An illuminating ceremony has welcomed the opening of the Russia pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Participants in attendance included Ailexei Gruzdev, deputy minister of ministry of industry and trade of Russia and commissioner general of the pavilion, and Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, director general of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Also on hand were Rustam Minnikhanov, president of the republic of Tatarstan, Dimitri Kertenzes and secretary general of the Bureau International des Expositions.

Music was provided by DJ Leonid Rudenko, while contemporary artist Max Goshko-Dankov took care of the design.

During the official opening, the concept behind the Russia Pavilion at Expo 2020, its architectural design and the internal exposition were revealed to the guests of the event.

The audience was later introduced to the cultural and business programmes, the mascots - known as ‘Fixies’ - and the anthem of the Pavilion. 

Goshko-Dankov presented his artwork - Creative Flow - which was created during the opening ceremony together with the guests of Russia pavilion, who had an opportunity to contribute. 

The final part of the official opening included the pavilion tour and press conference with Gruzdev.

They answered queries regarding participation in Expo 2020, highlighting its future effects on the relationship between Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

It was also confirmed Moscow would bid to host a World Expo in 2030.

Gruzdev stated: “We believe that ‘Creative Mind: Driving the Future,’ the concept behind the Russian participation in Expo 2020, reflects the times and the world we currently live in.

“We are working on a diverse programme of business and cultural events for Expo 2020 in Dubai, which will not only introduce the concept but will also give millions of visitors a chance to discover Russia’s latest achievements in innovation, technology, science, art and culture.”

He also confirmed Moscow would bid to host a World Expo in 2030.

Rudenko commented: “The opportunity to compose music for the Russia Pavilion at Expo 2020 has been a great honour for me.

“I am proud to represent Russia at the largest world Expo in history and I believe that our country’s pavilion will be one of the most interesting places to visit within the exposition.”

Tickets to Expo 2020 Dubai are available online and through more than 2,500 authorised ticket resellers, including online travel agents, tour operators, hotel groups and airlines from 100-plus markets around the world.

The event will run until the end of March next year.

Goshko-Dankov mentioned: “It is my pleasure to participate in the opening of the Russia pavilion, especially with the art performance Creative Flow which is inspired by the process of creative thinking which is one of the key concepts of the pavilion.

“I wanted my work to pay tribute to the creativity that is within each of us, so it was of great importance to me that every guest at the official opening would become part of this great art performance.”

More Information

To find out more about the Russia pavilion, head over to the official site.