The International Exhibition in Glasgow was conceived as a retrospective of 19th-century achievements in industry and art. It was located in one of the city's largest parks, Kelvingrove, covering about 40 hectares. The enclosed exhibition area was 44,000 square meters, and a railway ran throughout the exhibition grounds.

The exhibition area of the Russian pavilions was about 2,700 square meters. Russia's presentation surprised the English due to its high quality.

The pavilions of the Russian section were designed in a new Russian style by architect Fyodor Shekhtel, who used motifs from wooden tent churches, terems, and peasant buildings of the Russian North. They were constructed in the form of log cabins or clad in wooden planks and brightly painted, creating a romantic picture of Russian patriarchal life. There were four pavilions in the section: central, mining, forestry, and agriculture. They formed a small street and square, and the area was carefully landscaped and greened. The construction involved 160 Russian workers from St. Petersburg.

Fyodor Shekhtel created a unique and picturesque ensemble that changed as one moved through it. The new interpretation of ancient Russian architecture became an event in architectural life, defining the national-romantic branch of Art Nouveau in Russia. The pavilions in Glasgow served as a trial before the creation of Yaroslavsky Station in Moscow the following year.

The ability of Russian carpenters to create astonishing architecture with just a simple axe has always amazed foreigners at exhibitions where Russia showcased wooden structures.

The Russian section was very popular among visitors, with numbers reaching 60,000 daily. This was aided by performances from a military band playing Russian music, as well as concerts by Russian choirs from Moscow and St. Petersburg.