Seven New Banksy Pieces Surfaced In War-Torn Ukraine

The Ukrainian city of Kyiv, the suburb of Irpin, and the village of Borodyanka—among the areas severely affected by Russian bombing—are among the locations where the British street artist Banksy has verified to The Art Newspaper that he has painted seven murals.

After three pieces were discovered last week, speculation that the unknown artist was in the war-torn nation increased. In one painting, a guy who appears to be Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen getting knocked to the ground while competing in judo with a young kid; Putin is a black belt in a martial art.

Another piece depicts two kids using a metal tank trap as a seesaw, and a third mural depicts a gymnast performing a handstand inside the ruins of a bombed building.

These, along with four further pieces, have all been confirmed by Banksy. A bearded man taking a bath, a woman in her dressing gown with her hair in curlers and holding a fire extinguisher, and another piece in which Banksy appears to have integrated pre-existing graffiti of a penis into a nuclear bomb carried onto the back of an armored truck are among them.

Early in the invasion, Russian forces besieged and bombed Borodyanka, a town about 54 kilometers northwest of Kyiv. Following its liberation in April, Ukrainian investigators discovered dozens of mass graves including the bodies of tortured and slain residents. Investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Irpin and the nearby Bucha have also been demanded.

Although this is not the first time his work has been linked to Ukraine, the latest pieces are Banksy’s first public murals in more than a year. A print of CND Soldiers, one of his most well-known anti-war works, was sold at auction in March, raising $106,505 for a Kyiv children’s hospital. During demonstrations against the Iraq War, the original mural first appeared in 2003 outside the Houses of Parliament in London.

Adiah Michelle

Promoting understanding

Recent Posts

More money, less awareness: how fame is making celebrities tone deaf

As influencers grow in wealth and fame, their increasing distance from the realities of their…

1 day ago

Depop is saving the environment: The role resellers play in sustainability

In recent years, the global fashion industry has come under intense scrutiny for its noteworthy…

2 days ago

Everything I Learned From “An Apprenticeship or the Book of Pleasures”

"She was living off a tightness in her chest: life." (more…)

2 months ago

OG Artist Lori Lieberman Goes Uncredited: Killing Me Softly

Angelically, Lauryn Hill opens this gut-wrencher with quite lonely vocals - a refreshing yet gloomy…

1 year ago

Soulquarians: the influence of Questlove

On August 3rd, 1995 everything changed for hip-hop outcasts - Andre and Big Boy aside…

1 year ago

How ‘RUNAWAY’ Perfectly Depicts Kanye

It's always been so amazing to me that you can listen to just a few…

1 year ago