Cyrillic Projector

The Cyrillic Projector is a metal sculpture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte featuring Cyrillic letters across its surface. The work occupies a space between campus buildings as part of the institution's art collection.

Artist Jim Sanborn created the work in the early 1990s as part of a body of work that includes Kryptos at CIA headquarters. The sculpture emerged during a period of growing interest in encryption and hidden codes within the art world.

The embedded Russian text points to themes of control and oppression, reflecting on the ideas of Soviet dissident Sakharov.

The sculpture stands on the university campus between several buildings and is accessible during regular campus hours. Visitors can view the work while walking through the grounds and examine its details up close.

Two people independently solved the complex encryption of the work in 2003 and revealed its hidden messages. This decryption made the concealed narrative of the sculpture publicly known for the first time.

Location: North Carolina

GPS coordinates: 35.30600,-80.72950

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:07