Historically, the czars and then the Soviets were responsible for some of the most expensive and elaborate Expo pavilions in the history of the event. The exquisite 2010 pavilion, designed by the Moscow firm Paper Team, is explicitly intended to evoke these past Expo glories. Twelve irregularly-shaped towers, decorated with patterns copied from traditional textiles, surround a "hovering cloud," and evoke an ancient Ural town. Visitors will be guided through scenes from the fairy tales of Nikolay Nosov.

China Rules the World at Expo 2010 by Adam Minter.