24 competitors from 9 countries have participated in the 7th International Ice Sculpture Festival. The winning title went to ice carvers from Poland and France, Michał Mizuła and Samuel Girault. The second position was occupied by the team from Japan - Yoshihito Kosaka and Hiroyuki Suzuki, and the third by Vladimir Zhikhartsev and Andrey Besser from Russia.
This year's Sculpture Festival was a two-day event. Speed ice carving competition was held for the second time. The contestants were to capture a given design in the shortest time possible. The results of their work were displayed on the main stage on 8 December. This year the winner was Vladimir Zhikhartsev from Russia. The second place was achieved by Michał Mizuła from Poznań, who attempted to defend his winning title from last year. Snowmen, Christmas trees, Santa Clauses and angels made of ice created the Christmas decorations of the Old Market.
During the second day of the festival, as in previous years, artists in teams of two carved several-metre-high ice sculptures.
This year's competition featured the best contestants - masters fromPoland,France,Russia,Bulgaria, theNetherlands, theUS,Canada,Japan, and even thePhilippines. The winners were rewarded for their extraordinary efforts with prizes of € 1500, 1000 and 500.
ThePoznańfestival is the only event of its kind inEurope, during which the best ice sculptors from the whole world compete with each other. Another meeting of ice-carving artists will take place this winter inOttawa,Canada, and during the largest ice sculpture competition inAlaska.