The Little Prince and the Hedgehog in the fog: who paints fairy-tale pictures on the trees of Moscow

In 2015, in Izmailovsky Forest Park, visitors saw an elf painted on a tree playing a pipe. Later, a Hedgehog appeared in the fog on another tree. Visitors and the management of the park wondered: where did these works come from? Only at the beginning of 2016, Mospriroda recognized the author of the drawings: it turned out to be a professional cartoonist Evgenia Khlynina. She lives near the park and creates these paintings in her spare time.

Some visitors, seeing the painted trees, began to be indignant, believing that nature had been harmed. In fact, this is only good. The drawings were made in the so-called frost holes of trees, that is, on flat sections of the trunk where the bark of the tree cracked. Cracks-frost cracks occur for natural reasons — as a rule, from temperature changes. But in the future, this can even lead to the death of the tree: if the bark is damaged, then moisture, fungal spores and parasites can penetrate into the trunk, the tree begins to rot and collapse. To avoid such situations, experts recommend painting over the damage in the bark with paint. The acrylic paint used by the artist does not allow the bark to break down and does not allow insects and microorganisms to penetrate into the trunk.

Employees of the State Budgetary Institution "Mospriroda" have agreed with the artist that she is implementing several more art projects in the Eastern District. The documents were not signed, otherwise it would have been necessary to stipulate all the conditions of cooperation and bring the case to the highest authorities, and there, as you know, everything will stall.

Now such a tree in the forest looks like a window into a fabulous and wonderful world. Beauty and benefits for nature combined, turning it into a real art object.

In August 2017, Evgenia Khlynina's drawings appeared on trees in the center of the capital, in a small cozy park "Krasnaya Presnya".

The vertical arrangement of the paintings makes them practically invulnerable to bad weather. Neither rain, nor snow, nor hail fall directly into them. Also, the lush crown of the tree protects the drawings from winds and precipitation. According to forecasts, the drawings will last in good condition for at least two years.

Now there are six drawings in the Krasnaya Presnya Park. The park is small, and their search during a walk can become an exciting quest.