Russia is participating in Expo 2020 Dubai under the slogan of "Creative Mind: Driving the Future", allowing millions of visitors to learn about Russia's current achievements in industry, science, technology, and culture.
The pavilion was designed by famous Russian architect Sergei Tchoban who said during the opening that the design came in the form of two domes that create one space as visitors enter the interior and ascend to the upper floor.
He also indicated that the pavilion is covered with multi-colored lines to create with all these elements, a continuous movement.
“It was important to show in the pavilion not what is fixed, but what changes for this endless movement to embody the harmonious and united coexistence of the multifaceted Russian nation.”
Inside the pavilion, the internal exhibition is called “The Mechanics of Wonder”, as the heart of the pavilion is a structure of the human brain.
This symbol represents the processes that organize human life in society and form common values on which the future of mankind and its endless opportunities for development are built.
On the side of the exhibition, Yekaterina Pribytkova, director of international communication at the pavilion, gave Majalla an exclusive interview and talked about the impression of visitors to the Russian pavilion and their opinion of its design.
“We want it to be a bit different. So, we invited one of the greatest Russian architects nowadays, Sergei Tchoban. He saw this pavilion as a dome - as a planet that is meant to serve as a point of attraction to others and get attracted to others as well - just like planets and objects in space do and just like in Expo when countries collaborate with each other and get closer together.”
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She added, “He also used a little bit of symbolism in different objects within the architecture. For example, the line wrapped around the pavilion symbolizes the continuity of knowledge … different colors symbolize the unity of peoples living in Russia. It symbolizes a frozen movement because if you look at the pavilion it looks like someone took a photo on the go and this way it is like a frozen zone … which is also the theme of mobility and moving forward and being dynamic.”
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Speaking about the interior design of the pavilion and why it was built in the shape of the human mind or brain, she said that the theme of the pavilion is “Creative Mind: Driving the Future” because they focus on creative industries.
“Therefore, the centerpiece of our exhibition is the human brain itself because we believe that there is a lot of technology right now … there is a lot of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and all innovations in that aspect.
“But of course behind each technology, behind the AI we are talking about now is the human mind, the human consciousness. So, we tried to step back and speak about the thing that started it all. So, now we are not looking outward but more inward towards the human mind … looking more into us how similar and different we are.”
The director also said that there are cultural and business events held on the sidelines of the pavilion.
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“We will be showing our ballet, opera, all the heritage. And in the business issues, we are discussing all the pressing issues and topics of our times.
“For example, as you have seen we have the Russian cultural forum with speakers from Russia. We also invited guests from the UAE like the head of the Abu Dhabi Film Committee and we brought a cosmonaut. So, it does not stop with the exhibition but it goes along with other activities that happen on a weekly basis.”
The director of international communication at the Russian pavilion indicated that a large forum will take place at the Russian pavilion and include business and investments on December 3-4. “This forum will include a series of events in conjunction with our National Day at the Expo,” she said.
