BATTLE ON ICE –
Alexander Nevsky:
The Fate of Russia

Opening Context

To mark the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky, we were commissioned to create an immersive, large‑scale film sequence for the exhibition Alexander Nevsky – The Fate of Russia.

The centrepiece of the experience was a four‑minute cinematic recreation of the legendary Battle on the Ice — fought on Lake Peipus in 1242 — in which Prince Nevsky defeated the Teutonic Knights, halting the westward invasion of Russia. Originally scheduled for 2020, the exhibition opened in summer 2021.

Creative Narrative

The challenge was to translate a defining historical moment into a fully immersive, spatial experience — one that placed visitors inside the battle rather than observing it from a distance.

We delivered 25 individual sequences across four synchronised screens, arranged to create a three‑dimensional perspective that extended both ahead of and beneath the audience. This was supported by physical scenography including artificial fog, surround sound, mirrored surfaces, and life‑size soldier sculptures — all working together to dissolve the boundary between screen and space.

Style Development

The client supplied an initial storyboard and narrative framework, alongside cultural references detailing Nevsky’s appearance, period costume, banners and insignia. From there, we undertook extensive research into the geography of Lake Peipus, historical accounts of the battle, and the sequence of events on 5 April 1242.

Our visual language was rooted in painterly realism — restrained, atmospheric, and grounded in physical scale. Lighting played a critical role: a low, winter sun cuts across the ice from one side, casting long shadows and stark contrast across the panoramic projection. This helped anchor the digital imagery within the physical dimensions of the room.

Concept & Execution

The moments depicted on screen were conceived as frozen instants in time — brought to life through controlled camera movement, subtle character puppeteering, and environmental animation. Fog, drifting snow, arrows, debris and clouds were used sparingly to create depth and motion without breaking the sense of suspension.

The exhibition space itself featured vast ice‑sheet sculptures spanning the walls between screens. Illuminated from within and below, these elements provided practical lighting while accentuating the physical soldier figures embedded in the space. During key narrative moments — such as the cracking of the ice — light and projection combined to reveal the world beyond the battlefield.

The soldiers were intentionally designed as faceless forms. Detailed in posture and costume but stripped of individual identity, they act as universal figures — allowing visitors to project themselves into the scene and confront the collective cost of the battle.

This was an exercise in scale, restraint, and spatial storytelling — where historical gravity, cinematic language and physical exhibition design were tightly interwoven to create a visceral, contemplative experience.