Ukraine has issued a new postal stamp featuring a Banksy mural depicting a young boy body slamming Russian president Vladimir Putin. The release mimics an original artwork that appeared on a house in the town of Borodyanka, just outside Kyiv, and comes just a year after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
BBC News reports that droves of people waited in line to purchase the stamp, which also contains an expletive reflecting Ukrainian sentiment. “We thought that this exact stamp, this exact painting would be the best representation of what every Ukrainian feels about our enemy,” said Ihor Smilianskyi, the head of Ukrainian Postal Service, in an interview with Reuters.
Borodyanka was overtaken by Russian forces within the first few days of the conflict. After Ukraine regained control of the town several months later, Ukrainian officials accused Russia of a number of war crimes, such as looting and killing civilians. The enigmatic British artist deliberately chose to center on Judo, a sport that Putin is fond of and holds a black belt in. “I think the boy is a symbol of a small Ukraine which defeats the big man, Russia. It’s very representative of the situation,” Smilianskyi added.
