"One of the most captivating expositions": the National Centre RUSSIA launched a new tour format for children

The National Centre RUSSIA has launched a new format of interactive tours for children, titled "The World We Live In." Through play-based activities, children learn about architecture, architects, and their role in society.

Dmitry Lesnykh, a guide at the National Centre RUSSIA, noted that the National Centre RUSSIA places great emphasis on engaging with young audiences.

"We realised we needed to create a product designed specifically for children. We tried to fill our new tour about world architecture with as many interactive elements and fascinating facts as possible, so that children aged 7 to 12 would share their impressions with their families, feel genuinely engaged, want to take part in the process and then tell their friends about it," Dmitry Lesnykh explained.

The new tour of the exposition "The Birth of Scale" begins with stories about fortresses and the early construction of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. It then moves on to traditional wooden architecture. Special attention is given to the Pomor toy known as the sharkunok, as well as a model of the belyana vessel and the Kizhi Pogost.

"The sharkunok was a wooden construction made of dozens of specially carved and interlinked blocks, with a hollow interior that was filled with peas or small stones. It could serve as a rattle for young children, a dismantlable puzzle for teenagers, or a percussive musical instrument," noted Dmitry Lesnykh.

The belyana vessel was used to transport timber. It reached up to 160 metres in length and 30 metres in width. Logs were floated down the Volga River from the forest-rich northern regions to the south. The Kizhi Pogost is an architectural ensemble located on Kizhi Island in Lake Onega, Karelia. It consists of two churches and a bell tower, built in the 18th and 19th centuries.

During the tour, children are introduced to old units of measurement — the slant and sweep sazhen, arshin, elbow, and vershok. They learn what it meant to be an architect in the 19th century and what the profession involves today. Schoolchildren can also test their visual estimation skills using a special training device.

"In addition, we talk about the model of the Polar 'Pyramid' residential complex, which was never realised. It was supposed to be a 27-storey glass pyramid with flats arranged along its three internal faces. The ground floor would have housed public and technical areas, including a winter garden. All three sides of the residential zone were oriented towards the sun," clarified Dmitry Lesnykh.

After the tour of "The Birth of Scale" exposition, children have the opportunity to visit a new space called the "Space of Opportunities," where they can explore different forms of media, learn how to interact with them, and create their own content.

"I really enjoyed this tour. I want to bring my sisters, brothers, mum and dad here. What I remember most was the model of the belyana vessel and the visual estimation training device," shared Varvara Chevanova.

The schoolgirl promised to return to the National Centre RUSSIA for other expositions.

"Even though I’m only 11, I’ve already visited many expositions, and I liked this one because it was one of the most captivating and realistic. I found the tour fascinating because we were given lots of interactive tasks. The items I remember most was the modern architect’s office," said Dmitry Bestuzhev.

"The Birth of Scale" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA showcases completed architectural projects as well as ideas that remain only as concepts. The exposition consists of both the National Centre RUSSIA's own objects and those provided by museums and private collectors across the country.

Watch the series of educational lectures of the National Centre RUSSIA by art historian Yelizaveta Likhacheva and learn more about Russian architecture.

Partners of "The Birth of Scale" exposition include DOM.RF, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, Gazprom, the State Research Museum of Architecture named after A. V. Shchusev, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Yakov Chernikhov Charitable Architectural Foundation, and the HSE Art and Design School.