Artist Spends 16 Years, 6 Million Matchsticks Building Model of Rila Monastery

matches Matchsticks Plamen Ignatov Rila Monastery

by James Plafke | 9:45 am, January 16th, 2012

In what is possibly the most terrifyingly accidentally destructible piece of artwork that has had an enormous amount of time put into its creation, Bulgarian artist Plamen Ignatov has created a model of the Rila Monastery using 6 million matchsticks. It only took him 16 years, so he’s probably not too concerned with the state of instant combustion 6 million matchsticks represents like most other people would be. On display at the National Archaeological Museum in Bulgaria, the piece also employs the use of wood and and gems. Check out more pictures of the insanely intricate piece after the break.

The real, non-matchstick monastery:

(via My Modern Met)

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Anonymous

Stunning Work; Kudos to the artist.
Anonymous

Respect :)
http://www.facebook.com/BrianGilmore Brian Gilmore

I’ve never been a bully, and have always been really precious, proud and cautious about even the sand castles I build. Each LEGO fortress I ever made meant the world to me. But for some reason, I think few things on earth would be more satisfying than destroying this thing with a hilariously-oversized cartoon sledgehammer.
guest

The matchsticks look even more gorgeous than the actual monastery!

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