This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book outlines the early eighteenth-century strategy of (re)designing urban spaces by locating classically-inspired temporary triumphal arches to shift focus away from the pre-Petrine built environment. It explores the denigrating stereotypes of a lethargic Russia, disrespectful of humanist values. They attempted, therefore, to present Russia's own march towards technological progress as an alternative to that of the capitalist West. The book describes the exhibition structures designed for the Glasgow Exposition of 1901 by the master of stil' modern architecture, Fedor Shekhtel. It deals with a quotation from a Western review that characterized Shekhtel's design as a reflection of a traditional society moving into the industrial era. The book also describes the story of the Park of Culture and Leisure in Moscow, designed largely to politically educate and "activate" the working classes, especially the youth.