Mural depicting top presidential aide Yermak appears in Kyiv, is painted over soon after

A mural depicting Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak was covered with white paint within a day after a picture of it emerged online, the Glavcom media outlet reported on Jan. 27.

The mural was painted on the bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv by an unknown artist. The original photo of the mural was shared on social media by journalist and blogger Bohdan Butkevych on Jan. 26, who also posted its location.

Yermak has been described as the most powerful chief of staff in Ukraine's history, attracting criticism for accumulating unprecedented power and influence within the Presidential Office.

"Banksy suddenly becoming a fan of Yermak is unlikely," Butkevych said jokingly, raising a question about the original painter’s identity.

Glavcom reported that already by the evening of Jan. 26, a picture of the mural largely painted over by a white paint appeared online.

Other leading figures like former Commander-in-Chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi also received a mural in the capital.

Politico lists Yermak, Putin among Europe’s most influential people

Politico presented on Dec. 10 its end-of-the-year list of the most influential people in Europe, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Russian President Vladimir Putin among the finalists for the “dreamers” and “doers” categories, respectively.

The Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori