In Russia, until 1917, between 16,000 and 17,000 exhibitions and fairs were held annually, which refutes the stereotype of its backwardness and dependence on Europe. For example, the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, first held in 1816, matched cities like Liverpool, Hamburg, London, and Paris in transaction volume. Special attention is deserved by the first All-Russian Exhibition of Russian Manufactured Goods, held in St. Petersburg in 1829. Preparation for it lasted a year, and the exhibition hall was built at the tip of Vasilievsky Island near the Exchange.

The exhibition featured 326 exhibitors from 33 provinces, presenting over 4,000 exhibits in 15 categories. Here, one could see machines, tools, textiles, weapons, furniture, porcelain, and jewelry. For the first time, domestic products were compared with foreign ones. For instance, furniture made from various species of Russian wood was as beautiful as mahogany products. The furniture of master Gabsa, known from the novel about Kisa Vorobyanyinov, stood out particularly. Woolen carpets, silk fabrics, velvet, shawls, gold embroidery, embroideries, and artificial flowers indistinguishable from real ones were also presented.

Porcelain from the Imperial Porcelain Factory and the Gardner factories was distinguished by its delicacy, and the main decoration of the exhibition was a vase and bowls made of malachite. After the exhibition, the press noted that Russian goods were of a high standard, dispelling the myth of the incapacity of Russians to create excellent products. Many admitted to buying Russian goods in foreign stores, overpaying, believing them to be English or French.