For the 50th Anniversary of the State Hermitage Museum's Children's Izostudio

On 8 December 2007, in the Grand Gala Courtyard of the Winter Palace of the State Hermitage Museum the Fourth Ice Assembly of the Children's Izostudio The Snow Queen's Realm in the Winter Palace was held. The event is a traditional family celebration held by Visitor Services of the State Hermitage Museum in conjunction with ANO Masterok and Ledovaya Studiya Art Centre as part of the Hermitage Days.
Family teams during the course of four hours created artistic images, using ice, lighting, and the inexaustable imagination of children and the skillful hands of their parents.

The wonderful peculiarity of this competition was that it attracted well-known ice sculptors to help families out in the role of instructors, participating in a fourth, 24-hour ice sculpture marathon Christmas Symphony which started immediately after the children's competition came to a close.

The marathon is the second part of the festivities. The ice sculptoring masters over the course of 24 hours (including working at night in the State Hermitage Museum) brought ice to life with their dream of the brightest of celebrations, the birth of Christ.

Such kind of 24-hour ice sculpting marathon is unique, and there are some reasons for this:

• the extremely tight deadline demands greater professionalism and organisation on the part of the sculptors,
• a heavier psychological and physical load which not even famous master can always handle,
• excellent knowledge of the facture and natural qualities of ice.

The competitions are being run for the fourth time and enjoy an unaltering popularity among St. Petersburg residents and visitors to the State Hermitage Museum alike.

The competition came to an end on 9 December. Each participant over the course of five minutes presented his work - the idealogical thought and the musical accompaniment - after which, based on the opinions of the jury and the results of the audience's vote, the competition was concluded. The viewers cast their ballot at any time during the course of the competition.

The competition programme included:

8 December
Opening of the children's competition The Snow Queen's Realm in the Winter Palace.
Conclusion of the children's competition and closing ceremony.
Start of the professional competition.

9 December
Conclusion of work.
Evaluation of work by members of the jury.
Awards given to winners and jury members.
Award for Audience Sympathy.

The participants in the competition

At the Family Ice Sculpture Competition at the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace

Awarding a prize to most young participant of the competition

Awarding a prize to the ice sculptoring master

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