"Before the Snow Melts": Artist Vika Khton hides miniatures of historical buildings on the streets of Irkutsk

With her project, the girl wants to draw attention to the state of "sleeping" houses. “These are houses that were once full of life and people gathered in them, but now they stand in disrepair, even if something is working inside,” — Vika told People of Baikal.

She carves miniatures from wood for the "Until the Snow Melts" project. For example, she created a mini-hotel called "ArtHouse" on the street. Stepan Razin. Once upon a time there was a real palace inside it, where balls were held, but now there is only a small hotel there. 

The artist also recreated the former Metropol Hotel on the street Marat — the only wooden building in Irkutsk with a ceremonial corner entrance shaped like a tower. The admiral stayed in the luxurious hotel, built at the turn of the 20th century, for a week. Alexander Kolchak.

The artist chronicles the process of creating the miniatures on her Telegram channel. First, she asks readers to guess what building she's carving, then hides it near the original. But the houses are safe—they're firmly secured in place, like true miniature monuments. 

Photo: Vika Khton for People of Baikal