Authorities Found Artist, Who Drew Barbed Wire In "Minsk-Moscow" Graffiti
- 21.12.2016, 14:08
"Mayor" of Minsk Shorats has stated that he is preparing a lawsuit against him.
The author of the unauthorized changes in the graffiti in Mahiliouskaya street in Minsk has been found, and the funds will be collected from him through the court. This was stated by Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Andrei Shorats at a press conference on December 21, naviny.by reports.
"It's my tough stance: if the graffiti appeared during the days of Moscow in Minsk and this sketch has been agreed by us and the Muscovites, then I think it is not right, if someone comes and draws something on the basis of some personal motives," – Shorats said. If to indulge it, then "someone can attach something to a monument one day," he added.
"We will necessarily call the violator to account, and our citizens must understand that, if they want to draw something, – look at what is being done in Kastrychnitskaya street, after Brazilian artists arrived and made a drawing. But I don’t want it to be painted over with black. If there is an author, it is necessary to make changes only with his consent. If to let things slide, we will come to chaos. We are to collect the costs of the changes. It must be done legally and correctly, our position must be very convincing in the court," – Shorats said.
The giant drawing, symbolizing the friendship of Belarus and Russia’s capitals, was made on the facades of the two buildings in Mahiliouskaya street on the initiative of the representatives of the Russian capital in June this year, on the eve of the Days of Moscow in Minsk. The work was performed by Yaroslavl artist Arthur Kashak. The boy in the picture symbolizes Minsk, the girl – Moscow (the coats of arms of cities are painted on their T-shirts). The graffiti has caused a storm of criticism, and became an object of derision in social networks.
In October, another artist drew a new element in the graffiti – some barbed wire in the girl’s wreath and the boy’s bouquet. He explained his actions to BelaPAN: "I was ashamed of my Moscow colleagues’ gift and I decided to add at least some sense. The barbed wire is a good, multi-layered symbol, quite appropriate when it comes to Russia's relations with other countries."
In November, the graffiti was returned into its previous form. The Minsk city executive committee announced its intention to recover damages in court. Later it became known that the check on the fact of the unauthorized drawing had been conducted by the Minsk Investigative Committee Department.
According to journalists, no one has addressed the alleged author of the changes in graffiti with the intention to recover the costs of restoring the image yet.