#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. In honor of the city’s 70th anniversary, a mosaic panel The Sun of the Arctic was opened in Norilsk – a gift from the Norilsk Development Agency (NDA) for the anniversary.
The composition author is Pavel Yudin, a member of the Russian Artists Union and the International Federation of Artists (IFA). He is well known to Norilsk residents for the restoration of the Soviet-era mosaic on Komsomolskaya street.
The plot of the panel united the unofficial symbols of Big Norilsk: the polar bear – the Central District, the reindeer – Talnah, the polar owl – Kayerkan, the arctic fox – Oganer, the mountain – Snezhnogorsk. The center of the composition is the Sun. The project implementation was supported by Nornickel.
“This is a historically important moment for our city and its renovation. Our gift symbolizes the development and renewal of Norilsk, the unity of all its regions, the richness of our nature and the continuity of generations. The city is changing before our eyes. And this panel reflects that Norilsk is moving into the future, while preserving its history and traditions”, said Maxim Mironov, the NDA head.
The mosaic is made of colored opaque glass – smalt – it is a waterproof and frost-resistant material. Some items contain gold, silver and platinum. Norilsk became the first city where such material is used to design public urban space.
“Basically, such decoration is produced inside sacred spaces. This monumental work emphasizes the status and specifics of the city”, says Pavel Yudin. “I am glad that the tradition of monumental works for public spaces is being revived. And perhaps the Sun of the Arctic will become one of the city symbols. And I hope that the trend, established in Norilsk back in the Soviet period, will be scaled up, and the author’s works of art related to the Hero and Place concept will decorate the centers of settlements and form a new cultural code”.
A team of ten people worked on the panel creation. Its installation on the house No. 38 on Kirova street took about a month, and the entire project from idea to implementation took three years.
“We are grateful for the assistance of the administration. Pavel Yudin and his team, who had to work in not the best weather conditions, deserve great respect. The townspeople, in turn, passing by, helped the creators with kind words and compliments on their work. This is exactly what Norilsk of the future is like: friendly and strong-willed”, said Victoria Chulanova, the NDA deputy director for the development of the city environment.
“The opening of the mosaic, I think, will remain in our memory forever, and the panel itself will become one of the most iconic places for Norilsk residents and guests of the city and will constantly attract and inspire us. I thank the team of the Norilsk Development Agency and Pavel Yudin for such a gift. To make it on the city’s birthday is very symbolic”, said the city head Dmitry Karasev.
In the near future, a film about the history of the unique monumental work creation will be posted on the NDA’s YouTube channel.
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Text: Angelica Stepanova, Photo: Irina Yarinskaya
