In late 2016, a disused basement beneath a Soviet‑era communal building in was converted into a makeshift atelier. The space—concrete walls, a single flickering bulb, and a view of snow‑covered birch trees—became a crucible for experimentation. The founders, a handful of architecture students, an indie‑game programmer, and a graffiti‑artist, called themselves The Mouse‑Makers . Their early experiments were small: kinetic sculptures powered by reclaimed refrigerator compressors, and projection‑mapped murals that turned the basement’s low ceiling into an ever‑shifting sky.