Ukraine puts out Banksy mural postage stamp; shows man resembling Vladimir Putin being defeated by kid

To commemorate the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine has issued a postage stamp featuring a mural by famed graffiti artist Banksy. The mural depicts a man resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin, who holds a black belt in judo, being flipped in a match by a kid, believed to represent Ukraine. The words “FCK PTN” in Cyrillic are present in the lower left half of the stamp, as per a report in The Guardian. The stamp takes its inspiration from a mural painted by Banksy on a demolished wall in Borodyanka, a town north-west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Residents have flocked to the post office to get their hands on the stamp.

Take a look at the stamp here:

#Ukraine issues #Banksy mural postage stamp.

Stamp features British artist’s mural on a demolished wall in Borodianka, bombed at the start of the invasion.#Art #StreetArt
[https://t.co/LkY8SjNHBk] pic.twitter.com/tsK5W7gxDK

— Nathan Francis (@NathanFrancis__) February 25, 2023

This is not the only mural by Banksy that has been found in Ukraine. The British street artist had painted another mural in Borodyanka. The artwork depicted a gymnast performing a handstand on a pile of rubble.

Take a look at the mural here:

 

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Borodianka sustained significant damage after Russia attacked Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Before the start of the conflict, about 13,000 people lived in the town. Most of the residents fled as Moscow’s troops captured Borodyanka later that month. The Russian occupation of the town ended in April, when many homes and buildings had been destroyed.

In November, it was revealed that Banksy had created seven murals in Ukraine. The artist, whose real identity remains unknown, has been a vocal critic of Moscow’s attack on its pro-western neighbour.

One of the paintings by Banksy shows a young gymnast, wearing a neck brace and performing with a ribbon in her hand. The girl is shown balanced on top of a hole in a damaged building. The mural was found in the suburb of Irpin, just near Kyiv.

 

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Russia’s war on Ukraine has entered its second year with no clear end in sight as both sides continue to hold on to their positions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that his country will win the conflict this year. “On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but the blue and yellow one. Not fleeing, but facing. Resisting & fighting. It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith, and unity. And this year, we remained invincible. We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory!”