Snow and Ice Festival Lights Up Moscow Riverside
Sculptors from all over Russia and the world came to carve their winter masterpieces.
Enormous creatures and people sculpted from snow and ice have appeared along the Moscow River in Gorky Park as part of the "Snow and Ice" festival.
Carved, sanded, packed, shaped, scraped and cut, these figures were made by artists who came to Moscow from all over Russia, Belarus, Italy and Finland.
Carved, sanded, packed, shaped, scraped and cut, these figures were made by artists who came to Moscow from all over Russia, Belarus, Italy and Finland.
Several tons of ice and fresh snow were brought to the park for the artists to work on.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Ice artists use electric and hand saws, screwdrivers and other tools to carve all the details in their creations.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Pieces take an average of 12 hours to make, although the largest multi-fugure sculptures take much longer.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
This year the artists were lucky: cold weather and lots of fresh snow to work with or to decorate their sculptures.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Masterclasses will be held for budding artists of any age.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
You can walk along the embankment every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They are brilliantly lit after dark.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Alexander Parfyonov, a 27-time ice sculpting champion from Barnaul, said that the sculptures were "their gift to Moscow."
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
"The only problem," he said, "is that they don't last long."
If the weather cooperates, the festival will run until Feb. 28.
If the weather cooperates, the festival will run until Feb. 28.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
