The illustration series «Silhouettes of the Golden Ring» was created from abstractions based on the colors of the city coats of arms. When searching for imagery and silhouettes, I drew upon the cities' symbols, heraldry, and distinctive historical features.
The process of creating each illustration in the series unfolded as follows: I began by developing abstract shapes based on the city’s coat of arms—considering its overall appearance, the colors it employs, and their respective ratios. Next, I searched within these shapes for imagery associated with the city, for various reasons. Finally, I refined the compositions with intricate details, both by hand on paper and using graphic design software.
Plyos and Rostov Veliky
Plyos — «Where the river bank and the palette gather all the colors of the Volga.»
Rostov Veliky — «The city of deer trails and ancient bell towers.»
Vladimir and Gus-Khrustalny
Vladimir—“The City of the Lion and Ripe Cherries Under White Walls.» Gus-Khrustalny—“Guardian of the Glass City.»
Yaroslavl and Suzdal
Yaroslavl — «The Bear Walks Through Ancient Streets.»
Suzdal — «Where Cucumbers, Apples, Roosters, and Honey Wine Live Side by Side.»
Pereslavl-Zalessky and Sergiev Posad
Pereslavl-Zalessky — «The boat sails where the fish shimmer.»
Sergiev Posad — «The city where a fairy tale is born from a matryoshka doll.»
Kostroma and Moscow
Kostroma — «City of waves carrying stories along the Volga.»
Moscow — «Where the horse races toward the star, and the serpent guards ancient secrets.»
Ivanovo and Uglich
Ivanovo — «A tangle spins and turns into a pattern.»
Uglich — «The city of bells and ancient princely caps.»