Russia has unveiled the design of its Pavilion with which it will participate at Expo Milano 2015. The concept of the structure was developed by the architectural bureau Speech, led by architects Sergei Choban, Alexei Ilin and Marina Kuznetskaya. Set in an area of over 4,000 square meters, the Russian Pavilion is large and dynamic with a design that originated in the form and tradition of Soviet and Russian Pavilions of earlier Universal Expositions where the Country took part. In fact, Russia has been part of the world of Universal Expositions going all the way back to the London edition of 1851, the first "Great Exhibition" of its history. Many of the Russian pavilions have been upheld as benchmarks for architecture, earning awards and recognition, from the Grand Prix in Paris in 1937 to the Silver Medal in Shanghai in 2010. As architect Sergei Kuznetsov notes, "the history of Soviet and Russian architecture is closely linked to the Country's participation at these great events. Russia’s participation in 2015 will be set in a multi-functional building, a Pavilion consistent with the trends of contemporary architecture but also an impressive work of craftsmanship.