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A Ukraine artist turned abandoned Russian military tank into his canvas amid war
The photograph of Kilderov's work was tweeted by Ukraine's foreign ministry in an acknowledgment of his intent to give a message of peace.
In what is being described as an inspiring gesture to choose 'art over war', Maxim Kilderov, a Ukrainian graffiti artist who lives in the Nova Kakhovka city in the southern part of the country, used an abandoned Russian military tank as his canvas. The photograph of Kilderov's work was tweeted by Ukraine's foreign ministry in an acknowledgment of his intent to give a message of peace. "Ukrainian artist Maksym Kilderov, who lives in temporarily #Russian-occupied town of Nova Kakhovka, turned the abandoned armored personnel carrier into an art object. 'In a city where you can’t get canvas, burned tanks are the best canvas,' Kilderov said. (sic)" - the tweet read.
According to a report by the CBS News, Kilderov plans to sell the photographs of the graffiti on postcards for charity. The Ukrainian graffiti artist has nearly 6,000 followers on Instagram and runs a website "Kilderov for humanity". “Art object - abandoned Enemy's BMP for a charity. Incomings will be converted into the help to the citizens of Nova Kakhovka,” the website's homepage says.
“On the morning of 24 February, Nova Kakhovka was occupied by the Russian troops. The volunteer organisation Humanity was set up on the 3rd day after the occupation and the siege began,” the website further states.
It added that the organisation's work is supported by donations across the globe, and after the war is over, the account balances will be diverted for Nova Kakhovka's reconstruction, primarily for cultural development.
Praises have been poured out on social media in tweets.
Nova Kakhovka is home to a strategic hydroelectric power plant. On the second day of the Russian offensive, satellite images released by Maxar Technologies showed Russian forces assembled near the power plant. And on Friday, the Kakhovka City Council was seized and Pavlo Filipchuk was appointed as the city's mayor by Moscow.
"Today, on April 1, several dozen armed servicemen of the Russian Federation and some local residents entered the premises of the Kakhovka city executive committee. All employees of the city executive committee who were at work at the time were gathered in the meeting room and had their mobile phones seized. They were told that the city authorities, currently organizing all work in the community, are not coping with their tasks. The Russian military informed them that Pavlo Filipchuk will run the city from today," the city council's press service said in a statement on Facebook.
