The sketches survived by chance, preserved on strips of birch bark found during Soviet archaeological excavations. They had been intended for use by school children from the medieval state of Novgorod. These children, who lived around the year 1250 CE, were meant to be learning how to read and write. But one student named Onfim used them to draw. And for this reason, Onfim has become immortal.Subscribe
His doodles include horses and soldiers, battle scenes, self-portraits, and expressive stick figures that radiate personality across eight centuries.
