz Square of VDNKh (1939)

The general plan of VDNKh(1939)

Here is a plan of VDNKh, which was used in 1939. Here in the middle of VDNKh there is a huge statue of Stalin surrounded by pavilions of engineering, agriculture, cotton, animal husbandry, beekeeping, winemaking – that is to say, by decades of different industry sectors’ pavilions  which had to show the well-being and prosperity of Soviet industry.

The pavilion of beekeeping (1939)

The party wanted people from all around the Soviet Union to see what they achieved, thanks to the communist government, within 20 years, and to imagine what else they can achieve if they will rally around the party. For that reason the Republics’ pavilions were built around the Main Pavilion of VDNKh, to symbolize the way in which the soviet republics should rally around the soviet government. Everyone who came into VDNKh and passed through the main pavilion, saw the pavilions of each Soviet republic and had a little journey all around the Soviet Union. These pavilions were built in accordance with the architectural tradition of each nation, using the materials and decorations that were traditional for each nation’s building. In some few cases local architects participated in the construction of their respective national pavilions and designed their pavilion in part according to their own traditional forms. However, in many cases the pavilions were built Russians, and in each case, the party guided its architects to build the pavilions in ways that the party thought would embody socialist content.

Here are a few examples of the republic’s pavilion project.

Here you can see the pavilion of Uzbek SSR with its gorgeous columns built in accordance with national traditions of architecture. Moreover next to Uzbek pavilion you could find a traditional Uzbek tea-house, where every Uzbek Soviet citizen could have a good cup of tea and feel like home.

The pavilion of Uzber SSR (1939)

A traditional Uzbek tea-house on VDNKh (1939)

Here is the majestic building of Georgian SSR and the monumental pavilion of Kazakh SSR with reliefs depicting national motifs.

The pavilion of Georgian SSR (1939)

The pavilion of Kazakh SSR (1939)

For the pavilion “North Caucasus” preference was given not to the relief, but to the subject-themed sculpture. Sculptural groups on the sides of the building embodied the representatives of the main production branches of the region – grain and animal husbandry.

The pavilion “North Caucasus” (1939)

One of sculptural groups of “North Caucasus” (1939)

The walls of Bashkir ASSR were decorated with delicate Bashkir traditional patterns and wood carving in the interior of the exhibition hall.

The pavilion of Bashkir SSR (1939)

The exhibition hall of Bashkir SSR building (1939)

The pavilion of Armenian SSR was designed by Armenian architects K. Alabyan and S. Safaryan. Its walls were covered with Armenian tufa (a stone which was widespread in Armenia).

The pavilion of Armenian SSR (1939)

At the end of the large Kolkhoz Square on the opposite side of the main pavilion there was built the monumental building of the Ukrainian SSR. Its sculptural decoration clearly express the idea of a prosperous and rich Ukraine which was able to produce bread for the whole Union.

The pavilion of Ukrainian SSR (1939)

In each of Republic’s pavilions there were organized exhibitions of national costumes, food, culture, and of course of national socialist achievements. For instance the exhibitions of each country’s native livestock were very popular by 1940. People were wearing their national customs and showing special breeds of animals, which were specific for their Republics.

The exhibitions country’s native livestock (1)

The exhibitions country’s native livestock (2)

All Union Agricultural Fair (1954)

Moreover, in order to celebrate world communism and to proclaim the friendship of all peoples around the world The Peoples Friendship Fountain was built in front of the main pavilion. Above the vast surface of the fountain there could be seen gilded statues depicting young and beautiful women, personifying the 16 republics of the USSR. For instance, the girl with a Christmas tree in her hand represents the Karelo-Finnish Republic, and the slender woman with a scythe around her head represents RSFSR. Dressed in national clothes, the female collective farmers hold the fruits of their labors in their hands and move smoothly around a huge Golden sheaf consisting of wheat, sunflowers and hemp.

The Peoples Friendship Fountain (it was built in 1954)

Visiting of VDNKh was to be a holiday for every Soviet citizen, so the party built everything that a good Soviet person needed for pleasure and happiness. There were objects for family and sports recreation with a variety of attractions, including a parachute tower, a Ferris wheel, a roundabout, playgrounds, a circus, a few movie theaters, cafeterias, bars, etc.

People who came to VDNKh were supposed to see all the power and beauty of a perfect communist city. Visiting VDNKh should have made them feel the joy of being a Soviet Citizen and to believe that since such a Communist “heaven” can exist in a small part of Moscow, it’s possible to have the same all around the country.

 

Доронина Л. Н. Монументально-декоративная скульптура ВСХВ ─ ВДНХ. Вестник МГХПА имени С.Г. Строганова. 2/ 2012, часть 2, с. 208 – 216.

Джанджугазова Е. А. ВДНХ: образ мечты/Е. А. Джанджугазова // Современные проблемы сервиса и туризма, 2012, № 2.-С.87-96