Giant “Snow King” Sculpture Captivates Brooklyn
On a Brooklyn sidewalk, a massive snow sculpture known as the “Snow King” has become an unexpected attraction, drawing the attention of numerous passersby.
By Sunday, around 50 visitors had gathered outside the House of the Lord Pentecostal Church on Atlantic Avenue, eager to see the artwork that had gained popularity on Instagram and X.
This impressive sculpture, created by Belarusian artist Henrik Rojka, portrays King Mindaugas of Lithuania and took about three hours to complete.
“It’s very creative. It reminds me of Poseidon,” remarked Gauthier Itrotz, a tourist from Paris. “I can’t imagine how long it took to make, but it looks like it required a lot of effort.”
He shared his appreciation for the sidewalk art, which features a large, bearded face adorned with a crown.
Three residents from Boerum Hill stopped by to snap photos and playfully poked at its hollow eyes, even managing to take its nose. “It looks like Aquaman,” said Clover Lee, age 25, jokingly expressing a desire to poke the sculpture’s eye. Adalia Rai, 26, noted, “He resembles the father from The Little Mermaid.”
One 23-year-old visitor, who preferred to remain anonymous, had seen the sculpture on the WhatIsNewYork Instagram page and thought it was “outrageous.” He and his girlfriend decided to check it out during their regular Sunday stroll, remarking that straying two blocks from their usual path felt unusual.
Rojka dedicated three hours to crafting this lifelike snowman.
“He believed the crown would look fantastic with the New York skyline,” explained Viktoria Ravnova, 38, who has worked as an interpreter for Rojka. “He started with the crown and worked his way down.”
Before moving to the United States in 2021, Rojka made sculptures of historical Belarusian figures from sand and was imprisoned for 20 days due to his opposition to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
In addition, he mentioned that he had previously sculpted two busts in front of the Belarusian Autonomous Church, also located on Atlantic Avenue. “There’s a significant issue in Belarus. People are losing touch with their roots and the power of their language,” he stated through a translator, emphasizing his desire to create art that reconnects people with Belarus’ rich history, which is overshadowed by Russian influence.
