VDNH receives more than 20 million visitors each year. This is the biggest museum exhibition in Russia. On the area are pavilions, fountains, and monuments. However, VDNKh is not just an architectural masterpiece. There are lots of charming lanes, parks, developing neighborhoods, and enjoyable locations. The area surrounding the architectural complex is ideal for peaceful strolls and rests. VDNH is open for relaxation, outings and events, from 10:00 to 22:00.
A significant Russian exposition complex is the exposition of National Economic Achievements. 520 hectares overall, including the Botanical Garden and Ostankino Park, make up VDNKh, which has a total size of 240.2 hectares, 30.2 hectares larger than the Principality of Monaco. VDNKh is an exceptional architectural collection of 50 cultural heritage monuments, of which 49 are individual artifacts and one is the complex as a whole.
History of VDNKh
A month before the commencement of the Great Patriotic War, on August 1, 1939, the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy was inaugurated in order to showcase the nation’s agricultural goods in great detail. The location, then known as “Ostankino Park,” was decided upon in 1935, and Vyacheslav Oltarzhevsky’s master plan was authorized in 1936.
In July 1937, the show was scheduled to debut. On February 17, 1935, permission was granted to build this exposition facility in order to host the All-Union Agricultural exposition (VSHV), a former Soviet Union agricultural exhibition. Both Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev delayed the opening until 1939.
The exposition complex in 1989 had 82 pavilions with a combined exhibiting space of 700,000 square meters. The center staged roughly 300 national and international exhibits a year during the Soviet era. Nikita Khrushchev’s administration made the decision to transform it into a sizable park-like permanent exhibit.
The pavilion park was intended to showcase how the nation’s economy, science, and technology have changed. Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy of the Soviet Union, or VDNKh, was the name given to it when it first opened.
The park has 266,000 square meters of covered pavilions with about 400 structures, covering an area of 2,375,000 square meters (bigger than the Principality of Monaco).
After the Soviet Union fell apart, notably in the early 1990s, the majority of the pavilions were either unused or rented out as basic retail spaces. Poor maintenance caused enough damage to the Vera Mukhina “Worker and Collective Farm Girl” monument that it had to be taken apart. And the “Cosmos” pavilion, which was devoted to the USSR’s space program, was converted into a flower shop.
Due to a lack of resources or government support, several structures or pavilions started serving as storage facilities for various items. The exhibition’s name was changed in 1992 to the State Joint-Stock Company “All-Russian Exhibition Center,” or VVC, relinquishing its previous Soviet designation. However, the area’s previous name was still used by the populace.
Administratively speaking, VDNKh transforms into the State Joint Stock enterprise All-Russian Exhibition Center, an open joint stock enterprise. Since 1991 and since 1997, respectively, The Exhibition of National Economic Achievements has belonged to the International Union of Exhibitions and Fairs (IUEF) and the World Association of the Exhibition Industry (IFU).
The park did not have much success during the years 1990 to 2000. On the one hand, certain locations are disappearing; five of them were destroyed by flames, and five more were destroyed as well, including Tupolev-154 in 2008, which sparked a lot of controversy. In 2008, it was chosen for repair, after which it was installed atop the new pavilion, however funding constraints made restoration challenging.
The pavilions of the former USSR states that joined the CIS were initially leased to them for a symbolic fee of one ruble per year. 30% of the company’s shares were then controlled by the Moscow government. By presidential order, the Moscow government acquired all of the company’s shares in 2013–2014. The Moscow government team started tackling the complex on April 4, 2014.
The park, which had been neglected for a while, received 3 billion rubles (approximately 60 million euros) in funding within the same time frame. In an agreement reached on May 6 as a consequence of a vote by the general public that got under way on March 26, 2014,The All-Russian Exhibition Center will now go by VDNKh, reverting to its previous name.
The Moscow Mayor’s Office restored and reconstructed the park, increasing its size to 520 hectares.
Attractions In VDNKh:
Monument “Worker and Kokhoz Woman”
There is an allegorical statue called “Worker and Collective Farm Girl” on Mira Avenue, directly across from the Cosmos Hotel. The sickle and hammer, representing the working and agricultural worlds, are held at arm’s length as the heroes advance together into the future. Vera Mukhina created this item with the intention of using it to adorn the Soviet Union’s pavilion during the 1937 International Exhibition in Paris.
The composition was deemed the greatest in the show, and efforts were undertaken to save the masterpiece. Chromium-nickel steel was employed for the first time in sculpting history, and when the points of illumination varied, so did the colors of the figures.After the display, the monument took on the significance of the VDNKh mythology. The artwork was mounted on a specially made pedestal from 2003 until 2009.
Fountain “Friendship of Peoples”
The Friendship of Peoples fountain is a colorful representation of the united countries’ oneness. A large golden fountain created by K. Topuridze and G. Konstantinovsky for the exhibition’s 1954 opening. The placement of the 16 female sculptures with national ornamental elements corresponds exactly to how the countries they represented were listed in the USSR Constitution.
Fountain “Stone Flower”
The “Stone Flower” fountain’s many hues were inspired by P. Bazhov’s fairy tales. K. Topuridze and P. Dobrynin are responsible for the concept. The focal point of the composition is a figure with golden accents and petals embellished with mosaic smalt, which is opaque glass enhanced with metals. Around the perimeter are crystals that reflect various colors in the water.
Kinopark
There is a summer “Kinopark” next to the “Friendship of Peoples” fountain, with space for 200 spectators. On a 16-meter screen, you may view both new and classic movies here. Summertime is the perfect time for outdoor movie screenings in the evening, complete with blankets, hot tea from a thermos, and beautiful buildings in the background.
Launch vehicle “Vostok” and the monument “To the Conquerors of Space”
VDNH, a representation of the Soviet in the past, honors USSR aeronautical accomplishments. A 38-meter-tall replica of the Vostok rocket, which propelled the spacecraft carrying Yuri Gagarin into orbit, serves as a symbol for space exploration. The second-largest monument in Russia (after the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill) is the Monument to the Conquerors of Space, which is topped with a rocket.
People who made contributions to space exploration are depicted on the base of the monument to the Conquerors of Space. The rocket scientist S. Korolev participated in the creation of the monument; it was he who suggested that the lining of the plume be made of polished titanium plates that flashed crimson, like a true rocket trail, at the monument’s base.
One of the biggest technological museums in the world is the Space Museum. Eight halls now house its exhibitions. Approximately 100,000 artefacts that represent the start and evolution of the human space era are on display here. The first fake Earth satellite, as well as scientific and technological replicas of spacesuits, are all on display here, along with toy animals representing the first Soviet astronaut pets.
Yak-42 plane
The Yak-42 model of aircraft is representative of the aircraft industry, where the USSR excelled just as much as in space development. Before going into mass production, aircraft designers and pilots tested the first Soviet passenger aircraft powered by Yak-42 turbojet bypass engines on this prototype. In the ship’s stateroom, a new art platform was inaugurated in 2009.
Museum of Optical Illusions
In Pavilion No. 55, the Museum of Optical Illusions at VDNKh debuted in 2015.The museum’s interior has roughly 100 3D-formatted pictures. It suffices to visualize yourself as an integral part of one of them by placing yourself against the background of the scene and feeling immersed in the action. Both spooky themes and well-known contemporary tales like the Simpsons cartoon are included.
“Model of Moscow”
A circular structure with the name “Model of Moscow” displays the city’s buildings and streets. It is simple to cover all the intricacies of the city’s center in a half-hour. The model has 19843 buildings, some of which are located inside the Garden Ring and some outside. It has intelligent lighting so you can observe how the city appears at various times of the day and mimic any “
- climatic conditions.
- Fountain “Golden Ear”
- “Attrapark”
- Museum “Once Upon a Time”
- Oceanarium “Moskvarium
VDNH DURING CHRISTMAS
The Moskvarium Oceanarium, one of Europe’s largest aquariums and a repository for aquatic life, also draws tourists. Since 2015, the public has been able to visit the unusual complex. The ground level is home to more than 600 different types of subterranean creatures, and as you wander through the tunnels, you can see them from all angles. The second section of the oceanarium features a dolphin swimming area and a zone for water shows.
- Wakepark
- fishing village
- Circus Basillium
- Pavilion №84
There are 9,000 exhibits in the museum’s vaults, and you can plan an excursion into the history of animated film in the relatively new pavilion No. 84 by seeing the animation equipment of The Walt Disney Company, Nickelodeon Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures, and other studios firsthand. Young animators can make their own animation in the “Workshop” section. On request, the museum may also arrange birthday celebrations.
Agricultural Park “Wild Nature”
The “Air eco-trail” is located here, and as of September 2019, you may view a portion of the landscape park “Wild Nature” from the height of the Sheremetyevo oak forest’s tree tops. Michel Pena, a well-known French landscape architect, is the idea’s creator. The distance from the ground to some of the iron spans on twisted supports reaches 6.5 meters. It is the only building of its sort in the Russian Federation.