A Siberian microminiaturist has spent two years creating a series of space-themed microscopic masterpieces that will be flown aboard the International Space Station.
1/10
© RIA Novosti . Pavel Komarov
A Siberian microminiaturist has spent two years creating a series of space-themed microscopic masterpieces that will be flown aboard the International Space Station.
“The idea of making a series of space miniatures arose spontaneously,” Vladimir Aniskin said, adding that the project is supported by the Russian Levsha Museum of microminiature art in St. Petersburg and the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow.
The miniatures — made under a microscope with movements timed to the artist’s heartbeat — will be affixed to a palm-sized plate of Charoite, a lavender-colored pearlescent mineral only found in Siberia.
When asked how he has so much patience, Aniskin laughed: “it’s not my patience, but my wife’s,” adding that she has supported his work from the beginning.
“The idea of making a series of space miniatures arose spontaneously,” Vladimir Aniskin said, adding that the project is supported by the Russian Levsha Museum of microminiature art in St. Petersburg and the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow.
The miniatures — made under a microscope with movements timed to the artist’s heartbeat — will be affixed to a palm-sized plate of Charoite, a lavender-colored pearlescent mineral only found in Siberia.
When asked how he has so much patience, Aniskin laughed: “it’s not my patience, but my wife’s,” adding that she has supported his work from the beginning.
2/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
The artist painted this portrait of the Soviet space dogs Belka and Strelka on an apple seed.
3/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
A golden replica of the Vostok spacecraft resting on the tip of a hair.
4/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
A miniature portrait of Sergei Korolyov, the chief designer of the Soviet space program.
5/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
These gold medallions honoring Yury Gagarin, the first man in space, rest on the two halves of a sliced poppy seed.
6/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
This Russian alphabet, written on the end of a strand of horsehair, features letters just twice the width of a human red blood cell and took three months to make.
7/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
Aniskin’s earlier work depicts a caravan of seven camels marching to an oasis within the eye of a needle.
8/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
A rose made from compacted colored dust particles fits inside a drilled horse hair.
9/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
A replica of Russia’s Order of Kutuzov military decoration rests next to a poppy seed.
10/10
© Photo : courtesy of Vladimir Aniskin
A scene from Aleksey Tolstoy’s children’s book Buratino is acted out on half a grape seed.
