A large high relief  “Thanks to the Soviet People, the Standard-Bearers of Peace!” by the author of the monuments “Warrior-Liberator” and “The Motherland Calls” Yevgeny Vuchetich was found during the work on the improvement in the Central Pavilion of ENEA (Exhibition of Economic Achievements).

“Plywood panels that concealed stunning interior details were removed from the interior walls of the building during the accident-prevention works. The main artistic discovery is the legendary high relief by Vuchetich created by the great sculptor for the opening of the Main Pavilion of the All-Union Economic Exhibition in 1954” – the press service of the exhibition reported.
 

The history of Vuchetich’s high relief
 

The sculptural composition is located in the hall which was called “The USSR Struggles for the World Peace”. The high relief with a total area of almost 100 square meters depicts people of different nationalities, professions and ages on the background of the iconic buildings of the Soviet era, in particular, the high-rise buildings of MSU and Shukhov Tower. The statues of the Worker and the Collective Farmer with a baby on her hands stand in the centre, on a background of a streaming banner with the portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels. During its existence the high relief was modified – the profile of “the leader of the people” was smeared on the banner in 1956, in connection with the dethronement of Stalin’s personality cult. The work by Vuchetich was hidden in the late 1960s, as it did not match new requirements of Soviet aesthetics, and after the transformation of the pavilion into a marketplace in the 1990s it was covered by the sheets of plywood.

The monumental composition is preserved in good condition. “For the time being we have taken the decision to leave high relief the way it was found. Everyone will be able to see it on an interactive exhibition which opens on August 1 and will work until the end of December” - the press service of ENEA clarified. 
 

Reconstruction of ENEA pavilions
 

The repair and improvement of ENEA started in April 2014 and covers all its historical exhibition objects. Priority tasks include restoration of the Green Theatre, the “Cosmos” pavilion, the pavilions Number 1 – “Central”, Number 58 – “Ukraine” and Number 66 – “Culture”. The beginning of large-scale restoration works in the Central Hall of ENEA is scheduled for 2015. Prior to this the restorers will examine the newly-found high relief and decide whether to leave the work of art in its present state or to conduct scientific restoration. 

 

 

Sources: http://www.m24.ru http://www.zbulvar.ru http://www.km.ru http://www.vvcentre.ru