- It's creative, it's colorful and it's frequently controversial. It also takes open eyes and open minds to appreciate.
- Following our call for examples of Moscow street art, we received a variety of tweets with photos from various parts of the city. Here's a collection for you to enjoy!
1. Freedom of Thought
- A brain inside a cage is a metaphor that doesn't take much to decode. But why does it say "шарик" (ball) underneath? Is that a caption or just something left by a different artist? A reminder that your brain can be an object of play and entertainment? And did you just spend a few moments pondering this? See — it's working.
2. Grumpy Cat
- Go away. Go away now. Why are you taking my picture? Isn't the internet full enough of cats already? Go. Go!
3. The Ambassador's Pick
- Rubén Beltrán Guerrero isn't just active on Twitter, he also happens to be Mexico's ambassador to Russia. Since taking office in 2012, he has clearly grown to appreciate Moscow's street art, as shown by this contribution. Interesting how it is framed by a partially bricked-up doorway.
4. Painting a Painter
- Ivan Leonidov started out as dock worker before his artistic talents were spotted. He became a painter and, later in his career, an architect and urban planner. While still in university, Leonidov came up with a spectacular design for the Lenin Library and Institute.
- It was never realized, but won him international renown. The building that bears his portrait is much more conventional.
5. Politkosvakaya and Pessimism
- Spotted just weeks after the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and in wan, wintery light, this slogan reflects the way many critical thinkers in Russia felt back then. Almost ten years later, as Muscovites commemorated the killed opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, this image still strikes a chord.
#Moscowstreetart Moscow, November 2006 (Sony Ericsson Handy), taken one month after Anna Politkovskaya had died ... pic.twitter.com/hFXFsTnlM16. Looking at You
- Why the long face? Maybe because the man painted on the wall is a relative of the sculpture looking over it? Their different clothes and hair styles speak of the centuries they represent, but the face, eyes and hat are still enough to make their resemblance fun to spot.
7. A Sky Full of Love
- If you've ever gone for a drink on Moscow's Kuznetsky Most, you be familiar with this brightly painted wall. The slogan also appears in sculptural form in various city parks, and can help you remember the accusative case: a to у, я to ю — but then you knew that already.
As seen on
themoscowtimes.com
