Project for the building of the League of Nations on Lake Geneva. Panorama of the Palace of Nations. Virtual tour of the Palace of Nations. Attractions, map, photo, video. Significance of the Palais des Nations in Geneva

The Palais des Nations in Geneva is, in fact, not a single palace, as is customary in many countries, but a whole complex of buildings, each of which could accommodate more than one large organization. It began to be built for the League of Nations - the predecessor of the UN. For a whole ten years, from 1936 to 1946, until its self-dissolution, the League of Nations was located within these walls, then the palace complex passed to the successor of the League - the United Nations.

Construction history

The construction of the very first complex was carried out from 1929 to 1938. The city took the territory for it in one of the most beautiful parks in Geneva - Ariana Park, which was bequeathed to the Swiss capital by the aristocratic family of Ravillot de Rive. The will contained a condition that the peacocks, which had appeared there even when the Ariana Park was private property, would remain here to live in the wild. The government strictly fulfills the obligation. In the same park, as a sign of respect, a small chalet that belonged to the former owners, which is almost three and a half centuries old, has been preserved to this day.

The construction project was developed by a team of five renowned European architects who won a special competition for the best design. During the construction of the first building of the Palais des Nations complex, a so-called time capsule was laid under the cornerstone, which contains several historically and politically important documents:

List of names of member states of the League;
A copy of the founding document of the League of Nations - the convention;
All samples of the coins of the states that were presented at the tenth Assembly of the League.

It is interesting that Le Corbusier, the most famous of the then Swiss architects, failed in the competition, allegedly due to the fact that when creating the final version of the project, he used the wrong ink, which was prescribed by the rules for the competition. However, his project, extremely successful and in many ways innovative, became to a large extent the prototype for the later buildings of the complex.

After the Palace of Nations was transferred to the UN, the construction of additional buildings began, which housed the offices of the regional branches of such grandiose and significant organizations as:

UNESCO;
IAEA;
United Nations Industrial Development Organization and a number of no less significant structures.

Today, the length of the complex is six hundred meters, and its area is approximately equal to that of Versailles.

In the Place des Nations in front of the Palace, there is an eloquent and slightly amusing monument - a cannon, the muzzle of which would have been aimed at the Palace if it had not been tied in a knot. What this composition symbolizes is easy to guess.

today

About eight thousand conferences, congresses and meetings are held annually in the Palace. And in the intervals between major events, excursions for tourists are held in the open halls of the complex. This is about 100,000 people a year. It also regularly hosts cultural events - concerts, exhibitions of works of art. Both museum expositions and private collections are exhibited, for example, the collection of an entrepreneur from Russia Vyacheslav Kantor was presented.

The complex is in perfect condition as it is periodically completed and updated. It has become a tradition to "donate" the premises of the United Nations. Some states pay for construction or repairs on their own, this is counted as a gift. Items that replenish the museum of the organization are also donated - mainly for artistic purposes. So, for example, there is a crystal composition made by masters from Saratov according to the project of G. Pototsky.

The Palais des Nations (fr. Palais des Nations) is a complex of buildings built between 1929 and 1938, in Ariana Park, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Palais des Nations was used as the headquarters of the League of Nations until 1946. Since 1966, the Palace has housed the United Nations Office for Europe in Geneva, the second most important UN headquarters in the world after New York.

In addition, the Palace also houses the offices of the regional offices of the IAEA, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UN OCHA, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

About 8,000 meetings are held each year at the UN headquarters in Geneva, of which about 600 are major conferences. 100 thousand people annually visit the open halls of the Palace as tourists.

Story

After the formation of the League of Nations on January 10, 1920, in 1926, an architectural competition was held in order to choose the best project for the future complex. The competition jury could not choose a clear winner from among 377 submitted projects and invited the authors of the 5 best works to develop a joint design. The group of architects included Carlo Broggi (Italy), Julian Flegenheimer (Switzerland), Camille Lefebvre and Henri-Paul Nénot (France) and Jozsef Vago (Hungary). The first stone of the neoclassical building was laid on September 7, 1929. In 1933, the secretariat of the League of Nations was placed in its completed part. By 1936, most of the employees who worked elsewhere were transferred to the almost completed building.

The interior decoration of the building was made mainly from materials provided by the member countries of the League of Nations. A time capsule was laid at the base of the first stone, containing, among other things, a list of all member countries of the League of Nations, copies of its founding documents, as well as coins of participating countries. Nevertheless, the activity of the League of Nations by this moment was completely paralyzed, and the organization itself had definitely lost its former influence. Ultimately, on April 20, 1946, the League of Nations was dissolved.

After the Palais des Nations was taken over by the UN, several buildings were added to the complex. Building "D" was built to temporarily house the WHO. Building "E", completed in 1973, now serves as a conference complex (see map). In total, including all new buildings, the length of the complex is 600 meters, it has 34 conference rooms and 2,800 offices.

Despite its beauty, the complex is in need of modernization. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director General of the UN European Office in Geneva, called the amount of $1 billion needed for modernization.

Despite the fact that since 1966 the UN office in Geneva has been located in the Palais des Nations, Switzerland was not a member of the UN until 2002.
In 2008, a new Hall of Human Rights and the Alliance of Civilizations was opened in the Palace. For the design of its ceiling with an area of 1.4 thousand square meters. meters took 100 tons of paint and 18 million euros.
The first and third floors in the Palace allow you to walk the entire length of the complex.
As an illustration of the anti-war objectives of the UN, an artillery piece was set up in front of the Palais des Nations, aimed at the building. In this case, the gun barrel is tied into a knot.

The Palais des Nations in Geneva is not just a landmark captured over the centuries. It is here that the main questions of world politics are decided. Every year, up to 100 thousand tourists visit the halls of the Palace, which are open to everyone.

Palace History Pages

The buildings included in this grandiose complex are modern, as they were built relatively recently. The history of the Palace has no more than 100 years:

1926 - a competition for projects was announced for the construction of a complex in which meetings of the League of Nations would be held; a creative team of architects was selected consisting of Carlo Broggi (Italy), Henri-Paul Neno and Camille Lefebvre (France), Julian Flegenheimer (Switzerland), Jozsef Vago (Hungary);
1929 - laying of the first stone;
1933 - the first meeting of the League of Nations in the completed part of the Palace;
1936 - the construction of the building was completed.

But even in such a short time, the Palace of Nations has become the center of international politics and a place of pilgrimage for a huge number of tourists.

Significance of the Palais des Nations in Geneva

If the sights of Geneva for the most part are of cultural and historical significance, such as the Museum of Art and History, then it is difficult to overestimate the role of the Palais des Nations in world politics. This complex of buildings is of global importance, since it is here that the following are located:

the European branch of the UN, which is considered the second most important UN residence in the world (the first is in New York);
offices of regional offices of the IAEA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UN OCHA;
United Nations Office for Industrial Development;
branch of the United Nations Agriculture and Food Organization (FAO).

More than 8 thousand meetings and about 600 major conferences of world importance are held annually in Geneva, at the UN headquarters.

Thus, tourists can visit the heart of world politics, where important issues of a global nature are being resolved.

All the sights of Switzerland have in their arsenal a dozen interesting historical facts. The Palais des Nations in Geneva is no exception, with many interesting stories associated with it:

since 1966, the UN has been located in the Palais des Nations in Geneva, but Switzerland became a member of the UN only in 2002;
in 2008, a new building was opened here - the Hall of Human Rights and the Alliance of Civilizations. Its ceiling area is 1.5 thousand square meters. meters;
through the 1st and 3rd floors of the Palace, you can walk along the length of the entire complex.

The Palais des Nations in Geneva impresses with its scale, solemnity and grandeur. The heart stops when you pass by these majestic buildings.

Every year, about 8,000 meetings are held at the UN headquarters in Geneva, of which about 600 are major conferences. 100 thousand people annually visit the open halls of the Palace as tourists.

Story

After the formation of the League of Nations on January 10, 1920, an architectural competition was held in 1926 in order to choose the best project for the future complex. The competition jury could not choose a clear winner from among 377 submitted projects, and invited the authors of the 5 best works to develop a joint design. The group of architects included Carlo Broggi (), Julian Flegenheimer (), Camille Lefebvre and Henri-Paul Nenot (), as well as Jozsef Vago (). The first stone of the neoclassical building was laid on September 7, 1929. In 1933, the secretariat of the League of Nations took up residence in the completed part of it. By 1936, most of the employees who worked elsewhere were transferred to the almost completed building.

The interior decoration of the building was made mainly from materials provided by the member countries of the League of Nations. At the base of the first stone, a time capsule was laid, containing, among other things, a list of all member countries of the League of Nations, copies of its founding documents, as well as coins of the participating countries. Nevertheless, the activity of the League of Nations by this moment was completely paralyzed, and the organization itself definitely lost its former influence. Ultimately, on April 20, 1946, the League of Nations was dissolved.

After the Palais des Nations was taken over by the UN, several buildings were added to the complex. Building "D" was built to temporarily house the WHO. Building "E", completed in 1973, now serves as a conference complex (see map). In total, including all new buildings, the length of the complex is 600 meters, it has 34 conference rooms and 2,800 offices.

Despite its beauty, the complex is in need of modernization. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director General of the UN European Office in Geneva, called the amount of $1 billion needed for modernization.

Despite the fact that since 1966, the UN office in Geneva has been located in the Palais des Nations, it was not a member of the UN until 2002.

In 2008, a new Hall of Human Rights and the Alliance of Civilizations was opened in the Palace. For the design of its ceiling with an area of 1.4 thousand square meters. meters, it took 100 tons of paint and 18 million euros.
The first and third floors in the Palace allow you to walk along the entire length of the complex.

I lived in Geneva for 10 years and I can say with confidence that its most important difference from other European cities is its “internationality”. I had the good fortune to get to know 35 nationalities closely, but this, of course, is not the limit. The specificity of such a national mix is formed due to the huge number of international organizations.

There are more than 50 of them in Geneva: the International Labor Organization, the International Health Organization, the International Organization for the Protection of Children, the Red Cross, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and many others. One of the most influential is the United Nations (UN).

UN address and how to get there

Anyone can visit the UN building. The address of the UN is Peace Avenue (Avenue de la Paix - Avenue de la Paix). The stop is called. On some routes it may also be called "Plaza Nation" - Place Nation - Place Nation)

You can get to the UN by buses 8, 28, 5, 11, F, V, Z or by tram 15. You will undoubtedly find most of these routes near Gare Cornavin Central Station. There are ticket machines at all stops. The most profitable for you will be to buy a ticket for 1 day (Un jour - one day), it is valid on any public transport: bus, tram, train, trolleybus throughout the day. Traveling by public transport in Geneva is a pleasure, at the same time look at the city.

When I arrive in a new city, I always take a tram (or a bus if there are no trams) and ride around the city, looking at its architecture and inhabitants, sometimes I get off at an unknown stop, walk in a park I like, go to a non-tourist cafe and ask the locals: where to go, what to see. Bartenders will always help with this! The real "face" of the city is in the sleeping and non-central areas. Tired, gray citizens of one city are different from the cheerful fat men of another. Get on the tram and leave the center!

In order to better orient yourself in Geneva transport, I will leave you here ...

When to visit the UN

September-March. From Monday to Friday, you can enter the UN building either from 10.00 to 12.00 or from 14.00 to 16.00.
April June. The UN is also open for visits on Saturdays.
July-August The UN is open from Monday to Saturday from 10.00 to 16.00

Entrance and ticket prices

You need to have your passport with you. Entrance costs CHF 12 (Children aged 6-18 will be charged CHF 7).

Nuances

Access to some UN rooms may be closed if meetings or meetings are taking place there. Unfortunately, these events are not announced in advance.

You will also not be let in with large bags, suitcases and other trunks - this is a security issue.

Tours

I recommend visiting the UN along with a tour of the building at 10.30 or 14.30, as the tour will tell you interestingly and in detail about all the sights and take you to all corners. Although, you may have to wait in line for about 30 minutes. Tours are available in 15 languages - at the entrance you can take an MP3 player with information in Russian.

What to see inside

The building has 30 rooms that can accommodate up to 8500 people at a time!

Be sure to pay attention to:

assembly hall. Its capacity is up to 2000 people. This is the world's first meeting room in which the speeches of ambassadors of different countries are simultaneously translated into 15 languages!

Hall XX. It accommodates up to 880 people. They also say that with the lights on, this hall resembles a giant operating room. And it’s not for nothing that there is so much light here, it was made for better TV shooting. In general, this room feels calm and comfortable.

Other small halls are dedicated to different countries: Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia. They house objects of folk art and hold meetings.

What to see outside

Broken chair

Just before entering the UN, you will be greeted by an amazing giant chair with a broken leg - a symbol against the use of anti-personnel mines and cluster bombs. The broken leg of the chair symbolizes a disabled person blown up by a mine. Sculptor: Daniel Berset

constellation sphere

There are many interesting sculptures and monuments on the territory of the UN, including the sphere of constellations by Paul Menship. The sphere used to spin, but now the motor does not work :(

It is not known what exactly the sphere should symbolize, but I assume that the constellations are the constellations of nations ... Maybe you will have your own ideas about the symbolism of this monument.

Russian embassy

And opposite the UN is the Russian Embassy (Prospekt Mira 15).

In general, the UN building is located on the territory of Ariana Park. There is also a museum of ceramics of Ariana, which is worthy of your attention!

Don't be surprised to see a few fat peacocks on UN grounds. Once upon a time, an extravagant rich lady lived near the United Nations building, who brought herself some peacocks and clipped their wings so that they would not fly away. But the peacocks did not like to live with the lady, but Ariana's park liked, where they safely ran away many times. Peacocks are now kept on the grounds to keep the tradition going.

According to tradition, once a year for 1 day, a herd of sheep is lowered from the mountains, which eat UN lawns. According to legend, this is how the lawn was maintained in the old days.

After the tour

After walking around the UN territory and the internal halls, do not be lazy and reach the center of Geneva along the waterfront of Lake Leman. You can read about walking along Lake Leman in Geneva in my other article here.

And on the way, you can go to the legendary restaurant Perdulyak (oh! Perle du Lac - the pearl of the lake) in the Perle du Lac park, where my favorite magnolias grow, and where Hans Christian Anderssen liked to walk.

My advice: explore Geneva by bike. It can be rented on the waterfront, at the point where Lake Leman flows into the River Rhone. Everywhere there are parking lots for bicycles, the roads are equipped with dedicated lanes. Just don't leave a two-wheeled vehicle without locking it, there are cases of theft.