The World Expo of 1900, known as Exposition Universelle, took place in Paris from April 15 to November 12. Russia invested 5 million rubles in its participation, of which a third was allocated by the state, and the rest by exhibitors. The commission was headed by the director of the Department of Trade and Manufactures V. I. Kovalevsky, and Prince Tenishev was appointed as the general commissioner. D. I. Mendeleev served as the vice-president of the International Jury and actively participated in the exhibition.

The central element was the Pavilion of the Russian Outskirts, designed by Robert Meltzer, reminiscent of the architecture of the Moscow and Kazan Kremlins. Nearby was Crafts Street with traditional Russian houses, izbas, and a wooden rural church.

Russian engineer Lavr Proskuryakov received a gold medal for the Krasnoyarsk railway bridge, awarded by a committee headed by Gustave Eiffel. The exhibition of the Ministry of Railways, created by artist Pyasetsky and dedicated to the Trans-Siberian Railway, made a great impression. Visitors could enter carriages that simulated train movement and observe the changing Russian landscapes. At the end of the route, they arrived at the Chinese section. This attraction received the grand prize.

The grand prize was also awarded to the Lysvensky Foundry and Hammer Plant of Prince Boris Grigorievich Shakhovsky and his wife Princess Varvara Alexandrovna for the roofing iron used for the domes of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and the British Parliament.

The press enthusiastically praised the Russian section. Following the exhibition, the French newspaper 'Liberte' noted: 'We are still under the impression of the amazement and admiration we experienced when visiting the Russian section. In a short time, Russian industry and trade have reached such development that it astonishes all who can appreciate the path taken.'