April 11, 2024

The Mural Stronger than Buenos Aires Police


The Mural Stronger than Buenos Aires Police
Mural dedicated to Alexey Navalny in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Image by the author.

On March 31, after receiving multiple complaints, Argentinian police in Buenos Aires interrupted Russian artists painting a mural in honor of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The mural is less than 20 meters from the Cathedral of The Most Holy Trinity, Argentina's oldest and most important Russian Orthodox Church. 

After Navalny died on February 16, members of the Russian diaspora in Argentina wanted to create a memorial for him. Yekaterina Bazanova, a Russian woman living in Buenos Aires for 10 years, told La Nación that her group originally planned to create a mural in the upscale neighborhood of Recoleta, near the Russian Embassy, but "that is almost impossible." Luckily, another option appeared: the corner of Brazil and Balcarce Street, not far from the landmark Russian Orthodox Church in Buenos Aires.

On Easter Sunday, artists Karina Solodina, Misha Petrov, and Katya Spleen arrived in the historic neighborhood of San Telmo. The wall the painters chose for their mural belongs to the national truck drivers' union, one of the most powerful voices in Argentinian politics. Solodina, Petrov, and Spleen began painting Navalny's face and date of birth and death on the side of the wall facing Balcarece Street. On the other side of the wall, the painters started writing "Love is stronger than death" in both Russian and Spanish. However, at 8 AM, 20 policemen showed up.

"Love Is Stronger Than Death" in Russian and Spanish in mural dedicated to Alexey Navalny in Buenos Aires, Argentina
"Love is stronger than death." | Image by the author

"Unfortunately," Solodina told La Nación, "the police received too many phone calls from pro-Putin Russians who didn't want the mural to exist (...) As it turns out, one can't write the word 'love' if the Russian government doesn't like it." Police confiscated the artists' paint and brushes and prohibited them from finishing the mural. 

According to the Ministry of Security of Buenos Aires, the artists were not authorized to paint in this location. Petrov, Solodina, and Spleen claimed to have received the go-ahead from the Cathedral of The Most Holy Trinity. The church's priest, Father Alejandro Leasewicz, translated between the police and the three painters, since they don't speak Spanish. Ukrainian attorney Liliana Borisiuk mediated with authorities to prevent the painters from being arrested.

The mural was later completed and unveiled. Over 100 members of the Russian community, along with Borisiuk, were present at the ceremony. The truck drivers union has not commented on the mural.

You Might Also Like

Sudden Death
  • February 18, 2024

Sudden Death

Alexei Navalny’s death was entirely expected, and completely unacceptable.
Cry for Me, Argentina
  • February 19, 2023

Cry for Me, Argentina

Six pregnant Russians were detained while entering Argentina, prompting a criminal investigation into birth tourism agencies.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955