Banksy Shows Support For Ukraine By Revealing A New Mural In Kyiv

Award-winning graffiti artist Banksy has unveiled a new mural in one of the hardest-hit towns in the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and social media users are moved by the support.

On Friday, the anonymous British artist revealed via Instagram his latest artwork, which depicts a gymnast balancing on the wall of a destroyed building. The mural is located in Borodyanka, northwest of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

The post, simply captioned “Borodyanka, Ukraine,” has garnered over 2 million likes and more than 20,000 comments as of writing.

Some social media users from Ukraine took to the comments section to show their appreciation for Banksy’s work and thank the artist for the support.

“I live in Kyiv, Ukraine, and I am a huge fan of yours, Banksy. When I saw your new work, I was so excited. Thank you for inspiring people with your work and reminding [them] that the war is not over, and many people, including children, are struggling for freedom,” one user wrote.

Another commented, “Simply [genius]. Our land [is] fragile but strong, same [as the] character of your art, balancing on the wreckage.”

“Thank you. Thanks to you the world will once again see the terrible crimes of [Russia]. Prosperity to your creativity,” a third user said, while another commented, “Thanks for standing with Ukraine.”

Two other murals with similar concepts have also appeared in different locations in Ukraine, but Banksy has yet to claim them, Kyiv Post reported.

One mural in Borodyanka depicted a judo match, with a young boy flipping over a man resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin. The other, which is in the city of Irpin, showed a female rhythmic gymnast with a neck brace performing on top of a large hole at the side of a building.

All three murals “appear to capture the essence of Ukraine’s resolute spirit in the face of incredible adversity,” the outlet said.

The artist did not reveal the inspiration for the mural, but the outlet noted that Ukraine has a proud history with gymnastics. In the mid-’90s, Ukrainian gymnast Lilia Podkopayeva held the European, World and Olympic all-around titles simultaneously after winning the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Banksy has been an active street artist since the 1990s and is well-known for his anti-authoritarian art, mostly drawn freehand in public places. Some of his artworks have been valued at millions of dollars, ranging from $3 million to $25 million.

In October last year, Banksy’s famous half-shredded painting, “Balloon Girl,” sold at auction for over $25 million.