The Murals of Kyiv are a series of

murals A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...

painted on the sides of buildings in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

since 2014 which depict both modern and traditional art. Upwards of 160 murals are spread out across the entire city over an area of approximately 285 square kilometers. These murals are not funded by the government, but are instead funded by independent sponsors or art groups.

Selected Artwork

The Rebuild

"The Rebuild" is a mural by Australian street artist

Fintan Magee Fintan Magee is an Australian street artist known for his murals throughout Australia and the world. Born in Lismore, New South Wales, he grew up in Brisbane, gaining a reputation as a graffiti writer before obtaining a fine arts degree and relo ...

, painted in 2015. The mural depicts a lone woman with a bunch of branches in her arms, standing ankle-deep in water, seemingly after a flood. The theme of flooding recurs in many of Magee's works, and the artwork appears to represent the first steps of reconstruction and rebuilding after disaster.

Serhiy Nihoyan

" Serhiy Nihoyan" is an eponymous mural of the first person to be killed in the

2014 Hrushevskoho Street riots In response to anti-protest laws in Ukraine (announced on 16 January 2014 and enacted on 21 January 2014), a standoff between protesters and police began on 19 January 2014 that was precipitated by a series of riots in central Kyiv on Hrush ...

, an Armenian-Ukrainian activist who was shot by the Berkut while protesting. The portrait was created by Alexandre Fartu and lies in the Heavenly Hundred Garden, a formerly empty lot which was turned into a community space.

Revival

"Revival" is a joint work by French duo Seth x Kislow, which is considered to be one of the most recognizable murals in Kyiv. Created in April 2014, the mural depicts themes of Ukrainian pride and hope for the future.

Ukrainian St. George

"Ukrainian St. George" by artist AEC is an

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughou ...

mural, referring to the story of St. George and the Dragon. The piece carries a modern political message, with the double-headed dragon representing Russia in the East and NATO in the West dividing Ukraine.

The Messenger of Life

"The Messenger of Life" is a mural by Alexandr Britcev which depicts a white crow surrounded by black crows. The mural can be found tucked away in a courtyard, and references three crows which are said to have been kept in a cage in that courtyard for twenty years.

Untitled Work by Xav

Javier Robledo, known professionally as Xav, created an untitled mural in 2017 of a smiling boy with support from Art United Us. The mural generated controversy in the local community as it depicted a black child, and racist backlash to the mural developed as it began to take shape. However, because Robledo was not beholden financially to local government or community, the mural was completed, albeit two weeks behind schedule.

References

{{Street_Art Tourist attractions in Kyiv