Niyaz Huseynzade As the world watches the never-ending conflict in Ukraine unfold, one street artist has been quietly documenting the resilience of the Ukrainian people through powerful murals. Banksy has been going throughout the nation, making a lot of creations that disagree with Russia’s aggression which is both unneeded and unfair. In the Bucha Region, stencils with his signature have been discovered in debris from bombed buildings and barricades in Borodyanka and Gorenka. Some are even located just outside Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city. All of them display Ukrainians’ strength and resolve amidst difficult times.
The artists use their work to comment on the detrimental effects of war and how it disrupts citizens’ lives. One painting features a woman in a bathrobe and curlers holding a fire extinguisher; another has a man taking an open-air bath, while the third portrays children playing on some abandoned metal structure. One of the most striking pieces is a young boy slamming Russian President Vladimir Putin to the ground in a judo match. According to the BBC, Putin has expressed an interest in the sport.
Check out Banksy’s recent YouTube video to see the artist at work, and find more of their pieces on Instagram. This is the first time they have resurfaced since the Spraycation series 15 months ago.
