All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition of 1882

The exhibition was supposed to open in 1875 in Moscow (the previous exhibition was held in 1870 in St. Petersburg), but it was postponed until 1880 due to upcoming world exhibitions in Philadelphia (1876) and in Paris (1878) , in which Russia hosted Active participation. The attempt on the emperor Alexander II in March 1881 caused her to be transferred to the next year.

The total exhibition area was 11 times the exhibition area of ​​1870: the exhibition was placed in separate pavilions on an area of ​​30 hectares in the Khodynsky field . The main attraction of the exhibition was the central exhibition building. It consisted of eight three-nave pavilions located star-shaped, that is, in radial directions, and interconnected by two concentric galleries, forming a large central and eight small courtyards (diameter 298 m, area 35,000 m²). Almost identical pavilions adjoined the main building on both sides, in one of which the machine room (9600 m²) was located, and in the other - the art and study departments (9980 m²). All three buildings were assembled from the same type of three-span metal frames with a total width of more than 31 m. All middle, higher, spans had overhead light. The metal frame for the main building was made at the St. Petersburg Metal Plant , and the pavilions of the machine and art departments were made at the Moscow Bromley Plant and the Bryansk Plant . The general plan of the pavilions and facade designs were developed with the participation of A. I. Rezanov , G. E. Pauker and I. A. Vyshnegradsky . The final project and working drawings were made by architects A.E. Weber and A.S. Kaminsky , who carried out the construction of all the main pavilions. In addition, the exhibition committee built nine more main (“state”) pavilions, among them - the gardening pavilion, an additional pavilion of the artisanal department and two pavilions for the exhibition of animals. The main exhibition buildings included the Russian-style Imperial Pavilion , designed to "rest the highest persons" and closed to visitors; such buildings will be erected at many subsequent exhibitions. 36 private pavilions were also erected at the exhibition. Famous Russian architects were involved in their design; The pavilions of the Lanin artificial water institution, the owner of the porcelain factories M. S. Kuznetsov , and the famous sugar maker Abrikosov stood out with a wealth of decoration. Vodka manufacturer, supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty Streater built his stand in the form of triumphal gates made up of bottles with his products. The exposition of the Moscow factory of incense goods “ Brokar and Co ” - a fountain with cologne (the company “Brokar and Co” was awarded the gold medal of the exhibition) was very successful. The main decoration of the Zlatoust weapons factory ’s stand was the huge national emblem of Russia: “... A huge coat of arms made of knives, forks, blades, cockades and other metal military equipment, and behind this eagle is a vase, also of all kinds of military weapon blades” (the factory was two awards: a gold medal for the high quality and finish of edged weapons, cutlery and tools, and a silver medal for the use of open-hearth steel for dressing gun barrels and the introduction of metal baths for hardening blades) ^[1] . Built their own pavilions: gas-lighting plant "Svetozar", mill partnership "S. A. Dobrov and B. I. Nabgolts "; a group near the gardening department housed bell plants (from Yaroslavl - the firm “P. I. Olovyanishnikova Sons” ^[2] , from the Kharkov province - Ryzhov, two from Moscow - Finlandsky and Samgin ^[3] ); Felser's brewery and distillery, the Warsaw Industrial Society of Mechanical and Mining Plants Lilpop, Rau and Levenshtein and the Warsaw Steel Plant and others.

For the first time, an electric railway appeared on the territory of the exhibition, which was built by the well-known St. Petersburg company Siemens and Halske - the 300-meter line was very popular: a passenger mini-electric train carried up to 800 passengers per day.

For the convenience of visitors, a concert hall with 2,150 seats, a restaurant, a tavern, as well as an administration and expert pavilion, a fire station and other auxiliary buildings were built - for the most part they were distinguished by their original architecture.

The official opening and consecration took place on May 20, 1882. The next day it was opened to the public and then every day with the exception of three days of the highest visit. Over the four months of the exhibition, more than a million people visited it. Over the 131 days of the exhibition, 1,077,320 people visited it, including 970,107 with an admission fee of 256,765 rubles and 5 kopecks, as well as free visitors (students, factory workers and lower military ranks) 107,198 people.

One of the most visited places at the exhibition, called “Russian product” by experts, was the Lopashov restaurant and inn. The restaurant was designed by architect D. I. Chichagov at the owner’s expense (about 205,000 silver rubles) was started back in 1880 and finished by the opening of the exhibition. 140 waiters were involved in serving visitors on ordinary days, up to 200 on holidays, and up to 70 cooks with boys. In total, up to 320 employees worked. The restaurant was intended to "meet the requirements of the middle and poor class of people." Observers complained about the high cost, "causing widespread indignation," but admitted that the restaurant "was far from able to put everyone who wanted to do their part for expensive food and drink."

For the first time, an exhibition master plan indicating the thematic division of the exposition was attached to the exhibition rules. The total number of participants reached 5813. The unique exposition, which totaled 6852 batches of objects, was thematically divided into 14 departments and 121 groups. For the first time, an independent artisanal department (1105 subjects) was allocated, which was formed by 4 provincial zemstvos and 7 statistical committees; he became the second largest exhibit after the department of agriculture. Also for the first time appeared the scientific and educational and military departments. A variety of exhibits of the engine department showed qualitative changes in the technological development of domestic industry.

The exhibition has become a place of synthetic interaction of arts - architecture, sculpture, painting, landscape gardening, music, theater, ballet. The first formed art department, numbering about 950 works, became a significant event in the artistic life of Russia. It exhibited works by such remarkable Russian artists as Antokolsky , Bryullov ^{[ specify ]} , Vasnetsov , Vereshchagin , Ge , Ivanov , Kramskoy , Kuindzhi , Repin , Polenov , Pryanishnikov , Savitsky and many others. A series of concerts was given by a symphony orchestra conducted by A. G. Rubinstein .

In one of his letters to N. von Meck P.I. Tchaikovsky wrote: “For me there is nothing more dislikable than composing for any kind of celebration. Think, dear friend! What, for example, can be written on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition, except for banalities and noisy common places? However, I have no spirit to refuse the request, and will have to perforce take up the unsympathetic task. ” At the beginning of November 1880, the Solemn Overture was completed and published. The first performance of this composition took place on August 8, 1882, as part of the exhibition, in a symphony concert of the Moscow branch of the Russian Musical Society, conducted by I.K. Altani .

The Paris Revue de Deux Mondes noted in a detailed report from Moscow: “The 1882 exhibition is a true celebration for industrial Russia; it serves as an expression of tremendous progress in all branches of human labor over the past twenty years. ”

The exhibition cost the treasury 2,945,726 rubles ^[4] .

• All-Russian Art and Industry Exhibition in Moscow in 1882 / Edited by Goppe G. D. - St. Petersburg: Printing House of Eduard Goppe, 1882. - 252 p.

• Nikitin Yu. On the 125th anniversary of the unique exhibition complex in Moscow
• Azarova O. All-Russian Art and Industry Exhibition of 1882 in Moscow
• Pictures from the exhibition: Beer at the All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition of 1882.
• Balagurov N.V. Alexander III and the art department of the All-Russian Exhibition of 1882 in Moscow: on the way to the Museum of National Art. (inaccessible link)