“A group of people dismantled the painting of the world-famous artist, tried to transport it using wooden boards and polyethylene, but was exposed by police and security forces,” Nebitov said.
The mural was “ruthlessly cut off by attackers” in the town of Hostomel, the head of the Kyiv Police Department, Andrey Nebitov, said Saturday in a statement on Telegram. Credit: Andrey Nebitov/Telegram
As part of the investigation, “an art expert examination” will be conducted on the mural. Credit: Andrey Nebitov/Telegram
As part of the investigation, “an art expert examination” will be conducted on the mural and authorities will make a decision what charges to file against the suspected attackers, Nebitov said.
On Friday, the head of the Kyiv region military administration, Oleksii Kuleba, said the suspects were “detained on the spot” and that the mural is undamaged.
“I want to emphasize that Banksy’s works in the Kyiv region are under protection from the police,” Kuleba said on his Telegram channel.
“After all, these images are a symbol of our struggle against the enemy. These are the stories about the support and solidarity of the entire civilized world with Ukraine. Let’s do everything to preserve the works of street art as a symbol of our future Victory,” he said.
Kyiv regional authorities, the local community and representatives from Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy are conducting “consultations regarding the storage and future fate of the mural,” Kuleba said.
On Friday, the head of the Kyiv region military administration, Oleksii Kuleba, said the suspected attackers were “detained on the spot” and that the mural is undamaged. Credit: Andrey Nebitov/Telegram
Banksy unveiled a mural of a female gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble on a building damaged by Russian shelling in the liberated town of Borodianka on November 11. The graffiti artist posted three images of the piece on social media, with a simple caption reading “Borodyanka, Ukraine,” using an alternative spelling for the town’s name.
Borodianka was hit particularly hard by Russian airstrikes at the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February, with many buildings reduced to piles of rubble by long-range attacks.
