Artist who fled war-torn Ukraine installs sculpture as part of Great Yarmouth's new art trail

Alex Lidagovsky was forced to leave Kyiv with his family after the Russian invasion in 2022. His studio was subsequently bombed and he arrived in the UK determined to continue working.

Made of sheet metal and pipes and standing at seven metres, Tightrope Walker, was manufactured in Kyiv and shipped to the UK via Germany. It is the tallest of the 12 pieces of work that form the exciting new trail due to open next month.

Mr Lidagovsky travelled from his studio in London to assemble Tightrope Walker in the town's Trafalgar Road, in the grassed area west of Marine Parade.

The sculptures will provide a free outdoor gallery and circular walking route from the Market Place to the seafront, taking in St George's Road and park, Regent Road and Church Plain. Each artwork will have an interpretation board for people to learn more and installation of all the pieces is on target to be completed by the end of May. A free map of the trail will also be available to guide people round.

An official opening event is being planned for next month to mark the completion of the trail, with full details set to follow.

Mr Lidagovsky, who has been accepted into the Royal Society of British Artists, said: ''Circus, for me, has always been primarily associated with acrobats performing at great heights.

''Walking on a tightrope epitomises the highest level of harmony and balance. And the sculpture represents a silhouette figure on a tightrope.''

The vertical position of the tightrope walker figure will be maintained by a counterweight - which also serves as a 'sail' propelling the figure into motion with the wind - creating the illusion of a real acrobat.

There are about 15 of Mr Lidagovsky's public artworks on the streets of Kyiv and his pieces have also been showcased at the Winter Sculpture Park in Bexley, south-east London. He also recently won one of the five residency prizes for indoor sculpture at Lucca Biennale Cartasia in Italy - the biggest event in the art world for paper art and architecture - and has just won a commission for an installation in New Jersey, USA.

Great Yarmouth's trail has 11 sculptures - focusing on themes of maritime and medieval history, arts heritage, seaside, transport and energy, all designed to create a rich and involving experience for locals and visitors.

The trail also features an 12^th artwork - a section of tiled paving outside Christchurch created by Great Yarmouth's Reprezent Project to reflect the cultural impact of the town's Portuguese community.

Councillor James Bensly, portfolio holder for Tourism, Culture and Coastal Management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: ''We are delighted Alex is contributing Tightrope Walker to our fantastic public art trail.

''His family, and the whole of Ukraine, have suffered as a result of the terrible invasion of their country and it is a privilege for our borough to play host to the work of such a well-respected international artist.''

The £330,000 project has been funded by the Government via Town Deal finance, with the money being ring-fenced for use only on the sculptures, which are intended to create a major new cultural asset for the town.

The council also secured an additional £50,000 of Government Future High Streets funding to commission a sculpture called Yarn with Ernie which has now been installed as part of the improvement works at the Market Place.