Preserving history: the documents that can be found in the VDNKh archive
On June 29, the VDNKh archive celebrates its anniversary — 87 years since its foundation. During all the long years of its work the main task of the archivists has remained unchanged — the careful storage of existing documents, and the addition and processing of new materials added to the collection of the country’s main exhibition center. They have been able to collect amazing evidence of past times, which enable visitors to learn about all important in VDNKh’s history.
The archive holds tens of thousands of photographs, certificates and official documents — everything from official orders on the opening of exhibitions to personal files on employees. Every year it is visited by historians, culturologists, restorers, journalists and students interested in local history, the history of the USSR and Russia, and urban studies and architecture. In order to introduce the unique collection of materials to as many people as possible, today the archive is working on digitizing valuable documents and creating an electronic catalog of all exhibition publications.
The VDNKh Archives was founded on June 29, 1938. It was originally intended to hold documents related to the construction and operation of the exhibition. And on June 11 of the same year the library collection started working, and the Exhibition Committee of the All-Union Exhibition Center (as VDNKh was called from 1939–1959) received books from the recently-closed Krestyanskaya Gazeta publishing house and from private collections. For many years these publications helped create exhibits and educate agricultural professionals.
In 2019, the archive and library collections were merged. Today the general archive and library collection of VDNKh (VDNKh ALC) contains about 500,000 photos, including almost 40,000 of past exhibitions, more than 150,000 archival documents and about 30,000 books. Here you can find information about VDNKh employees, drawings of the pavilions, award decrees and other important information for specialists.
The pride of the archive and library fund is a collection of about five thousand books, documents and periodicals about exhibition activities. These include materials on the history of VDNKh’s development, exhibition publications dating from 1937 to 1990, guides to the pavilions, exhibition catalogs, and books on the organization of exhibitions in Russia and abroad from the end of the 19 th century onwards
Currently, specialists are digitizing all the valuable documents, photographs and publications stored in the collection of the VDNKh ABC, including periodicals. When ready, they will be published on the official website of the Collection, in separate digital databases. For example, the Archived Articles database has recently posted electronic copies of articles from the 1953–1954 editions of the newspaper Stroitel Vystavki and the 1955–1956 editions of the newspaper Za Peredovoi Opyt. And in the near future newspaper materials from 1957 will be added.
The Collection’s website also includes a digital database of “Award Materials”. This presents documents about employees and exhibition participants who were awarded medals. Here you can find information about people who were awarded medals of the All-Union Exhibition of Economic Achievements, VDNKh and VVC. Today, the database already contains 28.5 thousand award decrees covering the period from 1939 to 2014. The documents mention 112,000 organizations and the names of over 2.2 million people. Users can find award data, make a request for proof of seniority at VDNKh, and get information about loved ones.
In 2022, a special program of privileges for people who received medals of the All-Union Exhibition Center and its successors VDNKh and the VVTs was launched at the exhibition center. Between 1939 and 2014, more than one million people were honored with such awards. Program participants receive a laureate card, which entitles them to visit VDNKh museums and exhibitions, participate in events and use various services free of charge. So far, 421 such cards have already been issued. Details about the program can be found on the VDNKh website.
To mark the 80 th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War information on 30 employees who in 1941 went to the front as volunteers in the 13 th Rostokinsky Division of the People’s Militia of Moscow (13 th PNM) was added to the Employees of VDNKh — participants of the Great Patriotic War database on the Archive’s website. In total, this database contains information about 781 veterans of the Great Patriotic War who worked at the exhibition in different years, including 179 militia soldiers of the 13 th PNM.
The pages with the names of the winners and employees of the exhibition center who participated in the Great Patriotic War are cross-referenced with their pages on the Memory of the People website. To date, it has been possible to bring together the stories of 2,825 heroes: 546 employees and 2,279 VDNKh medalists.
The work of finding materials for the archive and adding them to the website continues. This work involves more than just specialists. They are assisted by current and retired VDNKh employees and medalists and relatives of World War II veterans. Thanks to them, the fund is regularly enriched with valuable documents and photographs. Recently, the website has introduced the option to add information about other awards won by those included on the VDNKh medalists page and to upload photos and post interesting stories related to the exhibition center. Everyone can take advantage of the new features.