In Belgrade, backers of Ukraine and Russia fight with graffiti
In a propaganda war, spray-paint cans are the weapons
AS GLEB PUSHEV, an artist who fled Russia to dodge the draft, was finishing a pro-Ukraine mural in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, three toughs hurled away his paints. The mural, which took four days to paint and featured a Ukrainian poetess, was later defaced. With friends standing guard, Mr Pushev repainted it. The restored mural was soon covered in pro-Russia imagery. He painted it again under police protection and covered it with plexiglass. The sheet was then shattered and the wall painted over. Mr Pushev now prints stickers instead: “If someone rips them off, it’s less emotionally painful.”
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline "The art of war"
Europe August 26th 2023
- Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death may consolidate Putin’s power
- Ukraine’s sluggish counter-offensive is souring the public mood
- In Spain’s parliament, you can now speak Basque (or Catalan or Galician)
- In Belgrade, backers of Ukraine and Russia fight with graffiti
- Italy’s hard-right government is starting to look more radical
- Italy’s beaches are a battleground of the European economy
From the August 26th 2023 edition
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