Pavilion No. 67 "Karelia" at VDNH

The Karelia Pavilion is one of the smallest pavilions of VDNH, but it is one of the most beautiful. It was built for the opening of the exhibition in 1954, when there were 16 republics in the USSR. The wooden carved pediment symbolizes the forest wealth of Karelia and the spirit of the North. The carving on it reflects the main industries of the republic: fishing, agriculture,animal husbandry and logging. The columns of the portico at the entrance to the pavilion are made of Karelian granite. The interior of the building was also striking in its artistic design. Oak panels, carved lace on wood gave integrity to the image of Karelia. The main entrance of the pavilion is decorated with carved doors, which are a work of art. In the pavilion, one exhibit after another alternated with another. At one time, the Science pavilion was located here, where you could see a model of the first artificial satellite of the Earth, put into orbit in 1957. An interesting fact: before the 2018 World Cup, an exhibition about Russian football was opened in the Karelia pavilion, where plaster figures of iconic football players of the Soviet period were presented. Surprisingly – it seems that the American sculptor did not see a single photo, they were so different. Lev Yashin could only be recognized by his gloves. Next to each figure - headphones. You could listen to interesting facts about the biography. And this is a very good idea, much better than the tapestry trade that flourished in the pavilion in the 90s.