The exhibition "Great All-Russian" opened in Nizhny Novgorod.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Maria Orlova A multi-format exhibition "The Great All-Russian" (6+), dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the XVI All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition, has opened in the warehouses at Strelka. The event was attended by a correspondent from NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." The exhibition brings back to the city the memory of an event that made Nizhny Novgorod the center of engineering and cultural thought of the Russian Empire for four months in 1896. It was here that Vladimir Shukhov's hyperboloid tower and the first Russian car were presented for the first time, Alexander Popov showcased the prototype of his future transmitter, and Fyodor Blinov displayed the first caterpillar tractor. According to the governor of Nizhny Novgorod region Gleb Nikitin, the significance of that exhibition extended far beyond the country's borders.

      The head of the region compared the event of 1896 to the largest demonstrations of the country's achievements from different eras.

      Today, the project of the National Center "Russia" is being implemented. Before that, there was VDNH, when the Soviet Union showcased all its achievements, space, atoms. And the first project of this kind was indeed the exhibition of 1896, when Alexander III also decided to show the world. In fact, I think he was very wise-pragmatic and wanted to show the Russian person what he is capable of, Nikitin noted.

      Emperor Alexander III, according to him, was interested in industry and new inventions, but did not live to see the opening - it was done by Nicholas II.

      Dmitry Mendeleev, who worked at the site, believed that its materials "should be studied in detail by every Russian person," the governor added. In addition to technological innovations, an art pavilion was also presented in 1896. Here, the painting "The Appeal of Minin" by Konstantin Makovsky was exhibited, which later became a symbol of the city and is now kept in the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum. Gleb Nikitin noted that the preparation for the exhibition changed the city itself: a tram appeared, two funiculars were built, a drama theater was established, and a museum was founded.

      He also mentioned that for the current project, unique artifacts from various museums across the country were gathered. Some of them had never left their collections before. The exhibition features the first car, a model of the Mozhaysky airplane, Krylov's dromoscope, a model of the Chermak system plasma furnace for roasting fine ores, and other exhibits. According to the Minister of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod region Natalia Sukhanova, preparations for the anniversary took more than two years. The project team collected exhibits and documents literally from all over the country - from museum funds and private collections.

      Special attention was paid to documents from the era. Gleb Nikitin admitted that he studied papers signed by Governor Nikolai Baranov with particular interest.

      To be honest, I became a fan of his, he said, recalling the story of the construction of the funicular, which was built on the oral order of the head of the region even before the project's final approval in the capital.

      The initiator of the exhibition's creation was Tatiana Vinogradova, a professor at the UNESCO department of NNGASU, a local historian, and an honorary citizen of Nizhny Novgorod. Her grandfather, publicist Vasily Vinogradov, was a chronicler of the events of 1896 and wrote detailed reports. According to Nikitin, without her curatorship, the project would have been impossible.

      Tatiana Vinogradova herself reminded that for many years, the memory of the exhibition was practically erased from the city's history.

      We must know it because it is colossal patriotism... Nizhny Novgorod was chosen at that time as the city that demonstrated the power of Russia to the whole world, she emphasized.

      The modern exhibition is built around five thematic blocks: infrastructural-geopolitical, agro-industrial, mining-industrial-energy, artistic-industrial, and anthropological. Visitors will learn not only about the organization of pavilions but also about the fates of Fyodor Shalyapin, Maxim Gorky, Dmitry Mendeleev, and Mikhail Vrubel, whose names are associated with the exhibition and the city. Deputy Governor Yegor Polyakov noted that the 1896 exhibition became "a triumph of engineering thought of that time" and emphasized the continuity with today. The site features modern developments related to the region: hydrofoil vessels, the "Minin" tram, and unmanned technologies.

      "The modern world cannot be imagined without drones... an important part of the exhibition is the unmanned devices that are being assembled in the Nizhny Novgorod region," Polyakov said.

      The digital component has become one of the most impressive parts of the project. With the help of VR and AR technologies, one can literally walk inside historical pavilions and examine lost details. "Believe me, it's worth it," shared the governor's impressions.

      A separate digital layer of the exhibition is related to artificial intelligence. Here, an intelligent assistant-guide operates, and a photo zone allows visitors to create an image in the style of the 19th century using augmented reality.

      The exhibition can be visited from May 29 to November 4 in the exhibition warehouse. It was previously reported that a photo exhibition "On the Rails of Time. The Nizhny Novgorod Tram is 130 Years Old" (0+) has opened in Nizhny Novgorod. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.