ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Provocative sculpture that looks like Putin removed from Kyiv public square

Share

Warning: This content may be distressing to some.

A provocative anti-war sculpture featuring a handgun and a remarkable likeness of Vladimir Putin has been removed from a public square in the centre of Kyiv.

Provocative may be understating the power of Dmytro Iv’s work, when you consider the barrel of the handgun is planted firmly in the statue’s mouth.

It’s called “Shoot Yourself†and was erected without permission in a very prominent location—where a Soviet-era statue of Lenin once stood.

“Originally I had an idea to create something that would motivate our soldiers to keep on killing Russians,†said Iv, who imitates putting a gun to his mouth and pulling the trigger.

His sculptures have been shown internationally, and usually he works in soft material, but he said this time chose rusted steel for its effect.

“The war is tough,†he told me. “Steel is tough. There should be no beauty in this.â€

Eight hours after “Shoot Yourself†was lifted into place, like a Banksy guerilla manoeuvre, it was removed. But not before photos and video whirled across the globe on social media.

Iv said he doesn’t want to talk about why it was taken away, beyond suggesting it was considered a provocation as Russia and Ukraine were preparing to mark the Second World War’s Victory Day, though in very different ways.

He seems more amused than indignant.

The sculpture is now being stored in a Kyiv warehouse. Iv said this situation is only temporary and that “Shoot Yourself†will soon appear at a new venue, maybe in another city.

The eyes are very Putin-esque, highlighted with little strips of barbed wire. The handgun is realistically menacing with a steel hand on the trigger. Iv said it took a month to create.

“The sculpture speaks for itself,†he says. “Putin is a war criminal and war criminals can do two things. They can either be put in prison, or shoot themselves.â€

A provocative anti-war sculpture featuring a revolver and a remarkable likeness of Vladimir Putin has been removed from a public square in the centre of Kyiv. (Courtesy CTV'S Paul Workman)

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.