VDNKh Kazakhstan Pavilion gets back historical sculptures

Statues of Kazakh singer and poet Jambyl Jabayev (1846–1945) and Hero of Socialist Labour Chiganak Bersiyev (1881–1944) have been returned back to VDNKh Pavilion 11 (Kazakhstan). The recreated monuments can be found in their original location, at the bottom of the front of the pavilion designed as a three-span arch. The sculptures were made based on archival photos.

It took around six months to remake the statues. Sculptors started by making mockups and then assembled a full-size metal armature, made clay models and then used them to make casts of the monuments. The statues are 3.5 m high.

“The statues of Jambyl and Chiganak at the entrance to the Kazakhstan Pavilion until the early 1960s seemed like they were greeting all the people visiting the building . They were created by Dagestani sculptor Khaz-Bulat Askar-Sarydzha. In his vision, Chiganak Bersiyev posed with a bundle of panic grass, a reference to the record amount of crops harvested by the hero. The poet who praised the Soviet power in his verses was depicted wearing a traditional Kazakh cap and holding his own book. Unfortunately, both monuments were destroyed and had to be recreated using archival photos,” said Head of Moscow’s Cultural Heritage Department Alexei Yemelyanov.

“The sculptures were destroyed in 1963. The remaining colour images are drastically different from each other. This is due to the quality of the colour films used in those days and the cameras. Polygraphy requirements also played a part as editors had to upgrade the quality of the colour of the photos published in books. If a specific colour scheme is not apparent, a neutral colour is usually selected as the basic one. In this case, the research and methodology council made a decision to paint the sculptures in the colour of preserved alto-relievos,” senior architect and restoration expert Grigory Mudrov explained.

Designed by architect Vladimir Kostenko (1881–1956), the Kazakhstan Pavilion was built at the starting point of the VDNKh Main Alley in 1937. It was a temporary wooden hexagonal structure with a decorative tower. In 1939, the tower was replaced with a small dome. White and blue facades were adorned with ornaments. The entrance was outlined with a recessed portal thus accentuating the traditions of Kazakh historical architecture.

In 1949, a decision was made to change the exterior of the Kazakh pavilion. The new project was developed by Akademproyekt masters Petrov and Kupriyanov, also involving Kazakh architect Toleu Basenov. The job continued until 1954 resulting in a building with a monumental façade and expressive bas-reliefs based on a Kazakh agricultural theme.

The central part of the façade was accentuated by a 25-m stela with a Maiolica (type of pottery) coat of arms of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The large windows of the pavilion were adorned with bars resembling traditional ornamental carpets. The building itself was decorated with an arcade of identical arches and topped with a transparent dome and spire.

In the 1960s, many decorative parts of the façade as well as the interior went missing. In 1966 and 1967, the building was reconstructed by architect Kobetsky and engineer Anisko.

An extension that replaced the dome made the pavilion higher. The western façade now had larger dimensions in glass and concrete. The building was faced with panels and vertical stainless steel traction bars. The pavilion was renamed Metal Industry. In the 1990s, it was home to several shops, offices and a café.

The renovation of the remaining pavilion design elements and the recreation of the missing parts began in 2017. With the help of 1954 archival material specialists are able to do up buildings so that they look the same as they once were all those years ago. The building is classified as a federal cultural heritage site. 

The large-scale VDNKh renovation project started in 2014. Ten cultural heritage sites, including fountains and eight original pavilions, have been restored since then.