Today, January 30, in Jelgava, 30 artists from 12 countries started work on the creation of sculptures for the 24th International Ice Sculpture Festival competition. On the island of Posta, 30 tons of ice will be used for three days to create sculptures in the team category on the theme "Ancient Deities". Two artists participate in the creation of each team's sculpture, who submitted a common sketch to the organizers when applying for participation in the festival. 

Interpreting the theme of this year's festival "Ancient Deities", sculptors from Indonesia, Mongolia, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia will bring to life in team sculptures such characters as the Minotaur, the Green Tara, the Shaman, the Thunder and other deities, mythological beings that have managed to conquer and be part of the cultures of different peoples over time. 

To create the team sculptures, the participants of the competition use two large blocks of ice - each 210x110x50 centimeters in size, or two tons of specially frozen food ice without air bubbles, which melts much slower than the ice found in nature. Each team sculpture is created in an individual tent so that it is less affected by the weather. Sculptors will continue creating team sculptures until the evening of February 1.