At the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, the 1950s
On 25 December, 1938 Dmitry Stepanovich Zhilov was transferred to work as a sculptor in architectural and sculptural workshops of the All-Union Agricutural Exhibition (VSHV) in Moscow, about what documentary evidence have remained in the archive of the artist's daughter, Marina Dmitrievna Bernatskaya. The artist and sculptor created bas-reliefs for many of the pavilions, including the 46-meter bas-relief on the central facade of the pavilion “Animal Husbandry” in 1939-1941, the bas-relief “Charles Darwin” for the museum of the All-Union Institute of Animal Husbandry in 1938, the bas-relief “S.M. Kirov” for the pavilion “Mechanization” at VSHV in 1939.
Pavilion “Animal Husbandry” at VSHV with a bas-relief on the facade by D.S. Zhilov and B.I.Urmanche
Sketch of a bas-relief for the facade of the pavilion ”Animal Husbandry”
Reverse side of the photo with the sketch of a bas-relief for the pavilion “Animal Husbandry”
Sketch of a bas-relief for the pavilion “Animal Husbandry”
Since the end of 1944 Dmitry Stepanovich Zhilov again worked at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition as a senior sculptor of the Architectural and Art Council of the Exhibition. He was engaged in the organization of restoration works on restoration and preservation of sculptural registration of the VSHV pavilions, and since 1949 worked at the image of I.V. Michurin for monuments and bas-reliefs of VSHV and the Botanical Garden of Moscow, created the bas-relief “I.M. Sechenov” for the New State University.
 D.S. Zhilov working at the sculptor model dedicated to I.V. Michurin |
 Reference about the transfer of D.S. Zhilov to work at VSHV, 1938 |
 Sculptors D. Zhilov and A. Pekarev near the bust of Anna Koshevaya |
Besides all above-mentioned there were other works and orders, and first of all – social orders for VSHV. The selection of material about creation of a bust of Anna Denisovna Koshevaya can become a striking and curious example of work of the sculptor of that era.
The bust of Anna Koshevaya, 1955, authors D. Zhilov and A. Pekarev
Anna Koshevaya was “zvenyevaya” of the collective farm "Red giant" of the Kiev Region and the Hero of Socialist work, but the most important – she was an outstanding … sugar beet-grower! And it meant that in those days sugar beet was found in the country, that is - it was produced, planted and grown! And it is very curious to read an article about opening of a bust of Anna Koshevaya in the newspaper “Selskoye Khozyaystvo” dated Tuesday, June 28, 1955, which said: "… at 12 o'clock in front of the pavilion “Sugar Beet” at VSHV delegations of sugar beet-growers of the Kiev, Vinnytsa, Kharkov, Khmelnytsky, Kursk, Voronezh Regions, Kyrgyz and Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic gathered…".
 An article in the newspaper “Selskoye Khozyaystvo” dedicated to the opening of the bust of Anna Koshevaya |
 The bust of Anna Koshevaya in front of the pavilion “Sugar Beet” at VSHV |
And, of course, in the article the list of the functionaries speaking at the meeting read off scale, and everybody thanked the Central Committee and the Government, but the names of sculptors were only mentioned casually, - but so happens at all times, and you understand as a result the main thing – monuments were dedicated to ordinary people! There was agriculture, and there was an industry, animal husbandry, mechanization … and there were fine arts. It is worth to remember about that era.
Margarita Siourina, March, 2016
Sketch of a bas-relief for one of the pavilions at VSHV
MATERIALS FOR THE PUBLICATION ARE PROVIDED BY M. D. BERNATSKAYA FROM HER PERSONAL ARCHIVES
See also:
At the official website of the artist Margarita Siourina: