New site to let Moscow residents commission street art

A new service has been launched to bring together graffiti artist and local residents who want to brighten up their neighbourhood. As part of summer-long festival Moscow — The Best City in the World, Muscovites will be able to submit applications for public spaces that they think would benefit from some street art. For their part, graffiti artists will provide sketches of the works they want to paint.

The final decision and what will be painted and where will be made by the city authorities, which are supporting the project. The website features an interactive map on which applicants can submit their proposal. A team of Russian and international graffiti artists have been commissioned to redecorate the winning sites.

The project opened on 18 May when artist Alexey Mednoy unveiled Circus, a massive graffiti piece depicting of colourful elephants, chimpanzees, bears and parrots which now covers the side of a house in central Moscow. Novosibirsk duo Aber & Morik have contributed The Moment of Inspiration — a girl holding an umbrella. More walls will be decorated soon by graffiti team Zuk Club and graffiti artist Alexander Vasin, who will produce a piece inspired by the work of nineteenth-century poet Fyodor Tyutchev’s poems.

Project curator Sabina Chagina said: “This initiative brings together people and artists, and, as a result, contributes to the aesthetic development of a certain area.” The project is part of an existing campaign — Care for Common Spaces and Resistance to Vandalism — which is intended to foster a more responsible attitude towards urban space.