Murals of Ukraine leader Zelenskyy repeatedly attacked by vandals, Florida arts group says

Vandals have attacked two murals of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Fort Myers, Florida, for the third time, damaging them to a point beyond repair, a local arts group said.

The murals, commissioned by the Alliance for the Arts in March, were meant to show support for the Ukrainian people during the Russian invasion that has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the country.

Alliance for the Arts Executive Director Molly Deckart awoke on the morning of Monday, April 4, to find dark paint thrown over the murals — one that shows a portrait of Zelenskyy in front of the Ukrainian flag and the other that depicts a viral selfie taken by Zelenskyy of himself and other military leaders.

“I think it is sad to think that somebody would destroy somebody else’s artwork, and I just think it goes against the spirit of what we try to do here at the alliance and the artistic community at large,” she told McClatchy News.

The organization filed a report with Fort Myers police, Deckart said. The murals will be wrapped to hide them from view until the Alliance for the Arts can raise at least $2,000 to recommission them. Any extra funds raised will be donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, she said.

The murals, painted by local artists Erik Schlake and Roland Ruocco, were meant to show support for the Ukrainian people and Zelenskyy, who has become a popular figure around the world and a symbol of leadership, Deckart said.

“It was beautiful and it was hopeful and I think it just drew the community’s attention as a reminder of what’s happening in Ukraine,” she said.

Most of the reaction to the murals, which face north/south traffic on McGregor Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in Fort Myers, was positive, with people stopping to take selfies with the pieces and calling the Alliance for the Arts to thank the artists, Deckart said.

The first time vandals attacked the murals, they put electrical tape over Zelenskyy’s face to create a “Hitler-style” mustache, she said. The second time, vandals scrawled letters over the paintings.

Both times, the Alliance for the Arts was able to salvage the pieces, Deckart said.

While the third and most recent strike by the vandals has rendered the murals irreparable, Deckart said she is determined to replace them.

“We’re not going to let them win,” she said of the vandals.

Once the murals are recommissioned, Deckart said her organization will look into installing extra security around them.

She said she hopes that the community can appreciate the artwork’s message, which is one of hope, peace and unity.

“Globally, we’ve all gone through a lot, and certainly when someone has messages of hope, it just doesn’t feel good when these types of things happen,” she said. “Just love one another.”

This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Murals of Ukraine leader Zelenskyy repeatedly attacked by vandals, Florida arts group says."