Banksy, the elusive street artist, created a new mural in Ukraine depicting a gymnast on a building damaged during conflict with Russia

Katie Balevic
Sat, November 12, 2022 

Banksy, the elusive street artist, created a new mural in Ukraine depicting a gymnast on a building damaged during conflict with Russia


Banksy created a mural of a gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble in Borodyanka, Ukraine.


The town outside Kyiv was invaded and damaged by Russian shelling in the early months of the war.


Several pieces of graffiti have been spotted in war-torn cities, though Banksy hasn't claimed credit for all.

Street artist Banksy created a mural on a Ukrainian building that was left damaged by Russian shelling, according to BBC.

The elusive artist left his impression of a gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble, sharing a picture of it on his Instagram with a caption of its location in Borodyanka, some 35 miles outside of Kyiv.

The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and surrounding regions have been some of the hardest hit by the Russian invasion. Russian troops occupied Borodyanka for weeks when the war began in February until Ukraine took the town back in April, according to BBC.

Two other artworks resembling Banksy's style were spotted in the Kyiv region, though they have not been confirmed to be his pieces, per BBC.

Graffiti in the city of Borodyanka, Ukraine, on November 12, 2022. In cities surrounding Kyiv, graffiti appeared, thought to be by the artist Banksy.Oleg Pereverzev/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In Borodyanka, one mural depicts an older man being flipped by a young boy in a judo match. According to BBC, the older man appears to resemble Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is a judo black belt.

A third piece in Irpin, which sits between Borodyanka and Kyiv, depicts a gymnast wearing a neckbrace and twirling a ribbon, the BBC reported.

A person walks by graffiti, possibly by Banksy, in the city of Irpin, Ukraine, on November 12, 2022.Oleg Pereverzev/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Residents fled the town in March during a bout of Russian shelling, which one Ukrainian official said was "100% targeting civilians." Ukraine had reclaimed Irpin by the end of March but had lost some 200-300 citizens.

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