Nikolay Polissky

Authors: Nikolay Polissky, Konstantin Batynkov, Sergey Lobanov
Location & Date: Village of Nikola-Lenivets, Kaluga Region, 2000

In 2000 Polissky, together with Batynkov and Lobanov, created Snowmen, the first project in the village of Nikola-Lenivets and the start of Nikolay Polissky’s career as a Russian land artist. The project involved endless ranks of snowmen marching over the fields. 220 snow warriors were made that winter, and Polissky’s neighbours from the village joined in. The snowmen looked like a snow army mustered against an unseen opponent, a resemblance which provoked memories of a historical event that had happened in these parts in 1480 — the ‘Camp on the River Ugra’, when the army of the Tatar-Mongol Khan Akhmat had been opposed by united Russian troops.

Project was several times reproduced on the streets of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The ammount of snowmen has differed up to more then one thousand.

Each snowman is made of three snowballs, full size differs from 1.80 to 2.20 meters
without cap.

Rusted buckets were given by local villagers. Damaged buckets are traditionally used to plant seedlings.

In landscape, 2000

Portraits

Snowmen on Arbat, 2005

Snowmen near University, 2010