Countries from across the world participated in Spokane’s 1974 World’s Fair. Among the most popular of the international exhibitions at “Expo 74” was the Soviet Pavilion.
Détente Comes to Expo 74
Begun as a dream to clean up the industrial area around Spokane Falls, Expo 74’s theme, “Celebrating Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment,” celebrated both the site’s reclamation and the growing environmental movement.
While Spokane organizers had difficulties securing international participation, the USSR leapt at the chance to take part. This would be the first time the Soviets would have a display at a US-based world’s fair since 1939.
The 1970s marked the beginning of a period of tentative détente between the two superpowers and both sides hoped that Expo 74 could help ease Cold War tensions. With their terrible environmental record, the Soviets were eager to show a better image on the world stage.
But the Soviets had conditions. Having signed up early, they wanted priority of place. They ended up with a prime spot across the river from the Washington State Pavilion, now First Interstate Center for the Arts, and next to the U.S. Pavilion.
At 52,000 square feet, nearly double its initial proposal, the Soviet building was the largest pavilion at the Expo.
Propaganda and Art at the Soviet Pavilion
Expo 74 opened on May 4, 1974, and the Soviet Pavilion quickly became popular.
Its official theme was “The Role of the Soviet State in the Preservation of Nature and Effective Use of Natural Resources.” Exhibits were filled with heavy-handed propaganda, lauding the superiority of communism and Soviet technology.
Above the main entrance was a 4,500-pound 60-by-30-foot aluminum relief map of the Soviet Union. The map was intended to show how the Soviets planned factory locations to ease their environmental impact.
Inside, visitors were greeted by a stern bust of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin and exhibits about his life and interest in conservation.
Further exhibits showcased contemporary Soviet efforts at controlling air pollution, water resources and urban development.
Displays used dramatic lighting and fanciful designs to get their message across. Visitors wandered through a forest of Daliesque trees whose “sap” flowed through colorful lighted tubing. Futuristic robots mined a sea floor filled with glass fish. A lighted metal and glass sun mimicked sunrise and sunset over detailed models of Soviet cities.
Tourists couldn’t help themselves from tossing pennies into the pavilion’s many fountains. Folk art and archeological treasures were also on display.
Three theaters showed five films, including “Biosphere,” “Biosphere and Man,” and “My Sixth Part of the Planet.”
While popular, the Soviet Pavilion had one major drawback: only two theaters and the restaurant were initially air-conditioned. Visitors were encouraged to come early or late to beat the summer heat. In July, when indoor temperatures soared over 100 degrees, air conditioning was finally added to Armenian Hall. Fans fed cool air to the main hall, but it was still stifling.
Soviet Restaurant Proved Popular
The most popular part of the pavilion was the two-story restaurant and bar. Its Slavic fare proved a welcome respite from Expo’s usual hot dogs and hamburgers. Served cafeteria style to keep crowds moving, seats by the windows were popular for views of the A & W Sky Float and Washington State Pavilion.
The restaurant employed 16 cooks and was managed by chef Victor Poliakov, manager of Moscow’s leading luxury hotel, Hotel Ukraina. Ingredients were bought locally and Russian language majors from Eastern Washington University served as evening waiters.
The bar was the scene of frequent drinking contests between Soviet and American staff. The Soviets usually won.
Events Ease Cold War Tensions
The Soviet Pavilion had over 200 staff members, more than the USSR’s embassy in D.C. Relations between Soviet and American workers were mostly cordial but strained by mutual mistrust. Pavilion leaders were suspicious of B-52 flyovers from nearby Fairchild Air Force Base. Workers were under constant surveillance by the KGB and were not allowed to travel more than 25 miles from Spokane.
The Pavilion also attracted protestors. Environmental groups demonstrated against Russian whaling during Expo while Jewish groups raised awareness about the USSR’s mistreatment of Jews.
The Soviet delegation sponsored many popular public events, including dancing, skating and even a basketball game. Gold medal gymnast Olga Korbut performed for six sold-out shows at the Spokane Coliseum.
USSR National Day on September 19 brought Soviet and US officials together. The event kicked off with speeches and a performance by the Moiseyev Dance Company in the International Amphitheater.
Goodbye, Expo 74
Over five million visitors toured the Soviet Pavilion before the fair closed on November 3. Soviet officials were pleased with the event. “Expo is a history-making event,” USSR Chamber of Commerce and commissioner general of the Soviet Pavilion Nicolai Filippov told the Spokane Chronicle, “which helps promote better relations not only between the Soviet Union and the United States, but also between all the participating countries.”
Demolition of the temporary, prefabricated building began immediately. Besides a historic plaque, no traces of the Soviet Pavilion remain at Riverfront Park, the park the fair created.
But Spokane’s Slavic connections have only grown since Expo 74. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, thousands from the former USSR, including a recent wave of Ukrainian refugees, have come to call Spokane home. Now making up about ten percent of the city’s population, they form an important part of the community Expo 74 sought to celebrate.
