In Russia, 14-year-old Ksenia Shchendrygina from the town of Bolokhovo has become part of an unusual collaboration. Her drawings of characters from the animated series 'Smeshariki' will appear on a limited edition of SCANDIC mint candy tins, which are popular in Kazakhstan as well. Kursiv LifeStyle tells how children's drawings, which recently sparked a scandal, turned into collectible design, reports the website infohub.kz.
The girl visited the candy production facility and worked with the brand team on the design of the upcoming collection. Her drawings of 'Smeshariki' characters will be featured on the tins. The series is expected to hit the shelves in October.
'If someone had told me that my drawings on the asphalt would end up on real Scandics, I wouldn't have believed it. The support is priceless. I think it's important not only for me. I want people to look at these tins and not be afraid to draw and express themselves,' Ksenia said.
Ksenia's story began with drawings on a playground. She depicted Krosh, Hedgehog, and Nyusha on the rubber surface, but the city administration considered it damage to municipal property and contacted the police. The girl's family was later threatened with liability for vandalism and property damage.
The story quickly spread on social media and drew criticism of local authorities. The girl eventually washed off the drawings herself, and the governor of the Tula region, Dmitry Milyaev, and the children's ombudsman Yana Lantratova publicly defended her. The creators of 'Smeshariki' also supported the schoolgirl, inviting her to their studio. The conflict was soon resolved, and the administration's claims against the family were dropped.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote about a similar story in Almaty. In the entrance of an apartment building, a young artist painted a whale and a seascape on the walls, but later the drawing was removed by decision of the OSI. The girl's father tried to defend the work, but it could not be preserved.