Chelyabinsk got an incredible makeover last month! 😊 A non-profit named «Россия — страна возможностей» brought 10 Russian artists to the city, hooked them up with 7500 cans of spray paint, and set them free to create amazing artwork.
Here’s a 30-second overview of the project:
You can find all of these murals in the «Академ Риверсайд» neighborhood, just a short ride from the city center.
Back in March 2020, Chelyabinsk won the vote over several other regions and was awarded the honor of opening the Фестиваль «Культурный код». Other cities – Nizhny Novgorod, Stavropol, Kazan – are on the list for future murals when the эпидемиологическая обстановка improves.
I’m really happy that the festival took place and brightened up the city before winter arrives. There are always ongoing attempts at street art but so many creations have been quickly tagged or painted over.
It took the artists several weeks to create these huge murals. The painting was still happening even as the festival ended. Here’s a look at all the murals + whatever info and links I could find on the artists:
What do you think of these murals? Which one is your favorite? Have you seen artwork like this in other Russian cities? Leave me a comment below! 🙂
PS: If you’re into this kind of artwork, check out https://graffitirussia.com/!
4 Responses
Luda
Ahh this is so cool! I can’t even pick my favorite because all of them look great 😍 I really like the tribute to Gagarin (it reminds me of a Soviet mural with a modern twist) or the Cats and Mice one.
Thanks for putting together this awesome list, it’s another reason to visit Chelyabinsk! 😁
Katherine
Thank you, Luda! It would be so fun if you visited someday! We could go on a mural tour, haha. There is a truly INCREDIBLE one that I want to track down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guf1UuOwwyg
David Emerling
Is this just something they do on the buildings in Chelyabinsk or is this common throughout all Russian cities? Further, do you think the REASON this is done is to make things not appear so bleak? In other words, it’s an attempt to liven up what would normally be just a boring series of tall buildings?
Katherine
Good question, David! I think it’s pretty common to see this kind of stuff throughout Russia, especially in cultural capitals like Moscow and St P. As far as I know, it’s what you suspected… an effort to brighten things up. And it works too! 😉
You might be interested in this video- History of street art: how contemporary street art was inspired by the Russian Revolution (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HueEWANKTiw&vl=en)