A 10th-grade student from the small town of Semeliškės has built what is believed to be Lithuania’s tallest snowman, reaching a height of 6.9 metres after weeks of work in freezing winter conditions.
Rokas Rulevičius, 16, from Semeliškės in the Elektrėnai municipality, spent hours each day since January constructing the massive snowman in his family’s yard. After returning from school, he would head straight outside to continue building before starting his homework. On some days, he worked four to five hours, and up to eight hours on weekends.
Even on a day when schools were closed due to record-low temperatures, Rulevičius continued working outdoors.
The idea of building a colossal snowman had been on his mind for years. In 2019, he tried constructing one with his family, reaching about 2.5 meters before melting snow halted the effort. He made another attempt on his own in 2022, but said the conditions – or perhaps his enthusiasm – were not sufficient for an impressive result.
This winter, however, brought unusually cold and snowy weather, and Rulevičius decided not to miss the opportunity.
At first, when the snow was sticky enough to hold its shape, he carried it in buckets, building the structure layer by layer. Each circular layer required 24 buckets of snow, with each bucket holding 25 litres. He built at least a dozen such layers.
As the base grew taller and the snow became less adhesive, he adapted his approach. Rulevičius constructed a frame from a metal fence and filled it with snow, watering it with a watering can to help it freeze into place. While refining his technique, the structure developed a slight lean.
As the snowman rose higher, he needed a ladder to continue. Recent icy conditions also made the work more challenging. Although there was plenty of snow, he had to clear a large area of nearby fields to gather enough material.
His parents did not discourage him, though they occasionally asked whether the snowman might already be tall enough. Rulevičius persisted until he surpassed the previous national record.
The tallest snowman previously recorded in Lithuania was built in 2019 and measured 6.7 metres. Rulevičius’ creation exceeds that mark by at least 20 centimetres. The new record has not yet been officially registered but is expected to be submitted soon.
The towering snowman now stands as tall as the roof of a nearby farm building. While it is not clearly visible from the town centre, visitors have already begun stopping by to see and photograph it.
“I’m happy that I managed to achieve this result and that I did it all with my own hands,” Rulevičius said. “I think it was more useful than sitting at a computer.”
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