Russkiy Levsha (The Russian Lefty Museum)

Inside the Russian Lefty Museum, among the impressive sculptures and paintings, some tiny artworks are more than meet the naked eye. What appear to be indiscernibly tiny squares burst into life when viewed under a microscope. Less-than-millimeter in size, they are truly tiny masterpieces. The museum is home to 70 or so of these microminiature works by Novossibirsk master Vladimir Aniskin, as well as contributions from artists around the world.

Miniature scale sculptures and paintings were first made in ancient China and Japan. Today, there are less than 20 masters in the world practicing this art form. All these masters are self-taught, as there is no school for microminiature art. Their work requires absolute concentration and attention. According to Aniskin, even taking a big breath can ruin a mini masterpiece. 

There are some beloved themes that are often repeated in Aniskin’s work, including a caravan of camels inside a needle-eye, flowers in a poppy seed, and a flea with horseshoes. He also has covered some contemporary topics such as famous cartoon characters and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.