V–A–C Sreda online magazine continues its final three-month programme on significant cultural phenomena of the past that are now almost forgotten or considered extinct, but nevertheless continue to exist. In this issue, we present a work by Moscow Conceptualist Konstantin Zvezdochetov, created especially for V–A–C Sreda.

Zvezdochetov calls himself an “alchemist” and a “cultural acrobat.” He works with images of Soviet mass culture, clichés, and stereotypes not just as content but as artistic form, drawing on folk techniques such as lubok, kitsch, and primitive art. In his new work, Zvezdochetov turns to the image of Buba Kastorsky, the iconic character from Edmond Keosayan’s The Elusive Avengers (1966) and The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers (1968) who became one of the most recognizable and beloved heroes of late Soviet cinema. The work is based on the design of the “Alenka” chocolate wrapper—another iconic image of Soviet and post-Soviet culture.