Like a matador swatting away pesky flies, renowned designer Artemy Lebedev swung at critics of his now-retired Ryazan city logo during a live-streamed tête-à-tête with a blogger. The digital coliseum of social media bore witness as the creative titan dismissed detractors with the nonchalance of a chef waving off complaints about yesterday's soup.
Lebedev's creation—a visual cocktail blending Monomakh's hat from the city coat of arms, Ryazan's flag colors, and hidden river motifs—served as the city's face for three turbulent years. "It's just a picture," he shrugged, comparing it to souvenir stall kitsch. "What we built was an entire visual ecosystem—a spaceship, not just a coat of paint."
As the logo joins design history's graveyard—somewhere between New Coke and the 2012 London Olympics mascot—Lebedev remains unbowed. His parting shot? "Cities aren't defined by logos, but by the people who fight over them." Meanwhile, Ryazan searches for its next visual champion, hopefully one less likely to set keyboards ablaze.
