I returned to Kyiv for a week in September of this year and tried to document as many murals as I possibly could, whether by walking the streets or stealing pics out of car windows… Please enjoy the fruits of my labor below :
This mural by the Australian artist Fintan Magee is depicting Anna Rizatdinovа, a Ukrainian former world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. She is one of the most decorated rhythmic gymnasts of her generation. Completed in 2015. Strilets’ka St, 12, Kiev, UkraineSergei Nigoyan was an Armenian-UkrainianEuromaidan activist who was shot and killed from during the 2014 Hrushevskoho Street riots where he was acting as security. He was the first protestor killed by shooting during the riots. He was among 100 people (Heaven’s Hundred Heroes) who died that night. The creator of this mural is Alexander Farto, also known as Vhils, from Lisbon, Portugal. The portrait is carved into the wall; Vhils’ signature style. Mykhailivs’ka St, 24А, Kiev, UkraineBlue Tit on a Lightbulb (Freedom) by Alex Maksiov (Completed in May 2016) “The Blue Tit is associated with happiness, the way it has a blue colouring and a long forked tail. These birds build their nests out of mud and they symbolize freedom, like the wide open sky, and eternal happiness…” Address: 12 Ivana Franka StreetRed Bicycle by Toronto-based artist, Emmanuel Jarus (May 2016) “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.” The teacher sat at the feet of his student and said, “I am your student.” ~ Zen proverb Address: 13 Viacheslava Lypynskoho Street
Being that Ukraine is a country perpetually in conflict, Spanish artist, XAV wanted to paint the image of a cute and smiling boy. According to him “the work was devoted to the ability to enjoy simple things, the desire to see a half full glass, and not half empty, that even having nothing, you can still have everything …” Address: Kazymyra Malevycha St, 42“A Flamenco in Kyiv” by Belgian artist Bart Smeets, a.k.a. Smates. Two intertwined flamingo heads; one is pink with its head submerged underwater, whilst the other one is seemingly born of the blue water-splash… Address: Lesi Ukrainky Boulevard 30“Brown Bear in a Colorful Whimsy” by Spanish artist, Kraser Tres. Address: Verkhnii Val 44“Semi-inflated Killer Whale Balloon” by Swedish artist-duo, NEVERCREW. Address: Saksahanskoho St, 147/5City Man/City Lights by Sebastian Velasco (Completed in July 2016) Address: 36a Olesia Honchara Street
Rodents and Bunny by Roa (Completed in July 2016) Address: 32a Olesia Honchara StreetAddress: Starovokzalna Street 12Australian artist, Fintan Magee: “I wanted to create something simple but with clear accents,” says the artist. “That’s why I decided to draw a huge deer and a man crossing the river. For me, it is a symbol of both the unity of human and nature, and the transition of Ukraine from the past towards something new. Crossing the river means hard times, but on the other side there is always a better future waiting for us. This is my take on the situation in Ukraine: the symbol of the struggle for the better life and of the movement towards it.” Address: Voloska Street 19/22“Self Made Man,” by Ukrainian artist Alexander Grebenyuk. Address: (inside a carpark) 24a Honchar Street.Blue Birds (Shadoofs) by Taras Arm (Completed in December 2016) Address: 9 Heorhiivskyi LaneArtist: Guido Van Helten ~ titled Lily Of The Valley. Inspired by the poem of the same name by Lesya Ukrainka, one of Ukrainian literature’s foremost writers. She’s best known for her poems and plays. She was also a political, civil, and feminist activist. Address: Striletska Street 28Car Cogs (Car Carousel) by M-City (Completed in December 2015) Address: 20B Striletska Street“Herald of life”by Ukrainian artist Alexander Brytsev. Notice the white crow amongst the flock; apparently, it’s a symbol of good news and re-birth. Interestingly, it has been said that the location itself, is symbolic. It’s located in a residential/commercial yard off of a main street. Supposedly, there’s a cage with huge crows that have been living there for over two decades. Locals say that these birds understand the language of humans… Address: Reitarska Street 9“Rise” by Washington, D.C. native/Berlin-based artist, James Bullough. Transcend and break free of the chaos in the world…Eco Ukraine(Homme Habile) by Guillaume Albi (Completed in Spring 2015) Address: 3 Observatorna Street(Fluor & Malva sylvestris) by Fabio Petani (Completed in July 2017) Address: 15 Bulvarno Kudriavaska Street
Spanish artist Borondo’s rendition of one of the oldest Cathedrals in Europe ~ the Saint Sofia Cathedral. Address: Heroiv Stalinhrada Avenue 16дWAONE / Interesni Kazki Address: E 40Address: Mykoly Bazhana Avenue 5Address: Mykoly Bazhana Avenue 9Greek artist INO’s “Instability.” A ballerina is dancing over a bomb. Inspired by the politically volatile situation in Ukraine, the piece is criticizing the failure of people to be able to coexist on earth. Address: Mykoly Bazhana Avenue 7Artist: Ernesto Maranje Address: Mykoly Bazhana Avenue 5е
Little annotation to my mural “Ukrainian St.George”:
By creation “St.George” mural I wanted to fix historical moment of struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom and independence. In the center of the composition – ukrainian cossack warrior in the image of a falcon, hack the snake. I deliberately use two images – first one is the ancient, pre-Christian Slavic symbol – the falcon, a symbol of the sun and the victory of light over darkness, and the second one is a Christian – St. George or ukr. Saints Yurіy to create a universal image of the people, fighting against evil, that is serpent, which represents a trouble that came to Ukraine. Also, according to the legend of the “Falcon of Yaroslav Mudryj” ukrainian trident was a type of falcon dive. In the story of the mural, doublehandhead snake attacks the land on which stands a warrior in two sides,from east and west, by the movement of the sun, trying to tear it apart. Some specific political images I have not used in this work, but the story,- the allegorical image of the events that are happening now in Ukraine. Our country is in the center of geopolitical confrontation. It is trying to divide and tear apart by the two civilizations – East as Russia and Western countries in the form of the NATO bloc. And for Ukraine, these two civilizations,in essence, are one snake-monster… (sic)
From theoutsiders.net:
Inspired by themes such as science, religion, and cosmology, their work also contains free meanings for viewers to interpret as they see fit. “Every single piece is sort of a rebus and contains a secret to decipher”, say the duo. This is also evident in the English translation of their collective name: “Interesting Stories”.
Interesni Kazki are Aleksei Bordusov “AEC” and Volodymyr Manzhos “WAONE.”
