Far East Pavilion:
The History of the “Fortress”
Dedicated to the Russian Far East
The History of the “Fortress”
Dedicated to the Russian Far East
The Far East Pavilion was built for the opening of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (VSKhV) in Moscow in 1939 and was located on Kolkhozov Square. The Siberia and Leningrad and Northeastern RSFSR pavilions were built next to it.
The first drawings show that the building’s original design drew on Eastern motifs and resembled a Buddhist temple. It was heavily criticized for this and was hastily redesigned before the exhibition opened.
The first drawings show that the building’s original design drew on Eastern motifs and resembled a Buddhist temple. It was heavily criticized for this and was hastily redesigned before the exhibition opened.
First plan drawings for the Far East Pavilion.
Source: VDNKh Archives
Source: VDNKh Archives
First plan drawings for the Far East Pavilion.
Source: VDNKh Archives
Source: VDNKh Archives
According to the authors of the pavilion guidebook, the new building resembled a fortress. Sculptures of a Soviet border guard and Red Army soldiers who had taken part in the fighting at Lake Khasan, where Soviet forces defeated the Japanese Imperial Army, stood at the entrance.
A quotation from Joseph Stalin was placed on the main facade to the left of the entrance.
“We do not want a single foot of foreign territory. But we shall not surrender a single inch of our own territory to anyone,” the inscription read.
A quotation from Joseph Stalin was placed on the main facade to the left of the entrance.
“We do not want a single foot of foreign territory. But we shall not surrender a single inch of our own territory to anyone,” the inscription read.
Inside, the pavilion consisted of six halls dedicated to the Far Eastern regions of the period:
● Khabarovsk and Primorye territories,
● Buryat-Mongolian ASSR,
● Chita Region,
● Jewish Autonomous Region,
● Irkutsk Region,
● Yakut ASSR.
The halls dedicated to the region’s individual regions were richly decorated with paintings and monumental sculptures created by some of the leading artists of the time. Their main task was to show the people of the Soviet Union the changes that had taken place in the region during the years of Soviet rule and to highlight the “immeasurable riches of the mineral resources, taiga, seas, and rivers of this remarkable land.”
This was most likely intended to encourage the peasants to move to the eastern border regions of the Soviet Union in order to develop them. For this purpose, a special information and advisory department on the resettlement of workers to this resource-rich region was established there as well.
● Khabarovsk and Primorye territories,
● Buryat-Mongolian ASSR,
● Chita Region,
● Jewish Autonomous Region,
● Irkutsk Region,
● Yakut ASSR.
The halls dedicated to the region’s individual regions were richly decorated with paintings and monumental sculptures created by some of the leading artists of the time. Their main task was to show the people of the Soviet Union the changes that had taken place in the region during the years of Soviet rule and to highlight the “immeasurable riches of the mineral resources, taiga, seas, and rivers of this remarkable land.”
This was most likely intended to encourage the peasants to move to the eastern border regions of the Soviet Union in order to develop them. For this purpose, a special information and advisory department on the resettlement of workers to this resource-rich region was established there as well.
Mural on the facade of the Far East Pavilion, All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, 1939.
Source: Shchusev State Research Museum of Architecture
Source: Shchusev State Research Museum of Architecture
Fresco and sgraffito. Created by Andrei Goncharov in collaboration with Viktor Elkonin.
Source: Official website of Andrei Goncharov
The side facade of the building was decorated with a panel depicting Far Eastern landscapes. The mural was created by artist Andrei Goncharov using the sgraffito technique.
Sgraffito is a decorative technique in which a design is created by scratching through one or more layers of material to reveal the layers beneath. It is commonly used to decorate building facades and, sometimes, ceramics.
A fountain with a porcelain sculpture of a salmon ran along the side facade.
Fountain outside the Far East Pavilion.
Source: PastVu / Vladimir Brukhansky
Source: PastVu / Vladimir Brukhansky
Trees and shrubs typical of the Far Eastern zone were planted in the landscaped area around the pavilion, including wild Manchurian apricot, Amur acacia, and Manchurian aralia, also known as the Far Eastern palm, as well as other plants.
In 1959, the Far East Pavilion was renamed the Soviet Book Pavilion, and later the Soviet Press Pavilion. From 1966, it housed the exhibition hall of the Soviet Culture Pavilion.
In 1959, the Far East Pavilion was renamed the Soviet Book Pavilion, and later the Soviet Press Pavilion. From 1966, it housed the exhibition hall of the Soviet Culture Pavilion.
In 1977, a fire completely destroyed the building of the monumental outpost.
The Far East Pavilion came back into the spotlight in August 2022, when Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev held talks with the Moscow Mayors Office on rebuilding the burned-down structure.
“Unfortunately, many years ago the Far East Pavilion ceased to exist at VDNKh. Sergei Sobyanin and I agreed that he would find a plot of land, and we would try to rebuild the pavilion in the capital of our Motherland,” Yury Trutnev said.
The Far East Pavilion came back into the spotlight in August 2022, when Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev held talks with the Moscow Mayors Office on rebuilding the burned-down structure.
“Unfortunately, many years ago the Far East Pavilion ceased to exist at VDNKh. Sergei Sobyanin and I agreed that he would find a plot of land, and we would try to rebuild the pavilion in the capital of our Motherland,” Yury Trutnev said.
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