He wings it: Pensioner mounts giant Natali head on vintage Volga
In Kruitnka, Omsk region, an unusual landmark has appeared — a huge head of Natali hanging over the bumper of a Volga. It was made and installed by local resident Alexander Zasedenets. He has no art education or special training, but he can create amazing things from available materials and with childlike enthusiasm collects antique trinkets.
Correspondents from NGS55.RU visited Alexander and his wife Lyubov to learn how and why he creates sculptures, and to see with their own eyes his home museum — a space where every corner holds a story.
The Road to Kruitnka
Kruitnka is a small and quiet village 200 kilometers from Omsk. Our trip started with a train to Nazyvayevsk. The mini-journey was very comfortable: soft seats, quiet swaying of the carriage, and a mesmerizing view from the window.
After 2.5 hours, we reached Nazyvayevsk and immediately switched to a taxi. Here the highway immediately showed its character: the car was jolted on every bump. But even in this shaking, it was impossible not to notice the beauty around: horses were peacefully grazing by the roadside, slender and graceful, as if come to life from paintings. The driver said that wild animals often run onto the road here — foxes, moose — and that one must drive with full attention.
After an hour of travel, Kruitnka opened before us: quiet, snow-covered, almost empty, as if the whole world had frozen in anticipation.
Alexander«s house is located near the entrance to the village. From the outside, it doesn»t stand out: a one-story building clad in ordinary siding, as if just like all the neighboring houses.
However, it«s impossible to pass by the property — all attention is drawn to the huge female head installed over an old bright yellow Volga convertible. The face of the art object is striking: scarlet voluminous lips, a metal frame of glasses with tinted lenses, and paper strands of hair swaying in the wind, as if alive.
It is this installation that in recent weeks has made the man a local celebrity. Photos of the unusual duo — the sculpture and the convertible — have spread across Omsk social media and media, turning the modest rural master into a news hero.
We knocked on the door several times and managed to freeze in the cold when finally the master»s wife — Lyubov — opened. She immediately understood who we were.
A little later, Alexander himself came out to us. From the piercing wind, the man was protected by a brown hat and a camouflage jacket. The pensioner met us with slight shyness but immediately led us to show his iron «Natali».
The Iron Face of Natali and the Homemade Convertible
The choice of Natali is no accident — both he and his wife like the artist«s song. When asked where the urge to create things with his hands came from, Alexander first laughed, as if remembering something distant and warm.
He admitted that he never dreamed of working in a creative field and didn»t even think that one day his work would be discussed on social media. It all started much simpler — in childhood, when he spent time in the rural library, picking up any books where he could make something.
«Since the third grade, probably. In the library, I took a little book »Do It Yourself« — and it took off,» he smiles.
Back then, little Sasha didn«t think of creativity as a profession. He just enjoyed doing things with his hands: cutting, gluing, assembling strange constructions from available materials that only he understood. For him, it wasn»t art but a normal part of life — as natural as lessons or playing outside.
In the past, he was a truck driver and never had any art education. Now he is 65, retired, but his hands and imagination remain young.
«At the end of my career, I worked as a car mechanics teacher in a secondary school. Before that — a simple driver. In our village, the choice is small.»
After retiring, he finally had time to do what he lacked energy for after work. Now he spends days in the workshop: cutting metal, painting, crafting new parts. He spends most of his pension on materials, paints, tools, and various «things» that might be useful for the next idea.
The thought of creating a five-meter head came during trips to Crimea. There he saw art objects in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky — and something clicked inside.
«There»s a car with an interesting load: a person sitting by the sea, made of wire, and other installations… You see — and the idea is born to make something of your own.«
The work turned out to be meticulous: a metal frame, squares of »skin,« and dozens of calculations. However, the author still doesn»t like how the lips turned out — he reworked them about six times. And the whole face was hard to create because it lay on the garage floor, and making changes was difficult.
«First I made a small model, then transferred it to a large one using grids,» says the master. «The most difficult parts are the cheeks, nose, and oval of the face.»
To keep the structure from wobbling, the head is installed on sturdy metal «legs.» On Natali«s face, it»s hard not to notice tears — blue droplets made of foam that run down her cheeks. And nearby, in place of the Volga«s license plate, hangs a sign: »I am arrested.« When asked »Why?«, Alexander sighs heavily.
«Well, that»s a complicated question. I never managed to register the car; it«s homemade. I tried for 10 years — it never worked out. I have about 35 documents, but it»s still not enough. The car is from 2008. A professor from Omsk, who worked in Japan, got it after his second year of service there. I persuaded him to sell it — I needed a sturdy Volga for the convertible: I had to cut it so it wouldn«t bend. I welded the frame for six months — it weighs 240 kilograms (about 530 pounds).»
He couldn«t get the changes to the car registered. Police officers often stopped him but quickly let him go. Once, when he was riding the convertible, law enforcement issued four reports and arrested the car. So it has been standing for three years. Now, as the master jokes, »Natali«s head cries along with the Volga» — both symbols of unfulfilled plans.
Despite the quirks and difficulties, he didn«t abandon the project. »It was hard, but I decided to finish it,« admits the former driver.
When you look at the sculpture up close, you understand it»s not just a hobby but a months-long obsession. The eyes — almost like living ones. The hair — more than a thousand paper strands, each glued by hand. Glasses, eyelashes, cheekbones — everything in its place. All materials cost five thousand rubles (about $56 at current rates).
Alexander and his wife are thinking of moving to a city closer to their children and grandchildren, but transporting the bulky structure is difficult. So they decided to sell the sculpture together with the convertible for 260 thousand rubles (about $2,900 at current rates). No buyer has been found yet, but Alexander is in no hurry — the work isn«t finished.
»I want to add a hat and beads. I had that in mind from the start; I«m already making them.»
Home Museum
Natali has become part of Alexander«s home museum. Dozens of his works are stored here — from car models to art objects inspired by trips, people, and random ideas. The continuation of his creativity is kept in the garage. But the word »garage« doesn»t suit this place — it«s more like a small museum assembled by one person»s hands. As soon as you step over the threshold, your eyes start to wander.
At the entrance — a picture assembled from radio parts and boards. «I had some parts, and acquaintances gave me others,» Alexander smiles. Nearby — an unfinished hat for the iron face of Natali.
Alexander doesn«t hide it: in a way, he really resembles the literary character Plyushkin. He has been collecting everything since childhood — saving, not throwing away, moving things from place to place.
On the ceiling — four real swallow nests. »In summer, birds fly in. I don«t disturb them; let them live.»
On the walls — a collection of car license plates from around the world.
«I collect plates gradually; I can tell you about each one,» the master says proudly, running his hand over the metal plates.
The exhibits are very diverse: a homemade billiards table, pilot glasses, an old bicycle, kerosene containers, dishes and spoons, gramophones, tape recorders, radiograms, records. Some things work, others — are just dear to his heart because they remind him of childhood or people.
He collected most of the collection over 30 years. He traveled to villages, asked residents, requested unwanted items, negotiated. The oldest exhibit — car radios from 1949. Among the «new» ones — a Ural-111 radiogram and records by Vysotsky.
Sometimes he tried to sell something, but quickly realized: most people don«t need such rarities. So he decided to keep everything himself — it»s safer, and the things get a second life.
Looking over his holdings, he admits sheepishly: «I don»t consider myself much of an artist. I consider myself an unusual person. Someone buys sausage with their salary, and I look for paint for a sculpture.«
Wife»s Disapproval and Neighbors« Misunderstanding
Previously, the main source of enthusiasm was the bright yellow convertible.
»When it wasn«t arrested, I revved the engine to Viktor Tsoi or »Sektor Gaza«. That was inspiration!»
In his memories, a special place is occupied by his service in Germany in 1979: he was a motorcyclist and traffic regulator in Magdeburg. His son also visited there, and he himself dreams of seeing the country again and walking the familiar streets.
The collector«s wife, Lyubov, views her husband»s hobbies from a different angle — disapprovingly.
«I don»t always support his ventures. I worked in a children«s creativity center, where the work is of a completely different kind. And he does everything by ear: the iron doll should be pretty. But it turned out as it did.»
The pensioner takes the misunderstanding from neighbors with a smile but doesn«t try to hide that such attention can be heavy. Many in the village regard his art warily — they»re not used to such unusual things right in the middle of a rural street.
«Not everyone should think about sausage. Someone has to buy swans, paint for earrings. The neighbor across the street, when she saw the face, immediately got scared.»
Lyubov recalls the neighbor«s fright differently. Supposedly, she didn»t hold back her emotions at the sight of Natali.
«She said that all this needs to be removed and not to scare children and adults. Otherwise, she says, you could soil your pants… And I»m putting it mildly. The neighbor said such things right to our faces.«
«One Bad Word Comes Along — and That»s It«
If some neighbors criticize, others — especially children — on the contrary, are drawn to the master. Two girls living nearby are almost »adopted granddaughters« of the couple: they drop by often, help where they can, love to watch him work.
»They once got so dirty,« Lyubov laughs. »I tell them: girls, your mom won«t let you in the house! And they tell me: »She will, mom knows how to wash us!«»
If they«ve gotten used to criticism within the village and try not to take it to heart, online comments are a different matter. Some users write that the metal looks »scary,« that the »head is frightening.« The pensioner admits: such words hurt more than conversations over the fence.
»You look — many people put hearts. But then one bad word comes along — and that«s it, you start thinking maybe I»m not doing the right thing.«
Nevertheless, his work lives its own life — and people continue to discuss, come, take photos. And Alexander himself, despite criticism, picks up his tools again and again. Because creating — is what he has done all his life.
Alexander and Lyubov invited us for tea, and when we turned around, a delicious lunch was on the table. Buns, flatbreads, mushrooms, jam, and chicken with mashed potatoes — there was more than enough. We ate our fill amid heartfelt conversations and only then set off back. Natali saw us off with tears in her eyes.
