The graffiti created by famous U.K. street artist Banksy in the town of Hostomel near Kyiv was cut down and taken away on Dec. 2, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the police.
The people who cut down the part of the wall insulation with the graffiti on it have reportedly been detained. They said they wanted to sell the artwork and transfer the money to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, according to the police.
The graffiti by Banksy on the wall of a severely damaged apartment building in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast. (Instagram/Banksy)
The same wall on Dec. 2, right after a group of people cut the graffiti down, reportedly aiming to sell it. (Facebook/Serhiy Zhuk)
The Kyiv Oblast police opened an investigation into “deliberate destruction or damage to property.”
The police also told Ukrainska Pravda that local authorities hold responsibility for preserving and protecting such cultural objects.
Banksy confirmed to The Art Newspaper on Nov. 14 that he had created seven murals in various locations in Ukraine, including Kyiv and its satellite towns like Irpin and Borodianka.
