Since then, like two years ago, Dubai has been selected as the venue for the EXPO 2020 WORLD UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION, UNIVERSAL ENTUSIASIS, AND RELATED TO THESE EVENTS ARE MORE GREATER. BUT EVERYONE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS AN EXPO AND WHY SUCH ANOTHER. TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DUBAI EXPECTS AFTER FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE VISITED THE WORLD EXHIBITION EXPO 2015, TAKING PLACE THIS MONTHS IN MILAN. Text: Elena Grunitz
EXPO Worldwide Universal Exhibitions are held every 5 years and last at least 6 months. Participants of the exhibition, and this is practically all the states of the world, with some exceptions, with the help of the host country, are building their own pavilions, the expositions of which tell about the country in accordance with the given theme of the exhibition. Upon completion of the EXPO, an international jury awards prizes for the best disclosure of the topic, as well as for the best exposure.
The decision about which city in a given year will be honored to host this prestigious and world famous event is made by a special commission called the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE, Bureau International des Expositions), created in 1928. The first EXPO was held in London in 1851.
For the Paris EXPO of 1889, the famous Eiffel Tower was built, which at the end of the exhibition the French organizers wanted to dismantle at first. But because of the protests of the Parisians, who loved this ingenious design, the tower was left.
The 148 participating countries, displaying their exhibits in 53 pavilions (all structures are made of environmentally friendly materials) and clusters along the main street of the exhibition, illuminate and offer their own solutions to global problems such as the eradication of hunger, drought and pandemic diseases, from which they are still 850 million people suffer on Earth. Another important point is the prevention of new diseases of our time - obesity and cancer, as well as educating the population, especially young people, on proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that many countries, such as South Korea or the UAE, very conscientiously approached the coverage of topics, offering visitors their own options for solving these problems. And some just laid out typical food items on display windows and hung up photographs. Of course, this is also a question of the financial capabilities of a state.
Taking into account the slogan “Feed the planet”, we can confidently say that EXPO 2015 in Milan is the largest food court in the world. 150 restaurants (both in the pavilions and outside) and more than 30 mobile food outlets offer visitors gastronomic attractions from around the world, including extremely exotic dishes. Zimbabwe, for example, treats visitors with crocodile and zebra meat, and in the Thai pavilion you can try fried caterpillars and dragonflies, as well as chocolate scorpions.
But most of all, at EXPO 2015, of course, Italian cuisine is presented. For example, dishes from various regions of Italy can be tasted in the Eataly restaurant (the same one also found in The Dubai Mall), and restaurants and bars of famous Italian brands: Martini, Nutella, Ferrero and others are scattered throughout the exhibition.
During the day, the exhibition hosts many entertaining events: culinary master classes, concerts, presentations and tastings. But perhaps the two most colorful performances are the daily ALLAVITA show! (Italian: “For life!”) Cirque du Soleil and a light representation of the Tree of Life, reminiscent of the Dubai Fountain, only with a 35-meter-high illuminated tree in the center.
The most popular pavilions at EXPO 2015 are Japan, Italy, Kazakhstan, Austria and the UAE. To get to these expositions, you need to stand in line for almost an hour and a half. As for the design of the pavilions, in most cases they embody something typical of their country. The Mexican pavilion, for example, looks like corn, Nepali - like a Buddhist temple, and Malay - like rice grains.
The Russian pavilion at EXPO 2015 is one of the most impressive. Its structure personifies lightning-fast movement and aspiration upward. The Russian slogan is "Growing for the good of the world. Cultivating in the name of the future." On the ground floor in the restaurant car, you can taste Russian national dishes and admire the Russian landscapes floating outside the window. On the second floor there are expositions from numerous Russian regions.
Throughout the exhibition, various guests and artists regularly come here. And in June, when Russia’s Day was celebrated as part of the EXPO, the exhibition was also visited by President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
EXPO is a cognitive journey around the world in one day. The exhibition in Milan is thought out in detail and very well organized: free drinking water, volunteer guides on every corner, numerous lounge chairs of various designs to relax after hours of walking. And of course, music, the sun, delicious food and good mood.
