USSR Pavilion
While we might not think of the U.S.S.R as a great bastion of environmentalism, the preservation of natural resources was a priority for several of its more influential leaders. Most prominent among them was Vladimir Lenin, under whose leadership the zapovednik system expanded to cover 30 million acres of Soviet land. Unlike America’s national parks, the zapovedniki were not open for recreational enjoyment. The designation was meant to protect the land in its un-managed, natural state, and only rangers and scientists could trespass on this sacred ground. (The connotations of “zapoved” apparently are best translated to English as “commandment.”)
After Lenin’s death, Stalin prioritized economic gain for the nation at the expense of the natural environment, and significant ground was lost. Post-Stalin, the drive for environmental protection came from the people more than the government, and environmental activist groups like the druzhina emerged to lead the fight. By the 1970s, the relationship between party leadership in Moscow and the druzhiny was complicated, to say the least. Rather than highlight that complexity to visitors at Expo ‘74, the Soviet Pavilion’s planners chose instead to focus on an earlier era of environmentalism. Reverence for Lenin came easily to them, and the Americans had recently begun celebrating Lenin’s birthday, April 22nd, as Earth Day. It all fit together very neatly.
Researcher Anthony Smith says, “Soviet participation in the world's fairs of the twentieth century focused not simply on raising national prestige, but on publicizing the achievements of its brand of Marxist-Leninist socialism before an international audience.'“ Smith excludes Expo ‘74 from his analysis, as he focuses on general expositions and Expo ‘74 is technically a specialized international exposition under the BIE’s classification system. Nonetheless, his article is interesting reading and provides useful context for understanding the display that the USSR brought to Spokane.
This 20th-century context also highlights the importance of Expo ‘74 as the only fair on American soil that the USSR attended during the Cold War era (1947-1991). Prior to the Cold War, the USSR participated in the New York World’s Fair of 1938-1939. The two nations were relatively friendly in this time period, and the pavilion was well-received. After World War 2, the Cold War began, and things were less than friendly. Although the USSR continued to splash out on large displays at World’s Fairs, it did not participate in the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle, 1962) or the HemisFair (San Antonio, 1968). After Spokane, the next U.S. city to host a World’s Fair was Knoxville in 1982. The same year, the U.S.S.R. had entered the time period that Wikipedia labels “Decline and Collapse.” In fact, the U.S.S.R. only participated in three additional fairs after Expo ‘74: Okinawa (1975), Vancouver (1986), and Brisbane (1988).
From the Official Guidebook (p.51-53):
Mankind’s revitalized hope for an environmentally bright future is perhaps best encouraged by thoughtful rededication shared by the world's major powers.
At Expo ‘74, this exciting sense of purpose is eloquently presented in varied and fascinating displays at the USSR pavilion.
The Soviet Union comes to this World's Fair with unique demonstrations of imagination and responsibility in a 52,000 square foot exhibit that is unquestionably one of the high points of your visit.
With showmanship and scientific flair, the U.S.S.R. Pavilion presents, “The Role of the Soviet State in the Preservation of Nature and Effective Use of Natural Resources. “
You enter the Soviet exhibit through an area dominated by a gleaming aluminum sculpture representing the vast reaches of the Soviet Union. This first point of interest reflects, on a giant map, how the Soviet Union's natural economic planning and distribution of industries are basic elements contributing to protection of the nation's environment, wildlife and growing things.
Photos in this area relate to V. I. Lenin, founder of the Soviet state, and to his lifelong interest in conservation of nature.
The opening stage in your tour will lead you into a panoramic, multi screen film presentation – “The Biosphere,” based on the concept of noted Soviet ecologist V. I. Verdansky – with contributions by other pre-revolutionary Russian and contemporary Soviet scientists.
The natural beauty that all Soviet citizens seek to preserve is the colorful subject of a second film, “My Sixth Part of the Planet “– a scenic visit to different regions of the Soviet Union and an exciting, first-time discovery for most Americans. The next film is entitled “Biosphere and Man.” It shows the basic concept, current research and eventual plans to gain control of natural processes affected by men’s activities – together with a study of the U.S.S.R approach to problems presented by the environmental impact of the technological revolution.
“Man and his Environment” is your next World's Fair experience at the Soviet Union pavilion. You will learn Soviet policy on air and water pollution control, techniques in limiting erosion and other farm pollution, and newest waste recycling technologies.
Through scale models and other realistic displays, you’ll see how the great Soviet forests contribute to cleaner air, how huge urban green belts preserve the quality of life in Moscow, and how Soviet authorities are applying responsible standards and advanced methods to the problem of industrial pollution.
You will see today’s Soviet science in action to protect its peoples’ water resources. Hydroelectric power generation, fish breeding and stocking, irrigation and major river diversion projects, and water purification facilities – including the great installations that protect the waters of Lake Baikal – a unique natural phenomenon subject to special conservation measures.
In a section highlighted by a diorama of various landscape zones of the USSR, displays show latest Soviet advancements in control of land use, electrochemical soil improvement, reclamation, reforestation, protection of mineral resources, wildlife preservation and national parks.
Urban development is treated in exhibits showing how mass housing and industry are advanced within an umbrella of sound environmental standards, how the Soviet public utility system functions, and how historic and architectural landmarks are preserved for the people.
You’ll be fascinated by the Soviet Union's attention, prompted naturally by its own pattern of growth and geography, to development and construction of totally new cities and small population centers.
And you will follow the Soviet people to the sunny – and snowy – resorts for health, relaxation and recreation in a great land of summer and winter sports.
Finally, the Soviet exhibit will give you a balanced picture of a people united for the land around them, beginning with the early environmental education of Soviet children. As in your own country, environment has become a pressing grass-roots concern. Even the creative spirit of the U.S.S.R. is marshalled behind it – as you’ll see it expressed in Soviet paintings, photography and handicrafts. Woodwork, ceramics, bone carvings – raw materials born of the land, wrought into beauty under the loving eye and hands of Soviet artisans.
You’ll want to conclude your tour of these brilliant displays with a visit to the Soviet Union Pavilion's colorful restaurant. In a friendly atmosphere, you can sample hearty national dishes and share a warm greeting with your hosts. Another enriching glimpse at the lifestyle and culture of the Soviet people, whose enthusiasm for life and the land so closely parallels our own.
I have always used world’s fairs as a guide to interpreting international relations - a method that has left me only slightly behind those analysts who use more conventional research tools. The Russian Pavilion at Expo ‘74, for instance, is the third or fourth Russian pavilion I have visited at world’s fairs, and that continuity of experience led me to believe for a while that I had made a discovery which had eluded even those opponents of the Red Menace who make a profession of divining Soviet conspiracies. It occurred to me that the U.S.S.R. might be engaged in a plot to bore the world into submission. Why else would the Russians show us “an installation for gasification of highly sulphurous black oil”? What other motive could they have for displaying a sign that proclaims to all, “Artificial restructuring is the most effective way of restoring the fertility of degraded soil”? - Calvin Trillin, “Thoughts of a Fairgoer.” The New Yorker, August 5, 1974.
This s the bar menu from the Soviet Restaurant at the USSR Pavilion. If any Expo visitors or bartenders can tell me the difference between a screwdriver and a Russian screwdriver, please reach out.
This enamel pin is the only USSR-specific souvenir that I have found. It features the Expo colors of white, green, and blue, but inserts a small red circle with the hammer and sickle into one of the flower’s petals.
