Babel Village | RT Documentary

At 42, artist Nikolay Polissky changed his life, turning from classical art to unconventional, nature-inspired sculpture and architecture. At the same time, he changed the life of his whole community, transforming the small village of Nikola-Lenivets into a world-famous centre for Land-Art. His works complement the natural beauty of the scenery around his village and are created by its residents, using local, eco-friendly materials.

At first, many locals were sceptical. Busy with their everyday chores, they found it hard to justify spending time on volunteering to construct outlandish sculptures. However, Nikolay’s enthusiasm and dedication to his work soon ignited his neighbours’ creative spirit. The villagers became his co-authors and the community became an artistic colony.

The conceptual folk craftwork that burgeoned from this unusual collaboration gained international attention. Now this place holds the largest Land-Art festival in Russia - Archstoyanie. It attracts tourists from around the world as well as Russian and international artists who exhibit their works. Watch the story of Russian Land-Art pioneer Nikolay Polissky and his quest for inclusive creativity.