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Paper short abstract

Ice carving is a form of contemporary art in Sakha Sire. Popularity of ice carving is driven by availability, accessibility, and affordability of material. Ice is flexible. We analyse prevalent narratives presented in contemporary ice carvings: mythology, history, politics, environmental concerns.

Paper long abstract

During the cold months the city of Yakutsk, capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), transforms into a stage for popular ice sculptures. The streets, squares, parks, and even entrances to offices in the city become decorated with beautifully carved ice installations. Lit up with colourful lights in the evenings, these sculptures create special attraction for the city residents. Ice carving is a relatively recent form of art in Sakha Sire, although ice has always been an important and valued material here. Ice traditionally has been used for economic and practical purposes: as insulation, as improvement of infrastructure, a source of fresh water in winter, and more. Popularity of ice carving is driven by traditional knowledge of ice as material, as well as by its availability, accessibility, and affordability. Ice carving competitions ran in the region, in Russia, annual ice art championships and festivals around the world demonstrate the growing appreciation of this form of art. In addition, ice is a flexible material to be used as a medium for storytelling. In this paper we analyse prevalent narratives presented in contemporary ice carvings from mythological and historical to moralistic and political. We argue that the increased interest to ice carving reflects the growing environmental concerns over climate change and melting permafrost in Sakha Sire, a topical narrative of our time.