Icons Of Ukraine: Street Art Marks World's Support For A People And A Cause
In Ukraine, large murals are the main form of traditional street art, as they will not be erased by housing and communal services the next day. This has not changed in the last 100 days.
Murals around Ukraine
"Holy Javelin" has become the most discussed mural. Designed by a Canadian journalist of Ukrainian origin, Christian Boris, the mural adorns Aviaconstructor Antonov Street in Kyiv.
The ancient tradition of painting icons has been modernized. Instead of swords or spears, the mural depicts the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile system. However, its combination with a religious symbol — a halo — aroused the discontent of the Council of Churches. At their request, the halo was erased.
Another mural by Konstantin Kachanovskyin Rivne, a city in west Ukraine, has a similar theme. It depicts a Ukrainian woman with a weapon in her hands.
The ancient tradition of painting icons has been modernized.
And a mural artists Anton Kravchenko and Oleksandr Fastovets in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, features soldiers, a dog and a kitten. In the center of the picture is a girl in national dress with a wreath on her head with loose ribbons. She holds the coat of arms of Ukraine. To her left are border guards, and to her right the infantry of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Next to her is an Azov fighter with a cat in his arms, and on the ground is the dog Patron, who helps rescuers clear mines in liberated territories.
And in the Obolon district of Kyiv, a mural by artist Oleksandr Korban reads: "Warrior sewing together the flag of Ukraine." It depicts the hands of the military sewing together a flag that symbolizes the country. The mural was created during the liberation of Irpin and Bucha.
Street art around the world supporting Ukraine
Street art in Ukraine often takes places against the backdrop of air raids in shelling. But in the safer streets of cities around the world, murals have also appeared in the last 100 days.
"Faces of Heroes and Victims" can be seen on the wall of the Street Museum in Amsterdam. Street artist Magdalena Anopsi painted portraits of two Ukrainians who died in this war. Who are they?
Vitaliy Skakun, 26 years old, junior combat engineer. He sacrificed his life to blow up the bridge. He died on February 24, at the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine. He died defending his country. And a girl, Polina, was killed on March 19 together with her parents on the streets of Kyiv. She was a 4th grade student.
Murals also honor living heroes. Zakhar Nechypor, a Ukrainian actor, became famous for a New York Times viral report about civilians who sought to defend their country and overcrowded military recruiting centers in the early days of the war. Now Zakhar's face as a collective image of courageous civilians adorns the town of Letterkenny in the north of Ireland.
The painter of that mural, Ciarán Dunlevy, said: “It is honoring their exceptional courage, strength, humanity and power. We want them to know that the Irish people stand with them in solidarity and love."
Symbols of resistance
In addition to the heroic fate of Ukrainians, artists pay great attention to the symbols of spirit and struggle.
"Rooster from Borodianka" is a symbol of the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainian people that adorns the city of St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland. The mural has an inscription in Ukrainian: "No to war." The ceramic clay rooster became famous all over the world after the Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson received the same roosters as a gift during his visit to Kyiv.
Artists pay great attention to the symbols of spirit and struggle.
"Ukrainian Resistance" is a digital remake of the work by Banksy, who donated 100,000 euros to the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine from the sale of one of his works.
Instead of the usual flower bouquet, previously depicted in Banksy's work, sunflowers appeared in the remake as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Even hackers from Anonymous shared this photo on their Twitter.
"Ukrainian Resistance" is a remake of the work by Banksy, with sunflowers replacing the bouquet from the original work.
Empathy for the Ukrainian people
"To Ukraine with Love" is a work that refers us to the title of the James Bond film From Russia with Love. The title symbolizes the change of feeling in the global community.
In Corie Mattie's work, Putin's disembodied head is being carried away from one of the streets of Los Angeles to Ukraine. The author added QR codes to her mural. The link leads to a website where you can donate or find information about the war in Ukraine.
One of the main themes for art objects in the world has become empathy for the tragedy of the Ukrainian people. So in Tbilisi, they created an object supporting Ukraine in the war.
Even more moving is the picture on the wall of a house bombed by Russian troops in Syria. "Solidarity of Syrians with Ukrainians" is how the artist Aziz Al-Asmar signed his work.
