On 1 August, the country's Main Exhibition marks its 82nd anniversary. The World of VDNH celebratory programme will be held next Saturday and Sunday. Visitors will be invited to take part in guided tours around the Museum City, play games by the 'What? Where? When?' intellectual club and attend workshops, concerts, sports events and the final events of the festival Inspiration, as well as enjoy various dining venues. Among the most spectacular events planned are performances by motorcyclists from the Honorary Escort of the Federal Protective Service of Russia and retro car racing from the Moscow Transport Museum. All events will be held in compliance with the safety measures established by Rospotrebnadzor.
Museum City
The Museum of the Special Purpose Garage has prepared a unique programme, including a celebratory ride by the motorcyclists of the Honorary Escort from the Museum to the Ring Road of VDNH, which will take place on 31 July at 11:15 a.m. At 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on both days, the division will hold performances at pavilions No. 53 and 54.
On 31 July and 1 August, the Moscow Transport Museum will lead free guided tours of the Muscovite Dream exhibition for visitors who have purchased tickets for the 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. sessions. The museum has also collaborated with the Autoculture project to offer spectators a vintage car race along the Ring Road, from Oktyabrskaya Square to Industry Square, on Saturday at 10:50 a.m., which will end with an exhibition of parade participants near Pavilion No. 26. At the same time on Sunday, visitors will be able to attend a parade and exhibition from the Moskvich automobile club.
VDNH museums will hold free themed tours, most of which will feature sign language interpretation. On 31 July and 1 August, the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre will offer the tour, 'Between Sky and Earth' at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The tour will recount the history of the pavilion from 1939 to the present day. Visitors can also attend the 'Space Outposts: Mir Station and Others' guided tour at the Centre at 6 p.m. This tour will focus on Soviet permanent orbital stations. Then, at 6:45 p.m., the tour 'Peace in the Universe' will discuss joint space exploration programmes. Follow the link to register.
Admission to the Slovo Centre for Slavic Writing will be free on 31 July and 1 August. On Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., the 'World of the Mother Tongue: From Letter to Book' guided tour will discuss the emergence of the first Slavic alphabet. On Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. the Centre will lead another guided tour, called 'The World of Slavic Writing'. All weekend, visitors will be able to attend the guided tour 'From Agriculture to the Word' at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to learn about the history of one of the most beautiful pavilions at the Exhibition. Registration is required.
The VDNH Museum is also offering free admission on both days. On Sunday, the guided tour 'Happy Birthday, VDNH! Happy Birthday, Museum!' will be held at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors will get to learn about the key stages in the evolution of VSHV, VDNH, VVC and again VDNH, discover the symbols and meanings hidden within the architectural design of the pavilions and find out about the work of the Soviet Exhibition, as reflected in posters and films. Registration is required.
On 1 August, the Museum of Dolls and Puppets will offer admission at a 50% discount. On Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., the museum will hold free guided tours, called 'The King and the Jester'. This tour will be dedicated to the quirky world of Russian court festivities, as well as the history of jestering and its cultural traditions. The tour will be offered to those with tickets to the museum or through prior booking on the website.
There will be also free tours of the Exhibition grounds. On 1 August, the guided tour 'The Birth of VDNH' will take place at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to walk down Central Alley and admire the historic pavilions, as well as the landscaping, which has been restored to its 1954 design. The tour will begin at the Information Centre at the Main Entrance Arch. Follow the link to register. In addition, the 'Nighttime VDNH' guided tours will be held on both days at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., offering a look at the majestic architecture of VDNH in the setting sun. The tour will begin at the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman Pavilion. Registration is required.
Education and recreation
On this festive weekend, visitors at VDNH will have the unique opportunity to become adept members of the legendary intellectual club 'What? Where? When?' The game series will take place in the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The game hosts will be club experts Alena Povysheva and Yury Filippov on Saturday, and Maxim Potashev and Dmitry Avdeenko on Sunday. Participants must be over 12 years old to play the game. To join one of the teams, participants must complete a questionnaire and correctly answer the questions on the website.
This special programme was prepared by the Knowledge.VDNH educational project. On 31 July, children and parents are invited to the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre at 2 p.m. to see a storytelling performance of 'The Children of the Iron Bird' about a little boy's dream of spaceflight. Registration is required. On 1 August at 8 p.m., the lyrical compositions of the band Zoloto will be performed under the dome of the legendary pavilion. Tickets are available on the website.
On 31 July, young guests can visit the Slovo Centre for the VDNH Monogram calligraphy workshop at 12 p.m., where they will learn how to weave letters into fancy artwork and create holiday cards for the Exhibition's anniversary. On 1 August, everyone is invited to take part in 'Literary Walks around VDNH' at 1 p.m. Visitors will join writer Irina Lukyanova on a walk through the grounds and learn how to describe the world around them in a captivating way. The tour will meet in the lobby of the Centre. Registration is required.
On 31 July and 1 August, Tekhnograd will host open house days for the Formation training centre. On 1 August, the Academy of Bloggers, with the support of BigBloggersClub, will hold workshops on filming content from the top five millionaire bloggers on TikTok and Instagram. In addition, there will be a 360-degree interactive photo zone in which guests can take a selfie as a memento.
A resident of the Park of Crafts, Granat Garden Mosaic Studio will hold themed workshops on Sunday at 12 p.m. Participants will be able to create mini panel pictures for the 82nd anniversary of the Exhibition that depict the arch of the Main Entrance and mosaics based on sketches of bas-reliefs and majolica at VDNH. Prior booking by calling the phone number on the website. There will also be an open house day with presentations and tours to celebrate the anniversary of the studio. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the same day, visitors at the Christmas Art workshop will learn to decorate wooden pendants. Prior booking by calling the phone number on the website.
City Farm will also host a themed celebratory programme. On Saturday and Sunday, it will hold the 'Historical bas-relief of VDNH' and 'I Love VDNH brooch' workshops, fun 'VDNH Race' contests, farm exercises and a congratulatory flash mob for the Main Exhibition of the country. The City Farm working hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are available on the website.
On 31 July and 1 August, guided tours about the historical significance of the pavilion for the entire green industry of the USSR will take place at the Floriculture eco-centre at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. At 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., visitors will be invited to workshops on urban gardening. Prior booking is required by calling the phone number of the centre. On 1 August, the Summer Fun celebratory programme will take place in the Beekeeping eco-centre. The programme will include a lecture on phytotherapy at 1 p.m. and the guided tour, 'The Wonderful World of Bees', at 2 p.m. Registration by the centre's phone.
On 1 August at 3 p.m., the lecture 'VDNH in the Cinema' will be held in the open street lecture hall of the Cinema Museum. This lecture will discuss the history of the agricultural exhibition and its role in national cinema, citing legendary films, such as 'They Met in Moscow' and 'The Foundling'. The Petroleum Museum will present the programme, 1939–2021: From Sugarbeets to Petroleum, dedicated to the history of Pavilion No. 25. Admission is free. Registration is required by calling the museum's phone number. A children's quest will be held with Neftyasha on the children's playground near the pavilion. Admission is free. The quest will start at 11 a.m.
The Mir TV channel has organised a special festive quest that will take place on both days from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The programme will include banner decorating, quizzes and sports challenges, as well as ceremonial kite flying. The quest will take place at the Friendship of Peoples Fountain. On 1 August, visitors can take a picture with their favourite characters, who will also be DJing songs from their soundtracks all day long. Robostation will join the festive celebrations by putting on a dancing robot show and offering photoshoots and delicious treats.
Sports and active lifestyle
Active lifestyle enthusiasts can take part in sports workshops. All weekend, experienced instructors will help visitors master a special kind of rope walking, called low-level slacklining, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. between Pavilion No. 64 and the food court. An equipped area for learning and playing streetball will be located nearby. At the same time, hip hop dancing workshops will be held in Ostankino Park. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., visitors can take part in workshops for painting baseball caps and airbrushing behind Pavilion No. 61. All activities are free. Prior registration is required.
The Chess Club will host classes on traditional Chinese qigong gymnastics on 31 July from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 1 August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 3rd Kamensky pond.
Festivals and concerts
On 31 July, a celebratory concert will be held at the Green Theatre for visitors at VDNH. All day long, popular groups and performers will be performing their hits there. MOHITO and Tim3bomb will perform from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Tim3bomb, ORLOVE and the Davinchi band from 3:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.; and Artem Kacher and TERNOVOY from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Registration is required.
On 1 August, the final events of the VI International Festival of Arts Inspiration will take place. The premiere of the play 'The Kolkhoz Woman and the Worker' will take place as part of the youth programme at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman Pavilion. The symphonic performance, 'War and Peace', will be held at the Green Theatre at 7 p.m., combining classical music with the text of Leo Tolstoy's great novel. Theatre and film actors Daria Moroz, Stanislav Duzhnikov and Anatoly Bely will take the stage, while Conductor Ivan Rudin and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra will perform the music.
Friendship of the Peoples
Themed photo exhibitions will be held in the national pavilions of the CIS countries along the Central Alley. On 31 July, Pavilion No. 14 of the Republic of Azerbaijan will host the exposition, The Contribution of Soviet Azerbaijan to the history of VDNH, which discusses the state figures who participated in the creation of the Exhibition. In Pavilion No. 18 of the Republic of Belarus, the exhibition Generational Bridge will be held. The exhibition is dedicated to the unity of the peoples of the USSR, as well as the small towns of the republic.
On 31 July and 1 August, Pavilion No. 10 of the Republic of Moldova will host a children's artwork competition, as well as various workshops and quizzes. On Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m., Pavilion No. 68 of the Republic of Armenia will offer a guided tour in the Ararat cognac museum. At 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., free workshops will be held to teach visitors how to bake national lavash bread. Music and dance groups will also be performing.
A gastronomic journey
An extensive gastronomic programme awaits visitors of VDNH on holiday weekends. Restomarket will be open behind Pavilion No. 55 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The venue unites the common idea of the Exhibition of the Achievements of the Gastronomy Industry and national traditions. Restomarket will introduce visitors to the diverse achievements of chefs and hospitality. Visitors will be able to enjoy open mic street performances and all kinds of interactive activities, workshops and children's entertainment. Most importantly, delicious food and high-quality products will be on offer from the best manufacturers and suppliers of eco-products. Visitors can savour the aroma of real Bukhara pilaf from large cooking pots, taste chebureki in the open kitchen and even learn how to make them.
On Industry Square, the Soviet Picnic pop-up venue will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., allowing visitors to experience the romanticism of a traveller's life, sing campfire songs and taste camp food.
As part of the VDNH anniversary celebrations, a resident of the Park of Crafts, the School of Cheese by Olesya Shevchuk will arrange a festive cheese and wine tasting. The tasting will take place at 1 p.m. on 1 August in the House of Crafts, Pavilion No. 47. Attendance is free by prior registration by calling school's phone. There are 12 spaces available. The RustikBakery Confectionery School invites you to their free Candy Bar workshop. Visitors will learn the secrets of the dessert table, taste some sweet treats and learn how to make cupcakes. The number of seats available is limited to 10. Prior registration by calling the school's phone.
The VDNH cafes and restaurants, Ottepel, Fountain VIEW, AnderSon on the Dacha, Fishing Village, Pian-Se, LeoCoffee, Laghman House, Lukumades and Ribs and Wings have prepared exotic treats and special offers specifically for the celebrations. In addition, visitors will be able to take part in business and entertainment events held by Baskin Robbins, win prizes and gifts and try a new line of special immune-boosting ice cream. 'Health carts' with delicious and healthy desserts will be located throughout the Exhibition grounds. Candy Apples and Chestnuts will offer VDNH-82 lemonade.
A world of love and kindness
In honour of the anniversary, newlyweds who get married on 30 July at the Space pavilion and on 31 July at the VDNH Wedding Palace will receive certificates for planting personalised trees in the Newlyweds Garden. This new tradition began during the Exhibition's 80th anniversary. On VDNH's anniversary, there will also be a ceremonial opening for the Volunteer House, located in Building No. 247.
In addition, the Stone Flower Fountain will begin to operate in a new mode on the anniversary of VDNH. The pattern of the jets will change periodically and the streams of water will form a series of alternating figures, as it was after its opening in the mid-1950s.
The measures established by Rospotrebnadzor to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are still in place at VDNH. All visitors will be required to maintain social distancing and wear masks and gloves when inside the pavilions.