The subject of the murals varies, from a young girl doing a handstand, to two children sitting on a makeshift seesaw, to another child throwing a man to the floor during a judo match. Vladimir Putin holds a black belt in judo.Â
As well as in the capital Kyiv, Banksy has placed the murals in areas of Ukraine that have been hit hard by the Russian invasion of the country. Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, and Borodnyanka, a town 54km northwest of the capital, also play host to the murals. Both were the sites of intense battles during the early stages of the war.
View this post on Instagram
The Art Newspaper reports that Banksy has confirmed all seven to be his.
Borodonyanka was besieged by Russian forces soon after they invaded, before being recaptured by Ukraine in April. Investigators found dozens of civilian mass graves. War crimes have also been alleged in Irpin and its neighbouring Bucha.
the latest banksy…in borodianka ukraine.
once more with feeling. pic.twitter.com/X3xdQfAsIP
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) November 13, 2022
The works mark the first public works by Banksy in more than a year.Â
In March, a print of CND Soldiers was sold for $106,505 at auction, with the money going to a children’s hospital in Kyiv. CND Soldiers first appeared outside the Houses of Parliament in London in 2003, protesting the war in Iraq.
