Image of Christ painted over for “separatism” and links to “Russian World”
The image of Jesus Christ in Baranivka was painted over for “separatism” and alleged links to the “Russian world.”
On August 23, a mural depicting Jesus Christ – created on the wall of a former stationary traffic police post by painters Volodymyr Kravchuk and Valentyn Retman – was painted over with white paint. This was reported by the independent information website of the city of Baranivka.
According to Baranivka District Council deputy Oleh Kovalskyi, the decision was made on August 22 by participants of a roundtable that included representatives of political parties, public organizations, and activists. “We held the first meeting on August 18, but no concrete decision was made then. On August 22, the roundtable participants unanimously decided to ask the artists to paint over the image on the mural. They refused to do so. So we decided we would do it ourselves,” Oleh Kovalskyi said.
On August 23, the mural depicting Jesus Christ on the wall of the former traffic police post was painted over, and it was decided that the future of the building should be determined by the local community.
“Any manifestations or even hints of separatism or the ‘Russian world’ will be eradicated, regardless of rank or party affiliation. Tomorrow, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Independence, we will place national flags here,” Oleh Kovalskyi said.
