This exhibition laid the concept, structure and traditions of the Moscow Biennale, in accordance with which the subsequent shows were held: the division of the Biennale program into three parts - the thematic main project, special projects and a parallel program, - invitation of special guests, appointment of Commissioner and a curatorial group with a curator-coordinator, distribution of exhibition sites around the city, publication of a catalog, etc.

Russian art theorist Viktor Misiano and the international group of curators - Hans Ulrich Obrist, Daniel Birnbaum, Nicolas Bourriaud, Rosa Martinez, Yara Bubnova and Robert Storr - also took part in the development and implementation of the project.

The idea was supported in the ministry and personally by the Minister of Culture Mikhail Shvydkoy, who headed the organizing committee created in 2003 to prepare the Moscow Biennale.

[6] The preparation itself, which lasted about two years, was accompanied by a broad public discussion and enthusiasm, expressed in the designation of the initiative - "The Big Project for Russia" (Russian: Большой проект для России).

[7][8][9][10] On January 30–31, 2003 in the Central House of Artists on Krymsky Val, an international symposium organized by ROSIZO took place on the theme "The Big Project for Russia.

Prominent curators from all over the world took part in the symposium, which became the first stage of the implementation of the "Big Project": Francesco Bonami and Germano Celant (Italy), Harald Szeemann and Hans Ulrich Obrist (Switzerland), Rene Block (Germany), Robert Storr (United States).

For Zyablov, this was not the first such experience - a year earlier he worked as Commissioner for a Russian project at the 25th Bienal de São Paulo, and then his partner-curator was Backstein.

Another important principle was the scattering of the Biennale venues across Moscow, in order to include as much of the urban environment as possible in the forum area.

The composition of the curatorial group of the main project was also confirmed, which included 6 international curators: Joseph Backstein (curator-coordinator), Daniel Birnbaum (Sweden), Yara Bubnova (Bulgaria), Nicolas Bourriaud (France), Rosa Martinez (Spain) and Hans Ulrich Obrist (Switzerland).

[19] However, at a regular press conference on September 2, 2004, a significant adjustment to the concept of the forum was announced: the central project was redirected to young (20–30 years old) and unknown ("their names will not tell you anything yet") artists from different countries.

[20][21] Almost from the very beginning of the preparation, the theme of the Biennale was announced as "The Dialectic of Hope" - after the title of the book by the sociologist and publicist of the left wing Boris Kagarlitsky (1988), which was banned in the Soviet Union.

The Dialectic of Hope is a reflection of the influence of social and political changes taking place in the world on our ideas about our personal and collective future.

[23][24] The fears were confirmed: during the opening days of the Biennale, the building of the former Lenin Museum was picketed by its employees, and rallies against the content of the exposition were held there.

For example, Alexander Shaburov and Vyacheslav Mizin (The Blue Noses Group) visualized Lenin turning over in a coffin (video installation at the bottom of a cardboard box).

[23] Moscow artist David Ter-Oganyan presented the installation "These Are Not Bombs": bottles of cola, pumpkins, cans of vegetables - with wires and alarm clocks tied to them.

[23] Later it was reported that the "stalactite" was prepared by the artists themselves, a few days before the opening of the exhibition, pouring lightly brewed tea on a specially fixed wooden pin.

The work was exhibited in the same place where it was first shown: in the former workshop of Ilya Kabakov, located in the attic of the house of the insurance company "Russia" at Sretensky Boulevard, 6/1.

[30][31] American artist Bill Viola presented his video installation "Greetings" in a small hall of the Greek courtyard of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.

Among the most eminent participants in the parallel program of the 1st Moscow Biennale: Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov, Vladislav Efimov, Aristarkh Chernyshev, Anatoly Osmolovsky, Lyudmila Gorlova, George Pusenkoff, Boris Matrosov, Maxim Kantor, necrorelist Yevgeny Yufit, Rostan Tavasiev, Slava Mogutin, Anna Broche, Alexey Zverolovlev, Dmitry Shorin, Nikolay Nasedkin, Alexander Gnilitsky, Ananta Dasa and others.

Among the shortcomings were named: the transfer of the main site of the forum "at the last moment", the lack of discussions, lectures, direct communication between spectators and artists.