Genius Loci.
200 years in history
200 years in history
History & Documentary
Story
The jubilee exhibition reflects all stages of the 200-year history of the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. " Genius Loci: from exerzirgauz to Exhibition Hall" is a large-scale multi-format study of the phenomenon of the building as a symbol of the state, a mirror of society and a center of creative ambitions
The architectural structure was erected in 1817 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Russia's victory over Napoleon, originally intended for army exercises and proudly named Exzerzirgauz. The unique design by the Spanish engineer Augustin Betancourt allowed for the free conduct of drill exercises inside a room devoid of traditional columns and partitions. In 1825, the famous Moscow architect Osip Ivanovich Bove decorated the building with stucco and plaster decorations on military themes
Description of the Manege in Moscow, Betancourt A., 1819
After the death of Emperor Alexander I, the building was used exclusively for peaceful purposes. The Manege became the center of folk festivities at Easter, Maslenaya Week and Christmas. In the building one could watch equestrian competitions, get lessons in horseback riding and later in bicycle riding. Count Leo Tolstoy belonged to the number of visitors who took a full course of training.
Since the 1860s, the Manege increasingly began to fulfill not only entertaining, but also educational role. Lectures, exhibitions, which allowed to witness the triumph of human reason in person
Since the 1860s, the Manege increasingly began to fulfill not only entertaining, but also educational role. Lectures, exhibitions, which allowed to witness the triumph of human reason in person
Project
History & Documentary
Type
CEH Manege
Place
Manege square, 1, Moscow
Address
MEA Manege
Initiator
Semyon Mikhailovsky
Curator
400 sq.m
Area
>300 pieces
Number of exhibits
Peter Tolpin, Ekaterina Yurchenko, Svetlana Dudar
Team
Ilya Ivanov
Photo
Triumph gallery
Consortium
Temporary exhibition plan
Temporary exhibition axonometry
Exposition showcase, typology
«Our main task was to show the whole multi-layered phenomenon of the Manege. For 200 years, the architectural masterpiece by Betancourt and Bove has managed to be a house for infantry regiment exercises, one of the country's first platforms for cycling, a government garage, but in the end, time itself has shown its main purpose - a place where the most important exhibitions of the capital take place. It was important for us to have experts in history, architecture, and cultural studies look at the Manege from the point of view of their disciplines, to tell us why Moscow's history, its appearance, and culture are directly connected to the Central Exhibition Hall. This is a story about what happened in the building during all these two centuries, how it influenced the urban planning situation, how it shaped the social demand, what functions it was endowed with at different times, what role it played in the life of Moscow in general»
CEO of the MEA Manege, Irina Tolpina
«The Manege today, if we talk about it seriously, as it deserves, is one of the symbols of Moscow's culture. At the exhibition "Genius Loci: from exerzirgauz to Exhibition Hall. 200 years in history" we showed all the stages of Manege's formation: for 200 years the building managed to be a stage for circus performances, a garage, and a hall for international exhibitions of the most famous artists. For modern scholars the Manege is not just a museum, but a full-fledged part of history and culture. That is why the publication about the anniversary of the Central Exhibition Hall of Moscow seems to me also an important historical study of the development and formation of the city itself, its architecture and cultural life then and now. The first large archive about the Manege automatically becomes a chronicle of the city and its culture»
Curator, Semyon Mikhailovsky
Special activities
As part of additional activities, which included lectures, city tours and the shooting of a full-length documentary about the history of the Manege, a special project was developed together with the magazine Esquire. A multimedia installation in which young theater and film actors told visitors 30 facts about the history of the building
Publishing program
The book about the 200year anniversary of the Moscow Manege is a collection of facts, stories, voices, opinions and even legends about the life and existence of the building, institution, city, conditions and situations, historical and cultural contexts.
For the first time, a voluminous archive of visual and textual historical materials has been collected and systematized to present the most comprehensive story of the Manege, including unique narratives and opinions of researchers, curators, anthropologists, and architects who participated in the development of the city and the building. The publication is the culmination of a series of cultural events dedicated to the anniversary of the exerzirgauz
For the first time, a voluminous archive of visual and textual historical materials has been collected and systematized to present the most comprehensive story of the Manege, including unique narratives and opinions of researchers, curators, anthropologists, and architects who participated in the development of the city and the building. The publication is the culmination of a series of cultural events dedicated to the anniversary of the exerzirgauz
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