Starting in Yekaterinburg, the street art festival will pop up in 12 other Russian cities.
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The tenth annual Festival Stenograffia has kicked off in Russia. Starting in Yekaterinburg, the street art festival will pop up in 12 other Russian cities.
Artist Maria Hardikova from Rostov-on-Don has created an enormous reimagining of a Renaissance fresco for the festival. Attempting to reinvoke the high ideals of this period in contemporary Russia, the artist said: "This Renaissance idea, that man has a divine nature, that man is a creator, is no longer close to us. With the help of these soft paintings, we want to introduce this thought into the subconsciousness (of people), which once naturally appeared in the urban environment."
The artist chose her canvas carefully, painting on an appropriately aged wall with cracks and faults that complement her historic form.
Festival Stenograffia features Russian as well as international artists from countries including Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain.
Across the city, buildings have been freshly painted with a variety of techniques. Some of the themes expressed in the art include optical illusions, social media, and the blending of historical and contemporary styles.
In previous years, the street art created as a part of the festival was painted over by authorities but this time work will not be erased.
Curator Anna Klets said: "This year, we launch a catalogue project, this is a unique case not only for our country but in the world too, this is quite a rare phenomenon when a list of (street art) objects is compiled, and they go under the protection of the city."
"This is quite a serious step in the development of street art in our country," she added.