The wall in Rostov-on-Don tells a story not just of art but of a city dealing with its weather and infrastructure. A mural of rowers appeared beneath the Voroshilovsky Bridge, born from a storm that revealed how drainage gaps can shape urban landscapes. Reports from the Telegram channel Don Mash anchored this detail in the narrative, noting that water had pooled in the area because the storm drainage system failed to keep pace with heavy rain.
Artist Vadim Sluf brought this scene to life as part of the It’s No Thing festival. Given the proximity of the rowing channel to the site of the drawing, the festival team coordinated a draft of the galley that would feature 11 rowers. The result is a dynamic composition that feels both spontaneous and carefully staged, rooted in the festival’s broader exploration of how people move through and interact with civic spaces.
When rain falls and the drainage network falters, the area under the bridge becomes a small, waterlogged stage. Cars frequently slow down or stall as they navigate through puddles, turning a functional underpass into a temporary obstacle course. The practical consequences of weather on daily traffic become part of the artwork’s context, inviting viewers to consider how infrastructure shapes behavior and memory in urban life.
Nadya Kovaleva, one of the festival curators, explained in an interview with Don Mash that street art thrives by engaging with its surroundings rather than attempting to control every aspect of the landscape. The artist and curators recognize that a mural can neither fully dictate future weather nor erase all existing traditions, but it can amplify the dialogue between art, place, and daily routine. The collaboration acknowledges that public art remains truly meaningful when it responds to the real conditions of its environment rather than isolating itself from them.
In recounting similar experiences from distant locales, the narrative highlights how city life is shaped by weather events and the infrastructure that follows them. One anecdote mentions a stretch of road in Kamchatka where ice and slick conditions led vehicles off the pavement and into ditches. While not directly connected to the Rostov mural, the tale underscores a shared reality many cities face: weather can abruptly redefine what a landscape looks like and how people move through it. The festival piece thus becomes a touchstone for conversations about adaptation, resilience, and the ways art can document and respond to temporary, yet recurring, urban conditions.