The driver of a massive digger that weighs almost as much as the Eiffel Tower has told how he’s ditched his old life in a coal mine to start work as a nail artist.

Yegor Ivanov, 31, from Nazarovo, Nazarov, Krasnoyarsk Krai, central Russia, used to be the driver of the huge 10,0000-tonne digger.

Using its 24 razor-sharp scoops Yegor would churn up thousands of tons of coal every day.

He explained: “It is 419 metres long, has 24 buckets of 1600 litres each, and is operated by almost 60 people.

“There are two of these in the world and one of them is in Siberia, can you imagine?”

But when a friend joked that Yegor was so accurate on the massive machine he could cut people’s nails it started him thinking.

Yegor eventually consulted his wife Anya.

He said: “Finally, I consulted with my wife, should I try something? Anya didn’t even try to dissuade me.

“On the contrary, she only supported me. If you want, go ahead. She always inspires me.

“I tried to back down, thinking maybe later. But there was no turning back.

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“As it turned out, Anya signed me up for courses and even paid for them. It worked out just in time for my vacation.”

Yegor explained: ” I graduated, received a certificate, and went home. There we have equipped a separate room for a studio.

“We slowly purchased everything we needed to get started. It took approximately RUB 50,000 (GBP 434). Lamps, machines, scissors, brushes, varnishes and gels – a complete set.

“The very first person who sat down at my table was my wife. What haven’t we done together? We try everything new together. My favourite model.

“I redesigned my page on social networks and started posting my work there.”

Gradually, said Yegor, customers started coming and he felt able to ditch his old job.

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He said: “My wife’s friends and acquaintances reached out. Interest awoke. Both for people and for me.”

Yegor shrugged off social media critics who said his new career isn’t manly enough.

He said: “After people found out about me, they wrote things on social networks.

“Like, ‘Man, you are doing nonsense! Find yourself a normal job’, or, ‘Oh, what a manicurist a man can be’.

“But I don’t pay attention. After all, most words of support were, ‘Well done, you decided to do it!’

“We live in a small city, and not everyone can accept this. But I believe there are no gender differences in professions.

“In Moscow, men work as stylists and makeup artists. They even do eyelash extensions.”

Now Yegor says he plans to take more courses in nail craft,

He said: “What’s next? I’ll be taking courses again soon. I want to learn how to do it even better, faster.”