Tretyakov Gallery exhibition opens at VDNKh

Recently restored Pavilion No. 1 Central has opened a Tretyakov Gallery exhibition dedicated to Russian art of the 20th-21st centuries. The exhibition will run until September 2025, as announced by Deputy Moscow Mayor Natalya Sergunina.

“Over the course of the year, Moscow residents and visitors will be able to see the works of Soviet classic and contemporary artists. The exhibition contains more than 30 works, including paintings, sculptures, mosaics and a video installation. They are housed in eight halls, covering a total area of ​​2,500 square meters,” says Natalya Sergunina.

The first hall exhibits a panorama of famous paintings reinterpreted by contemporary artists. The compositions reflect the subjects of paintings by Viktor Vasnetsov, Boris Kustodiev, Karl Bryullov, Kazimir Malevich and other masters.

The second hall displays works by Soviet artists such as paintings by Alexander Deineka, who was involved in the design of Central Pavilion in the 1950s.

Several exhibits are inspired by motifs typical of the design of VDNKh buildings. The pavilion space showcases the works in the interiors of the 1950s in the context of the time.

Eight unique modular climate display cases with anti-reflective glass were made especially for the exhibition to house the paintings.

The highlight of one of the spaces is high relief titled Glory to the Soviet People - the Standard Bearer of Peace designed for the main pavilion by a group of sculptors led by Yevgeny Vuchetich.

Visitors will also be able to see the video installation Hymns of Muscovy. Visitors will be offered a visual journey through the modern capital and an opportunity to explore the city’s architecture.

The end of the exhibition is in the dome hall. In the center there is a model of Vera Mukhina’s statue Worker and Kolkhoz Woman, and around the perimeter there are sculptures by such artists as Ivan Shadr and Sarra Lebedeva.

The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday (10:00 a.m.– 07:00 p.m.), admission by ticket. 

Pavilion No. 1 Central was restored in 2022 as part of the VDNKh Rebirth program. It was built in 1950–1954 by Georgy Shchuko and Yevgeny Stolyarov, The new building replaced the previous wooden structure, which did not fit into the landscape of VDNKh of the time. In the 1990s, it got a second floor packed with stalls. In 2014, their dismantling began, and in 2017, the restoration started. Following the extensive works, the building was restored to its former glory.