On the eve of the Day of the City, the Administration of Krasnogvardeyskiy District and JSC CBC Okhta made a gift to St. Petersburg inhabitants. On the crossing of Prospect Energetikov and Zanevskiy Prospect next to Ladozhskaya metro station, there emerged a new object of modern art. From May 9 through May 11, with the efforts of professional graffiti artists a long and dull fence walling one of the unfinished buildings turned into a lively canvas illustrating the development of both the city and Krasnogvardeyskiy District as seen by kids. By means of graffiti, drawings by schoolchildren - residents of Krasnogvardeyskiy District having got through to the final round of My District of the Future Contest held by the District Administration together with Okhta Center were transferred onto the fence.

The idea of arranging of an original open-air exhibition of the best contest drawings with an eye to both decorate the city and set a festive mood for its residents occurred to a fifteen-year-old finalist of My District of the Future Contest Ivan Andreev. Once The New City group of artists joined the project at Ivan's invitation and the idea won support of the Administration of Krasnogvardeyskiy District and Okhta Centerm, there were sketches designed and a suitable site for the action was found.

Emerging of a new art object describing the city of the future is explicable enough. By 2016, construction of a new cultural and business district Okhta Center at the river of Okhta projected to become a center of the new Petersburg with its own architectural symbol in the shape of a tower focus is planned for completion. The territory of Okhta Center will accommodate linear parks, a theatre, a park of sculptures, an archeological museum and a Center of Modern Arts, which will occupy an Art Nouveau industrial building constructed in the seventies of the last century. Young artists participating in the action are inspired by the perspective of such an object premiere in Petersburg. There is a chance that the art of graffiti, nowadays spurting into popularity in Russia, will become one of the styles to be presented in the Center of Modern Arts in Okhta Center.

- We The New City Group boost modern trends in the architecture of Petersburg. All the more so because such trailblazing extensional architectural experiments are quite in the manner of our city. It's been lasting since Rastrelli and Montferrand. As I see it, this is just exactly what makes the secret of Petersburg's uniqueness. We also wanted to help the kids catch the sight of and feel the "city of the future" as they see it themselves. And I guess we succeeded in doing it, - commented The New City Group Creative Director Ilya Tyukin.

The District residents supported the initiative launched by the action participants as they would like to see their district bright and progressing.

- While taking part in the contest I couldn't even dream that my drawing would become that famous and decorate the street where thousands of people, my friends, my mom and dad walk every day. I am anxious to see the city of the future constructed here at Okhta. I hope that my drawing is just a beginning and maybe when there the Center of Modern Arts appears in Krasnogvardeyskiy District my works will find their niche there, - said a Krasnogvardeyskiy District resident, the winner of the contest My District of the Future and one of the graffiti sketches authors Ivan Avdeev.

Figures and Facts

The surface of the fence chosen by the project creative team totals 160 square meters. Two groups of graffiti artists consisting of five artists each and a group of My District of the Future Contest winners took part in the action. The onsite works were being performed from 11 am till 8 pm from May 8 through May 11.

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