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Origin and history

The Russian pavilion, also called Datcha du Val-de-Marne, was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1878 in Paris. Designed by the architect Ivan Ropet, it was inspired by the wooden palace of Kolomenskoye near Moscow, the birthplace of Peter the Great. The building, made of brick and logs of wood, measured 40 meters of facade for only 5 meters deep, with a massive central body flanked by two asymmetric wings. It was considered "very harmonious" by the contemporaries, symbolizing Russian traditional crafts and architecture.

After the Exhibition, only the left pavilion was preserved. Taken to Nogent-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne), it was transformed into a dwelling. This vestige, consisting of a square floor and a high floor, was inscribed in the historical monuments in 2014 for its facades and roofs. Today, located at 15 Henry Dunant Street, it recalls 19th-century enthusiasm for universal exhibitions and international cultural exchanges.

The original building, described as a picturesque construction, opened on the Rue des Nations during the Exhibition. Its architecture contrasted with the other pavilions by its traditional Slavic style, mixing exposed bricks and carved wood. The partial preservation of this pavilion illustrates the desire to preserve an ephemeral heritage, linked to a significant event in French industrial and artistic history.

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