Full-size replica of Soviet tank made from snow by Novosibirsk student

An enterprising student has created a full-size model of a Soviet tank - using snow. Alexander Zhuikov, 20, spent a month working away on his replica in his grandmother's garden in Kamen-na-Obi, about 170km from Novosibirsk.

Using about 20 tonnes of snow, he carefully recreated the self-propelled artillery vehicle SU-122-54, which was used on the Eastern Front during the Second World War.

While the inside of the tank is solid snow, the rest of it has been made to include the smallest detail, such as cardboard and rope for cables, antenna and the cannon gun itself.

It stands two metres in height and is six metres long and about four metres wide – the same as the real version, which weighed in at 31 tonnes during its time in service.

Alexander, from Novosibirsk, made his creation as an entry for a competition run by the online game World of Tanks, and is expected to win the first prize.

'Inside there is nothing but snow,' he said. 'To make such a vehicle, I took drawings from the Internet, then I painted the snow model with emulsion paint. 'I had to make a huge shield from the sun so it doesn't melt.'