The paper knife on display is a memento brought by Alexander Stoletov from the Second International Congress of Electricians, held in Paris in 1889. The Second Congress was held from August 24 through to August 31, 1889, during the International Exposition of Electricity. More than 500 experts from various countries participated in its proceedings. The congress was opened by the president of the French Republic. Next to him in the Presidium were the renowned British physicist, William Thomson, and the Russian scientist, Alexander Stoletov.

The presence of Stoletov as Vice President demonstrated recognition of his contributions to world science. At the forum, Alexander Stoletov was accompanied by his students Goldhammer, Michelson, and Zilov. During one of the congress meetings, Stoletov delivered a presentation on his research in the field of photoelectric effect. The Congress of 1889 adopted several new units of measurement, including the watt for work and the joule for power.

Upon his return to Moscow, Stoletov wrote an article on the latest congress for the journal “Electricity”. According to Alexander Stoletov, this congress could not be compared with the first congress held in the French capital eight prior, neither in terms of the number of distinguished names on the membership list, nor in terms of the significance of the issues discussed and resolved. However, in comparison with other forums connected with the World Exposition, Stoletov described this congress of electrical engineers as the most successful and vibrant. As a significant scientific event, he noted the experiments conducted by Heinrich Hertz, which validated Maxwell’s theory on the unity of light and electromagnetic waves.

On the occasion of the World Exposition, the French government decided to erect a structure that would become a symbol of the technological achievements of the 19th century. Out of 700 submissions, an open-lattice wrought iron tower designed by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel, with a height of 305.5 meters (1,000 ft), was considered the best. According to contemporary accounts, other monumental structures in Paris appeared like dwarfs in comparison to the tower. Every morning at eight o’clock, a cannon blast from the Eiffel Tower signaled the opening of the exhibition. Among the Russian visitors to the fair were the publisher and educator Sabashnikov, critic Stasov, and founder of Russian Marxism, Plekhanov.

Based on the fact that Alexander Stoletov kept a souvenir knife and a guidebook as mementos of the tower, it can be inferred that the novel symbol of Paris impressed the scientist.