If Bulgaria can ‘Banksy’ its old Soviet monuments, can Ukraine do it next?

Some interesting events are unfolding as Bulgaria sheds its Soviet past. Last month it introduced a bill banning former Soviet secret police agents from certain jobs within government, and earlier this week a Soviet monument was graffiti’d in a very comical style:

Twenty years ago you would have been shot for stepping too close to this monument in Sofia in Bulgaria.

But after the smashing of the Berlin Wall, statues celebrating communist rule appear to be fair game to the graffiti artists of the former Soviet block in Eastern Europe.

An anonymous artist transformed Russian Red Army soldiers from a monument in the city of Sofia, in Bulgaria, into popular superheroes and cartoon characters.

The figures of Soviet soldiers at the base of a Soviet Army monument have been transformed into superheroes in Sofai, the capital of Bulgaria The figures of Soviet soldiers at the base of a Soviet Army monument have been transformed into superheroes in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria

Taking centre stage is Superman with his distinctive red cape and blue suit. To the left is Santa Claus and to the right Ronald McDonald, the mascot of the fast-food giant McDonalds, and the Joker also makes an appearance.

Below the graffiti artist has sprayed "Moving with the times" in Bulgarian black paint. The "artistic vandalism" appeared this morning – but it is still not clear who is behind the colourful display.

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After WW2 the USSR erected many monuments across their states depicting themselves as liberators from the Nazis (even though together they had started the war).

The largest of these Soviet monuments unfortunately exists in the heart of Kyiv, on Ivan Mazepa street ironically! I think their Soviet monuments need some gussying up too… any takers?

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