World Exhibition in Paris. History of World Exhibitions (Many photos)

Russia at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 - St. Petersburg: Publication by I. Shustov, 1900. - 56, 116, 71, 5 p. : ill.; 43.

Russia at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 - St. Petersburg: Edition of I. Shustov, 1900. - 56, 116, 71, 5 p. : ill.; 43.

[From the Introduction]

To determine the state of culture and progress by the end of the 19th century, the government of the French Republic organized the World Art, Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition in Paris in 1900, in which, at the invitation of France, Russia and forty-nine foreign countries took part.

According to the plan of Paris, an area of ​​1,080,000 square meters was allocated for the exhibition. meters with the provision of 24,000 sq. m. to Russia. meters (5,270 sq. fathoms).

The exhibition occupied the space between Place de la Concorde and Avenue d'Antin and Avenue des Champs Elysées; Place des Invalides (Esplanade des Invalides), the embankments of the Seine from the Pont Alexandre III, the Trocadero and the Champs de Mars. In addition, a place has been allocated in Vincennes Park for rolling stock of railways, items for constructing a railway track and its equipment. Temporary competitions in all kinds of sports were also held here.

Part one

Introduction

Russia at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900

Biographies of exhibition participants

Russia in the exhibition groups and in the pavilion of Russian outskirts

Part two

Exhibitors

Awards given to Russian exhibitors at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900

Alphabetical list of exhibitors for Russia's participation at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900

Sample pages

Bulletin of Chelyabinsk State University. 2014. No. 26 (355). Philology. Art history. Vol. 93. pp. 157-162.

K. A. Simchuk

WORLD EXHIBITIONS OF PARIS OF THE 19TH CENTURY: CITY-FORMING ROLE AND PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

Five World Exhibitions held in Paris in the second half of the 19th century are considered: in 1855, 1867, 1878, 1889, as well as the largest exhibition of 1900. All of them were of great public importance for the cultural and economic life of France, and also played a big role city-forming role at the time of their implementation and for subsequent decades.

Key words: world exhibitions, city formation, style, eclecticism, modernism.

In this article we touch on the very important role of the Paris exhibitions in shaping the modern appearance of the city and in the search for new architectural styles.

The enormous number of exhibits (which required a vast, well-lit interior space for placement and convenient viewing), a large flow of visitors, and the need for rapid construction and dismantling of pavilions led to the search for new architectural forms and technical techniques.

For pavilions of World Exhibitions of the second half of the 19th century. characterized by a gap between the innovative engineering solution of structures that used metal, glass, reinforced concrete, improved metal frame structures, which made it possible to dramatically increase the span of floors (up to 110 m in the “Gallery of Machines” by architect F. L. Duter at the Paris exhibition of 1889), and palace-type facades, designed in historical architectural styles, and more often covered with lush eclectic decor.

In 1855, the World Exhibition of Industry, Agriculture and the Fine Arts was held, which became the second world exhibition and the first held in Paris. Pavilions of 34 countries occupied an area of ​​16 hectares. It is estimated that over 5 million people visited the exhibition.

The exhibition took place on the triangle bounded by the Champs Elysées, the Quai de la Reine and the Avenue Montagne, from May 15 to November 15, 1855 (Fig. 1). Held under the patronage of Prince Napoleon, the exhibition was designed to surpass in scope its London predecessor, which was held in London's Hyde Park from May 1 to October 15, 1851 and became a milestone in the history of the Industrial Revolution.

Napoleon III wanted the pavilions of the World Exhibition in Paris to surpass the Christian

steel palace in London. The Palace of Industry was erected in Paris - the main exhibition pavilion, located between the Seine and the Champs Elysees1. Stone was used only for the external facades, which were 1 m thick and 18 m high. The building itself was made of iron and glass. The Palace of Industry was 260 m long and 105 m wide, the main nave was 190 m long and 48 m wide. It was surrounded on four sides by galleries two stories high and 30 m wide. Arched trusses formed a span of 24 m, which created a large exhibition space2. The Palace of Industry was used as the main exhibition building in Paris until 1897, when it was dismantled and replaced by the Grand Palais in 1900.

The Palace of Industry is one of the latest manifestations of the architectural and artistic concept of classicism in line with the emerging eclecticism. Its facades were made in the neo-Renaissance style3. Through the Palace of Industry one could enter the Panorama rotunda and the Gallery of Machines, 1200 m long and 17 m high, located along the Seine embankment, running from the Place de la Concorde to the Pont Alma4.

The Gallery of Machines building was used during the world's fairs of 1855, 1878 and 1889, as well as for the art salons of 1857 and 1897, agricultural and horticultural exhibitions, horse competitions, public holidays and ceremonies.

According to the plan of the architect E. Lefuel, the Palace of Arts was erected on Avenue Montagne. The horseshoe-shaped façade was designed in the Renaissance style. The World Exhibition, held from April 1 to October 31, 1867, was visited by more than 10 million people. This was the second World Exhibition held in Paris, and the seventh in the world, with 41 countries taking part.

Rice. 1. Pavilions of the World Exhibition in Paris in 1855. The territory is limited by the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Seine embankment

The exhibition represented the culmination of the urban renewal of the city during the Second Empire and had enormous political and economic significance. The chosen venue was the Champ de Mars, the main site for military parades in Paris, with an area of ​​48 hectares, as well as the 21-hectare Island of Billancourt, located downstream of the Seine from the Boulevard Périférique5.

The main exhibition building, all made of iron and glass, had an elliptical shape of enormous dimensions: 490 * 360 m, with an open garden in the center and an external gallery of machines covered with glass (Fig. 2). This exhibition building was built by engineer J.-B. Kranz and architect L. Hardy.

Rice. 2. Pavilions of the World Exhibition in Paris 1867 on the Champ de Mars

The construction of the Machine Gallery, which became the center of attention, was entrusted to the young metal structure engineer G. Eiffel.

Around the main building in the gardens, designed according to the ideas of the engineer J. C. Alphand and the master of landscape art J.-P. B. Des Champs (the main associates of the Prefect of Paris, Baron Haussmann), there were at least a hundred more small national and industrial pavilions. The territory needed to be leveled and enlarged. For this purpose, Trocadero Hill was leveled and the resulting land was used to create a park on the Champ de Mars6.

Starting from this exhibition, the participating countries began to place their exhibitions in specially built national pavilions: every visitor was able to see a Tyrolean village, a Russian hut, an Egyptian caravanserai, an eastern minaret, Turkish baths, a Chinese theater, an English cottage, an American ranch, a Dutch farm, a Japanese kiosk and a reconstruction of the Roman catacombs.

The first station was built on the Champ de Mars, the tracks of which reached the small ring around Paris, which simplified the supply of material to the huge construction site. Later the station served for visitors to the exhibition.

The World Exhibition of 1878 was designed to restore the international prestige of France, which had been shaken after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. The exhibition attracted at least 13 million visitors, it was significantly larger than all previous ones, the area of ​​​​the main building on the Champs de Mars was 27 hectares, and the palace on Trocadero hill occupied about 22 hectares (Fig. 3). The station on the Champ de Mars was enlarged, the number of tracks increased to four. The Jena Bridge connected the two parts of the exhibition, located on both banks of the Seine7.

Rice. 3. World Exhibition in Paris 1878

The pavilions occupy the territory of the Champ de Mars and the Chaillot hill. "Iron Palace" on the left, Trocadero Palace on the right

The exhibition complex, also called the “Iron Palace”, where almost all nations were represented, was built on the Champ de Mars. It was a rectangular building in shape with entrances from the north and south.

The so-called “Street of Nations”, 730 m long, was dedicated to examples of residential construction in almost all European countries, some countries in Asia, Africa and America with typical facades of houses from the participating countries. This exhibition occupied half of the main building. On the other side there was an exposition of France and its colonies. In the center of the building there was an exhibition dedicated to fine art and the city of Paris itself.

On the northern bank of the Seine, the architect G. Da-viu and the engineer J. Bourdet built the Trocadero Palace, the architecture of which used Moorish and neo-Byzantine motifs. The palace was decorated with towers 76 m high and flanked by two semicircular galleries. In the architectural design of the palace one can trace some features of the Giralda tower of the Seville Cathedral and Italian palaces of the Renaissance. The Trocadero Palace served as the venue for ceremonial meetings of ambassadors and foreign princes. It had a hall for celebrations and a large concert hall. The palace building stood until 1937.

Engineer J.-S. Alfan, a specialist in gardens and the installation of fountains and waterfalls, was responsible for organizing open spaces.

The 1889 Universal Exhibition was held in Paris from May 6 to October 31 and was timed to coincide with the centenary of the storming of the Bastille. It was visited by more than 28 million people (Fig. 4). The engineer G. Eiffel was commissioned to build the famous Eiffel Tower, which was supposed to be dismantled at the end of the exhibition. It fully demonstrated the country's technical breakthrough. The exhibition area covered approximately 96 hectares, including the Champ de Mars, the Trocadéro, the Quai d'Orsay and the Esplanade des Invalides. J.-S. Al-fan was responsible for holding this exhibition.

The main symbol of the exhibition was the Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889 and serving as the entrance to the exhibition. The tower was built of wrought iron. Visitors to the exhibition were allowed to climb to the second tier even during the construction of the tower.

The “Gallery of Machines” was as important as the Eiffel Tower. The gallery was designed by the architect F. Duter and engineer V. Contamen. It served as an exhibition pavilion at the 1900 exhibition until it was dismantled in 1910. The 110 m wide and 420 m long gallery caused a real sensation; at that time it was the largest indoor space in the world. It was constructed from wrought iron rather than cast steel, as originally planned, sparking lively debate about the practical and artistic properties of these materials.

The Palace of Fine and Liberal Arts was also built on the Champ de Mars by the architect J. C. Formige.

The Palace of Industry was built by J. Bouvard, a large dome was erected in the center, and this building was the first to be illuminated with electricity during the exhibition8. The War Palace was located on the Esplanade des Invalides, its facade was 150 m long with a portico in the form of a triumphal arch in the center.

The facade of the Russian pavilion reproduced the most beautiful monuments of Russian-Byzantine architecture in Moscow: the Terem Palace, the towers of St. Basil's Cathedral, the bell tower of Ivan the Terrible, and the Sukharevskaya Tower. The entrance to the pavilion was stylized as one of the Kremlin gates.

The World Exhibition of 1889 was interesting both from the point of view of the latest industrial developments and from the point of view of architectural forms.

the 216-hectare site was divided into two zones: 112 hectares on the Champ de Mars and the Trocadéro hill, the esplanade des Invalides and the Cour la Renne passage along the Seine, near the Place de la Concorde; 104 hectares in the Bois de Vincennes, where an agricultural exhibition was held and various sports competitions were held (Fig. 5). The exhibition of 1900 occupied an area 10 times larger than the area of ​​the first Paris exhibition of 1855. It was visited by over 50 million people (a world record at that time) and brought an income of 7 million francs to the French treasury.

Rice. 5. Plan of the World Exhibition in Paris 1900. The territory of the hill of Chaillot and the Champs de Mars (right), the esplanade of the Invalides and the Grand and Petit Palaces (left)

A large number of objects were built especially for the exhibition. New stations were built: Orsay, Lyon, Invalidov9. On July 19, the first line of the Paris metro opened, the station entrances were made by E. Guimard. During the exhibition, the trolleybus network and electric railway were in operation.

New bridges were built and existing ones were expanded to make it easier for visitors to move around the exhibition without disrupting the normal life of the city. The single-arch Alexandre III Bridge was built across the Seine between Les Invalides and the Champs-Elysees. The bridge was founded to commemorate the Franco-Russian Union by Emperor Nicholas II in October 1896 and was erected in four years. The Jena Bridge was widened for the duration of the exhibition; a new Debilly pedestrian bridge was built; The Alma Bridge was doubled with a temporary metal bridge for the duration of the exhibition, and another passage was built under the Invalides Bridge.

New squares and intersections have emerged: Alma Square and the square at the junction of Bosque and Rapp avenues have been created, avenues have been laid

d "Antin north of the Place de l'Opéra and the Boulevard Tours-Maubourg along the esplanade des Invalides, traffic along the quai des Debilly and the d'Orsay was organized in tunnels.

According to the project of R.-F. Meltzer built a pavilion of Russian outskirts, repeating the architecture of the Moscow and Kazan Kremlins. Nearby, Kustarnaya Street was built with typical Russian mansions, huts and a rural wooden church. Near the Eiffel Tower there was an Alcohol Pavilion, where there was an alcohol rectification plant and souvenir bottles of Russian vodka were sold.

The monumental gate, built by the architect R. Binet, as a triumphal entrance to the exhibition from the Place de la Concorde, also served as a place for purchasing tickets. The gate consisted of a dome and three arches, under which there were 56 ticket offices for those wishing to visit the exhibition.

“A building dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art” is what can be read on one of the pediments of the Grand Palace of Fine Arts. The Grand Palace was built by a group of architects: A. Deglan, A. Louvet, A. Thomas and C. Giraud. The building was built for an exhibition of sculptures, horse and motorcycle shows10 (Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Alexander III Bridge, Grand and Small Palaces (left and right, respectively)

The architecture of the building combined traditional and modern elements. From the outside, it resembled buildings in the neo-Baroque style; the new style manifested itself here mainly in metal decor. Although looking rather heavy from the outside, the Great Palace, thanks to its iron and glass ceilings, seemed airy and light inside. In 1925, the Grand Palace was one of the venues for the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts.

The Small Palace was built by the architect C. Giraud in the Art Nouveau style for an exhibition of French art, but became famous primarily due to the general design and metal structures. As in the Grand Palace, neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau styles were combined here. The Ionic columns, large entrance portal and dome echoed the Cathedral of the Invalides, located on the other side of the Seine.

To summarize, we can say that in the middle of the 19th century. modern construction materials for the first time begin to play the artistic role that was previously assigned only to masonry and wood. The construction of train stations allowed Paris to welcome millions of guests during the World Exhibitions of 1855, 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900.

The pavilions and buildings of the World Exhibitions themselves became exhibits demonstrating the achievements of architecture and construction technology (for example, the Gallery of Machines in 1855, the Eiffel Tower in 1889), as well as design art, often defining the main trends in their development for many years to come. Not only were train stations built for the exhibitions, but new bridges were also built across the Seine - Alma, Bercy, National, Pont Alexandre III, and new streets were laid. Some buildings created for the World Exhibitions have survived to this day and are significant urban planning elements of Paris. Such as the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadéro Palace (built later than the period we are considering, but on the site of the Chaillot Palace), the Grand and Petit Palaces on the Champs Elysees and some others.

Notes

2 Cm.: Lemaistre Felix. Paris in miniature. Guide pittoresque du voyageur suivid "une description du palais de l"Industrie, ed. Garnier frères, 1856. P. 56.

3 Cm.: Gaillard Marc. Paris, Les Expositions Universelles de 1855 à 1937, Paris: Les Presses Franciliennes, 2003. P.42-43.

4 Cm.: Robin Charles. Op. cit.P. 21-22.

5 Cm.: Gaillard Marc. Op. cit. P. 51-52.

6 Cm.: Miltoun Francis Royal palaces and parks of France, L.C. Page and Co, 191, p. 84.

7 Cm.: Bowie Karen. Op. cit. P. 110-112.

8 Cm.: Aimone Linda et Olmo Carlo. Les Expositions Universelles 1851-1900, Belin, 1993 edition originale: Le EsposizioniUniversali, 18511900, Umberto Allemandi& C., 1990. P. 63-65.

9 Cm.: Bowie Karen. Op. cit. P. 90.

10 Cm.: Chemetov P., et Marrey B. Architectures. Paris 1848-1914. Paris, 1980. P. 96-97.

1 See: Robin Charles. Histoire illustrée de l'Expositionuniverselle, ed. Furne, 1855. P. 12-14.

The World Exhibition brought the French treasury an income of 7 million francs. Over 76 thousand participants took part in the exhibition; the exhibition area was 1.12 km².

At the 1900 World's Fair, voice-over films and escalators were introduced to the public for the first time, and Campbell Soup was awarded a gold medal (it is still depicted on the soup can to this day).

Rudolf Diesel presented to exhibition visitors a diesel engine running on rapeseed oil.

About 50 million people visited the 1900 Paris Exhibition

Many panoramic paintings and new panoramic techniques were also presented, such as the sinorama, mareorama and the Trans-Siberian railway panorama.

The center of attention at the Palace of Illusions was a telescope with a lens diameter of 1.25 m, allowing one to see the Moon from a distance of one meter. This telescope was the largest of all created at that time. The telescope's eyepiece was 60 m long and 1.5 m in diameter.

And the press spoke enthusiastically about the Russian department. The gold medal of the exhibition was awarded to the Russian engineer Lavr Proskuryakov by a special committee headed by Gustav Eiffel for the Krasnoyarsk railway bridge. The French press unanimously noted the “tremendous growth of Russian industry” and the “incredible progress” of Russia in all branches of art and industry.

Russia had been poorly represented at previous World's Fairs, but at the 1900 Exhibition the government decided to demonstrate Russia's technical power as fully as possible.

Thanks to the special friendly relations between Russia and France, the largest exhibition area was allocated for the Russian department - 24,000 m². Russia spent 5,226,895 rubles on participation in the exhibition (of which the government allocated 2,226,895, and institutions and exhibitors 3,000,000 rubles).

Russia spent 5,226,895 rubles on participation in the 1900 exhibition

D. I. Mendeleev, who was vice-president of the International Jury, took an active part in the exhibition.

The world's first Ferris wheel, the first typewriter, the first telegraph machine, the first computers and space satellites - all this becomes public knowledge at the World Exhibitions (Expo), where different countries demonstrate their achievements. In recent years, exhibitions have also been used by countries as a tool to maintain their national image.

Vanity fair or humanity’s idea of ​​an ideal world, what World Exhibitions are and what remains as a legacy after their end in the TASS material.

History of Expo

The predecessor of the World Exhibitions Expo are considered to be large exhibitions of industrial products in Paris, held since 1798.

In 1849, the British Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and its president, Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria of Great Britain) proposed holding a similar exhibition in England. Unlike the Paris exhibitions, where only the French showed their products, the British invited industrialists from around the world.

From May 1 to October 11, 1851, the Great Exhibition of Industrial Works of All Nations was held in London's Hyde Park. It was subsequently recognized as the first World's Fair. Its motto was: “Let all peoples work together on a great cause - the improvement of humanity.”

For the exposition, the Crystal Palace, an exhibition hall, was built, which became a model for the pavilions of subsequent major exhibitions.

Starting from 1867 (World Exhibition in Paris), participating countries began to build national pavilions to display their exhibits.

On November 22, 1928, the Convention on International Exhibitions was adopted in Paris. According to this document, since 1930 World Exhibitions have been held under the auspices of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIA). The members of the Bureau are 168 states, including Russia.

When the organization was created, the status of “World” was given to 34 exhibitions that had taken place earlier. Since 1986, all World Exhibitions have been called Expo.

In total, 61 World Exhibitions have been held since 1851. The record holder for the number of visitors (more than 73 million people), the number of participating countries (192) and the cost of holding (more than $5 billion) was Expo 2010 in Shanghai (China). http://tass.ru/ekonomika/2027250

And now a photo from the history of the World Exhibitions:

After the end of the exhibition, as a result of long debates in English society, it was possible to achieve the transfer of the palace to a new location. In the first 30 years after its reconstruction (1854-1884), regular sports competitions, exhibitions and concerts were held in the palace. There were also greenhouses and a menagerie, which were destroyed by the first fire in 1866.

The second fire at the Crystal Palace occurred in 1936. The main building was completely destroyed. The School of Art - one of the last buildings of Paxton's time, burned down in 1950. The only memories left of the first pavilion of the World Exhibitions are photographs and the tradition of constructing pavilions

Starting from 1867 (World Exhibition in Paris), participating countries began to build national pavilions to display their exhibits. Later, the tradition of creating exhibition symbols emerged. Thus, the Eiffel Tower was built as a “gate” to the Paris exhibition of 1889. In the photo: the beginning of construction of the tower, 1887.

The 1893 World's Fair in Chicago was dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America and was officially named in honor of Christopher Columbus. It demonstrated for the first time an electric motor, a dynamo and an alternating current generator. The world's first Ferris wheel was built especially for the exhibition. The 75 m diameter wheel was designed by Pittsburgh engineer George W. Ferris. It was he who won the competition to create a “calling card” for the exhibition, which could outshine the Eiffel Tower. In the photo: Ferris wheel. It was driven by two steam engines with a capacity of 1000 hp. With. and worked until 1904.

There are three periods in the history of the development of world exhibitions. The first - from 1851 to 1938 - is called the period of industrialization. During these years, the main purpose of exhibitions was trade and demonstration of industrial inventions and achievements. In the photo: 47-meter towers of the main entrance to the World Exhibition in Barcelona in 1929. The towers, reminiscent of the bell tower of the Cathedral of San Marco in Venice and called Venetian, were built by the architect Ramon Reventos. This is now the entrance to the Barcelona Trade Fair

The 1935 International Exhibition in Brussels became a kind of arena of struggle for new and old trends in architecture. A striking example is the exhibition pavilion, made in the Art Deco style and known as the Grand Palace (pictured). The pavilion still remains the symbol of Expo in Brussels

The exhibition in Paris in 1937 was held under the motto “Art and Technology in Modern Life.” In the photo: Soviet pavilion at the exhibition

Two buildings remained from the Paris exhibition: the Palace of Tokyo (now the Museum of Modern Art of Paris) and the Palais de Chaillot (pictured). Currently, the Palais de Chaillot houses the Museum of Man, the National Maritime Museum, the Museum of Monuments of France and an aquarium.

The second period in the history of World Exhibitions, under the slogans of cultural exchange and looking to the future, began with the exhibition in New York (1939 -1940). Its mottos were “The Dawn of a New Day” and “Building the World Tomorrow.” The total exhibition area was almost 5 square meters. km (this record has not yet been broken). The exhibition was visited by over forty million people. In the photo: view of the exhibition area

The symbols of the exhibition in New York were the Trilon and the Perisphere - a 210-meter trihedral obelisk and a ball with a diameter of 56 meters. They were connected by the world's longest escalator, and inside the ball was a diorama called "Democracy". Both structures have not survived. In the photo: Exhibition area: Constitution Alley. In the foreground is the Freedom of the Press statue. A giant statue of George Washington stands against the backdrop of the Trylon and Perisphere at the end of the alley

The first Expo after World War II was the exhibition in Brussels in 1958. Photo: general view of the exhibition area

The emblem of the exhibition in Brussels is Atomium. This building symbolizes the atomic age and the peaceful use of atomic energy. Designed by architect Andre Waterkein and built under the direction of architects Andre and Michel Polak. It still remains one of the landmarks of Brussels. In the photo: Soviet tourists near the Atomium, 1958.

In 1900, the World Exhibition in Paris took place, for participation in which Russia spent 5,226,895 rubles. (of which the government allocated 2,226,895 rubles, and institutions and exhibitors 3,000,000 rubles). The “highest established commission” for the preparation of the Russian department was headed by the director of the Department of Trade and Manufactures V.I. Kovalevsky. Prince V.N. Tenishev was appointed General Commissioner of the Russian department, and R.F. Meltser was appointed chief architect. Among the organizers of the Russian department is the architect O.I. Thibault-Brignol. In an effort to collect as many interesting exhibits as possible, the Russian government approved a number of benefits for exhibitors: free provision of premises at the exhibition, acceptance at the expense of the treasury of expenses for sending exhibits, insurance during transit, arrangement and decoration of the Russian department ("Draft Regulations on the Russian Department at the Exhibition" , 1897). Particular attention was paid to the interiors of the Russian departments in the general exhibition buildings and Russia’s own pavilions, which were very rich in exhibits. To achieve unity in the artistic design of display cases (for exhibits), their drawing, according to the “Rules for exhibitors of the Russian Department at the World Exhibition of 1900,” had to be submitted “for preliminary consideration and approval of the General Commissioner” for the agreement of the said drawing with the general plan of the exhibition structure.” Sometimes they were created in the form of small architectural structures. For example, in the building of Civil Engineering and Transportation (on the Champ de Mars) the showcase common to three Russian factories was like a separate pavilion made of reinforced concrete with a roof on columns, and the showcase of the Moscow Society looked like kiosk "in the Russian style". Sections of the Russian exposition were a composition of natural exhibits, stationary and moving panoramas, dioramas and showcases. In total, Russia was provided with 24 thousand m 2 of exhibition space. Numerous exhibits were divided into 15 groups, each of which covered grades 9 - 10. For example, in group XII "Décor, furnishings for buildings and dwellings" contained exhibits from grades 66-75: "Window glass", "Wallpaper (raw materials, production techniques and the works themselves)", "Cheap furniture and furniture as a luxury item", "Apparatuses and methods of heating and ventilation", etc. In addition to their own departments in the general exhibition buildings, special buildings were also built where some typical Russian exhibits were located. These buildings were under construction on May 29, 1899 and, among the few other national pavilions, were ready for the opening day of the exhibition on April 14, 1900. The main one among them was the Russian Outskirts Pavilion, built according to the design of R.F. Meltzer. It had the appearance of a Russian town that suddenly found itself in Paris. Bells even rang on one of its towers. The architecture of the pavilion was created based on the Moscow and Kazan Kremlins. The ensemble was located 43 m from the Trocadero Palace. The outline of its plan was a trapezoid, and the area totaled 4400 m2. The tallest tower rose almost 47 m and was surrounded by walls with battlements and loopholes. Separate annex buildings adjoined it in front and on both sides. Opposite the main entrance (from the Seine) there was a spacious courtyard, in which, dividing it into two parts, there was a “Siberian” restaurant. In the left corner of the courtyard there was a rotunda-stage for musicians. From the courtyard there was a view of the hall of Central Asia, the entrance to which was decorated “in the Central Asian style” - copied from the portal of the Samarkand mosque. At the main entrance there was also the Imperial Pavilion - "Royal Chambers", made in the Old Russian style. It was intended for the Highest Persons (members of the royal family) and, together with the reception halls, overlooked the main facade of the Pavilion of the Russian Outskirts. There was also a copy of an old Moscow boyar’s dwelling with all the furnishings. Separate rooms in different annex buildings were intended for a large exhibition with the main theme of “Vehicles”. To the right of the central entrance were exhibits of the Main Administration of the Estates: a scientific exhibition (Siberian Railway - maps and models of bridges), riches of the Urals and northern regions (furs, samples of wood and rocks, gold, malachite), etc. The Sleeping Car Society demonstrated a train in which, with the help of a moving panorama by the artist P.Ya. Pyasetsky, a complete illusion of traveling along the Siberian Railway with stops at stations arranged according to the local model was created for visitors-passengers. Unlike most national pavilions, the structures of which consisted of a wooden frame, filled only in the first tier with brick and covered with plaster “Mak boards” that imitated stone, the Pavilion of the Russian Outskirts was made of brick. The facades of the towers and buildings are whitewashed to look like light brick, finished with stone-like plaster, decorated with colored majolica, tiles on the friezes, various relief details framing the openings, numerous cornices, and lace metal valances. The intricate roofs were made from multi-colored glazed tiles and stamped iron sheets painted in different colors. They were topped with openwork crests, and the tents of the towers were crowned with golden double-headed eagles. The interior decoration was also varied: for example, the vaulted ceiling of the reception hall was covered with gilding and colored ornaments; the interior of the hall had tiled stoves and colored stained glass windows. In total, in the Pavilion of Russian Outskirts, which truly became the “highlight” of the Russian department, there were 28 huge panels on themes from the life of the Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia and the Far North. Most of them belonged to the brush of K.A. Korovin. According to the design of the same artist, architect I.E. Bondarenko built it in the style of buildings in the North of Russia in the 17th century. next to the walls of the Pavilion of Russian Outskirts there was a string of small wooden buildings called the “Russian Village”, where the Handicraft Department was located. Here there was a hut with an exhibition of women's handicrafts and other handicrafts, a church in the spirit of northern churches, etc. All wooden parts were made in Moscow. The carpenters, who arrived as part of a group of Russian workers, surprised us with their ability to use an ax in such work, for which the French used a whole set of tools. The State Pavilion of the Ministry of War was built from pine forest according to the design of A.I. von Gauguin "in modern Russian taste". There was the necessary stylized “set” of elements from ancient Russian architecture - kokoshniks, jug-shaped columns, windows with weights, tents, carvings. The composition of the building was also asymmetrical and picturesque in the Russian spirit; The role of high-rise accents here was played by turrets - the central one, crowned with a golden imperial eagle, and two smaller ones, topped with weather vanes. The architectural design of the state pavilion of the Main Directorate of the State Sale of Drinks, built according to the design of V.N. Zeidler on the Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower, was associated more with the motifs of the Portuguese "Manueline" (16th century) than with images of Russian architecture. This massive stone building (300 m2 in area) stood out for its overload of decor and general unbalanced composition. On the Esplanade of the Invalides stood the pavilion of the Institutions of the Empress Mary. A rather modest wooden building by R. F. Meltzer was spectacular with its central part, clearly confirming the national identity of the entire structure. One of the private Russian buildings was the pavilion of the Popov tea trading company, also built of wood on the Esplanade of Invalids according to the design of F.O. Shekhtel. It was distinguished by the graceful outlines of the entrance opening and the decorative arch above it, beautiful carvings of the piers and paired columns, brightly colored frieze, and a large amount of fabric in the form of awnings over the terrace, awnings, and curtains. In contrast, the private pavilion of the Russian-American Rubber Manufactory, built according to the design of R.F. Meltzer on the Champ de Mars near Souffren Avenue, gave the impression of a ponderous monument. The Finnish Pavilion, built according to the El project, also belonged to the Russian buildings. Saarinen on the Quai d'Orsay in the forms of Finnish Art Nouveau. It had a rectangular plan, a steep glazed roof, a high multi-faceted tower, a spare relief ornament framing the arches of the entrance and exit. It housed only a part of the Finnish exhibits, the rest were in groups and classes Russian department in the general exhibition buildings. In addition, public and private pavilions were built at the exhibition: the Nikolaev Physical Observatory, a special pavilion at the general exhibition building of Forestry and Hunting, pavilions for exhibits of the Russian flour-milling industry, the Provodnik Partnership, the cement plant of the Smith and Co. o (which housed a full crushing workshop). By tradition, Russian cuisine was also presented in two large restaurants and a snack bar. The French press unanimously noted the “enormous growth of Russian industry” and the “incredible progress” of Russia in all branches of art and industry. The newspaper "Liberte" wrote: “Within a few years, Russian industry and trade have undergone such a development that amazes everyone.” The French Minister of Industry and Trade, Millerand, called our exhibition “one of the most interesting attractions at the Paris Labor Day.” Thus, if at the previous world exhibitions of 1867-1889. the main emphasis was on the exoticism of our architecture; if in 1893 the refined and luxurious eclectic stylization of the Russian pavilion and the solid multidisciplinary exhibition in it and in general buildings had already become the threshold to a qualitative leap, then the exhibition and architecture of domestic departments and buildings in 1900, in fact, they represented this leap. The representation of Russia in the quantity and quality of buildings and exhibits truly reflected the achievements in the cultural and economic life of the country. Now the appearance of the buildings, outlandish for foreign visitors, did not hide, as had happened before, the paucity of the exhibition, but rather preceded a collection of interesting objects.