Patriotic graffiti to appear around Moscow

A new government-funded art project is set to bring patriotic graffiti to the Russian capital.

The Moscow Department of Culture, together with the Russian Military History Society, has commissioned ten works of graffiti on the topic of the Second World War (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia).

The graffiti will be created by popular street artists Andrew Tseluyko (known as Zeaner), Sergei Ovseykin Artem Stefanov (Zukclub), Alexander Emelyanov (Jem), Maxim Toropov (Mah 13), Alexey Kryuchkov (Cru), Eugene Dolzhansky (Ches) and Marina Yagoda.

On 2 October the head of the Moscow Department of Culture Alexander Kibovsky will present the first piece, along with Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, who also serves as the chairman of the Russian Military History Society. Entitled Soviet Pilots, the inaugural piece of graffiti will appear on Sadovaya Karetnaya Street, close to the Novaya Opera Theatre.

The opening of the project is timed to coincide with the anniversary of the beginning of the first defensive phase of the battle for Moscow. According to Mr Kibovsky, six of the works have already been completed.

Source: Izvestia (in Russian)