Exhibition of National Economic Achievements

In 1934, the Moscow government decided to create an agricultural exhibition for the twentieth anniversary of the USSR. This idea was proposed in Moscow at a gathering of rural workers. The meeting participants supported the initiative; according to the administration decree, the exhibition had to be opened in August 1937. After confirming the decision, the Moscow City Council and the People's Commissariat began searching for a place for the future exhibition; many options were considered. They unanimously came to one site, this is the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. The government and architects supported the choice.

Brief description

There was a wetland area near the academy and it will help show how agriculture works in different conditions. A special program of architects produced a list of exhibition objects. Objects were divided into two parts. In the first part there were five buildings: the Palace of Science, a site for demonstrating technology, an agricultural chemicalization facility and an electrification facility. The second group included exhibition objects. During construction, there was one condition: there was a consistent unity of buildings in the same style and a convenient location. Upon a detailed examination of the plan for the Exhibition of National Economic Achievements, construction participants saw that the place for the future exhibition was not very suitable for the plan. The search has begun for a new site for construction of the Exhibition of National Economic Achievements. The site was found near the Yaroslavskoye Highway; this site met all parameters.

Features of the Exhibition of National Economic Achievements

Construction of the site and buildings began in the summer of 1936, after five months of work, the readiness of the Exhibition of National Economic Achievements was 65 percent. But difficulties arose in the improvement; also, during construction, sites and buildings were added, and the construction deadlines were postponed. They had to be postponed again until August 1938. However, due to the large volume of work, this deadline was postponed. The exhibition made an impression on all visitors; it was more like not an exhibition site, but a whole city. The occupied area was 136 hectares. There was an incredibly large number of buildings, huge beautiful parks, exhibition areas with equipment and ponds with flowering plants. During the first year of its operation, the exhibition center welcomed more than 5 million people. Even without paying attention to the delays in construction, many architects who took part in the construction of the Exhibition of National Economic Achievements received government awards.