Reliving History- the ВДНХ

This is by far one of my most favorite sites in Moscow. It’s the ВДНХ (or VDNH). I met Ilya, one of the teachers at my school, on my second day in Russia. We started talking about contemporary Russian politics, Russian culture and, of course, the Soviet Union. He then asked me if I wanted to “see something really cool.” Of course, I accepted. He bought me to the ВДНХ and showed me around. However, I did not have my camera. Therefore, a few days ago, I decided to go back and record everything just to share this amazing place with you. Ahh, the things I do for you and this blog… I hope you enjoy.

First of all, you are probably wondering, “What in the hell is the ВДНХ?” It was built in the late 1930s under Stalin as an exhibit of Soviet economic development. It served to show the world the accomplishments of communism and the superiority of the Soviet system. Basically, it’s propaganda; and from what I understand it is the largest monument to communism ever built. (If anyone knows of another memorial larger than this one, please, let me know).

Upon entering, there’s a statue of Lenin and massive building towering into the overcast Moscow sky that, of course, is topped with a star- the symbol of the government in the USSR days. This basically shows that the state is above everything. In many towns, a church steeple with a cross or Muslim minaret is the highest point- symbolizing religion as the most important aspect in the city. In others, enormous commercial office buildings dominate- expressing that business is the chief municipal characteristic. But in the Soviet days, the government was, figuratively and literally, above everything. It was your religion, your business, your life.

Another part of this gigantic square was a pavilion dedicated to the 15 republics of the USSR (Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan) with each building possessing the architectural characteristics from that particular culture. In the middle of this area is a wide golden fountain with figures of women holding various food items. As you walk around more, you see other cool sites: more great star-topped buildings, gushing fountains and hundreds of hammers and sickles (the official symbol of the Soviet Union that represents the workers).

I then stumbled into a quite interesting part of the commons. It was the section, built after Stalin’s days, dedicated to aerospace technology. There were two large planes and a rocket ship in the middle. This propaganda showed that the USSR was a world leader in the aerospace field during the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, the Soviets were the first to launch a man, Yuri Gagrin, into space in 1961; a notion that triggered the great space race with the Soviet’s bitter rival- the United States.

Just when I was about to return home, I remembered to visit one more spot that Ilya showed me a month ago. This area is tucked away from the rest of the exhibits and is, to say the least, run down and dilapidated. This place has long rows of small ware-houses with a large grassy field in the middle, almost resembling a farm. In fact, that’s exactly what it is. This was where the government bred creatures to create superior animals. The idea was that communism was a superior form of government, meaning the inhabitants within this system were superior too. Therefore, it was only natural to have physically fit animals within this Marxist utopia as well. They bred bulls and horses and even housed bees to mass produce honey- a symbol of prosperity. (In fact, honey has been seen as a luxurious symbol throughout history.

The ВДНХ is a blast from the past. You almost feel that you’re living in the Cold War days. Nonetheless, when it comes down to it, it is solely history- the past, the has been, the dead. The USSR is now nonexistent. All 15 republics are independent and Russia, the heart of the former empire and my home for the next several months, has now latched of to capitalism like a leach. The ВДНХ is now called the Russian Expedition Center. There is a US style amusement park, numerous cafes and Disney looking cartoon characters everywhere. It should be renamed The Russian Expedition Center of Capitalism.

So, I guess this is the grand question that faces so many living in the 21st century: Conform and drop your customs, history and identity to modernize, or hold on to your cultural norms, values and character, no matter how backwards the rest of the world thinks they are, and sacrifice wealth and modernization. I personally have no opinion on this subject; this is just how the world is. I only go to these places and present the facts; it’s up to you decided.