The most famous piece depicts a female gymnast balancing on the rubble of a building that has been almost completely destroyed by Russian airstrikes. It is located in Borodyanka, about 30 kilometers from Kyiv. In the same town, there is another piece of graffiti depicting a boy wearing a keikogi (judo uniform) performing a shoulder throw on an adult man. This is a direct reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is known as a judo enthusiast. In the village of Horenka in the Bucha area, there is a man holding a bath brush in a bathtub. There are also new murals in another devastated city, Irpin. There is a painting of another gymnast, this time holding a ribbon. As usual, it is painted on the wall of a bombed-out building, which creates a rather intense atmosphere.
Donate to Ukraine
In the exhibition’s Ukraine-themed room, visitors have the opportunity to make a donation to support Ukraine. The funds collected in the donation box will be matched by the exhibition organizers and donated to the cause that needs the most support at that time.
On November 14, 2022, Banksy confirmed that he had created seven murals in Ukraine, located in various places from Kyiv to Irpin and Borodyanka. Banksy did this to protest the unacceptable attack on Ukraine and to draw the attention of the media and the public to the critical situation. There has been discussion that when destroyed buildings containing the artworks are demolished, the works will be salvaged to fund the reconstruction of the area.
In Hostomel, where the battle for Antonov Airport took place in the early days of the war, there is one more piece on display: a woman wearing a gas mask stands with a fire extinguisher amid total devastation. Finally, there are two new murals in Kyiv. One of them had already become famous before the British street artist confirmed it. In it, a girl and a boy are playing on a seesaw, with an anti-tank barrier (a hedgehog) on the other end. The other piece is somewhat provocative. Banksy painted something resembling an SA-10 Grumble surface-to-air missile system, but with a penis in place of the missiles. The vehicle is marked with the letter Z, which is the military symbol of the Russian armed forces.