Patriotic stamps, songs and murals: how Ukraine and the world provide informational resistance to Russia

From the first days of the war, murals, leaflets, graffiti, boards, songs and even road signs began to appear in Ukraine en masse expressing the attitude of Ukrainians towards the invaders. Thus, a powerful information front has formed, which motivates to fight the enemy and raises morale.

In Kyiv, on Podil, an exhibition “Infosprotiv” is being held, organized by the Chestno movement together with the Maidan Museum. Vita Dumanska, the leader of the Chestno movement, spoke exclusively to the journalists of the Channel 24 website about how Ukrainians united around one idea.

Information struggle in Ukraine and the world

The main goal of the exhibition is to show all citizens that joining the informational resistance is quite easy. This is an important support for people, the Armed Forces and countering the enemy.

The exhibition has a rather interesting combination, where the organizers drew parallels between what is happening in Ukraine now and what happened at the beginning of the 20th century. The central copy was a large photo zone with a Ukrainian stamp, announced by the General Director of Ukrposhta Igor Smilyansky. The sketch depicts a girl and a guy watching the Crimean bridge across the Kerch Strait explode.

It is very significant that Ukrposhta has only now begun to actively respond to the public's request. Previously, people showed this trend more clearly. Drawing something cool on stamps, in particular, something that hurts people at turning points is our tradition,” Dumanskaya said.

The exhibition contains stamps dedicated to the Declaration of Independence, UNR stamp, camp mail. The latest ones are also shown – the Maidan post office, the image of one of the first victims of the Revolution of Dignity Serhiy Nigoyan, an IT tent in Lviv, graffiti by Lesya Ukrainka and Ivan Franko, who were wanted to be destroyed.

Resistance in postage stamps/Photo from the official page of the Chestno movement:

All of them have earned a place in the history of Ukrainian stamps. Finally, state institutions began to react at almost the same speed as society. Because earlier people were always the first and the state institutions did not have such courage to take such steps. What institution could write where the Russian ship should go before? – said Dumanskaya.

Postal signs have become not only part of the information resistance, but also help in raising funds for the Ukrainian army. A large component in the information struggle is occupied by street art. Among the most famous are “Saint Javelina”, the military, seals and Patron, Ukrainian vyshyvanka from camouflage nets, “Infernal hospitality”, “Beauty will not endure”, “Warrior sews the flag of Ukraine”.

Murals in Ukraine/Photo from the official page of the Chestno movement and ArmyInform

No less important are cartoons, postcards and memes. Many narratives in 2022 are repeated from those that were still on UPA postcards. But Ukrainians also create new creative images that quickly become famous. For example, after February 24, caricatures by Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Grekhov became popular on social networks. His works depict almost all the iconic actions and phenomena of the Russian-Ukrainian war. They support Ukrainians on the information front and in the world.

In fact, in every big city in Europe now there is some small piece of Ukraine. Because local artists decided so, Dumanskaya added.

For example, the “Face of Heroes and Victims” on the wall of a street museum in Amsterdam, the dove of peace on a wall in Frankfurt, Zakhar Nechipor in the north of Ireland, Putin in the image of Lord Voldemort and Zelensky, like Harry Potter in Poznan, the work “Ukrainian Resistance” by Banksy, who donated 100 thousand euros from the sale of one of his works to the needs of the Okhmatdyt hospital.

Murals in the world/Photo from the official page of the Chestno movement:

The exhibition presents a collection of postcards and appeals to “Beat the occupier” of Ukrainians in the underground. These are partisans who not only keep the Russian military in fear, reminding that Ukraine is close, but also liquidating Ukrainian traitors.

Also collected are examples of different leaflets that are posted in the Crimea and remind that this is part of Ukraine. We also collected examples of boards that showed solidarity with people temporarily under Russian occupation.

We recorded the manifestation of outdoor advertising even before the outbreak of war, indicating that the Ukrainian military is already preparing for military action. We remember the advertisement “4.5.0”, which was incomprehensible to many Ukrainians. This means that everything is calm now,” said the leader of the Chestno movement.

There was also a large series of boards about how one city supports another. In particular, they appeared in support of Mariupol, Chernihiv with the words “Hold on, we are with you.” Ukrainian business also reacted to the war in Ukraine, which began to create creative advertising – flammable drinks with cocktails, ads for paving slabs “Let's cover the occupiers”.

Boards that appeared from February 24, 2022 official page of the Chestno movement:

In addition to Ukrzaliznytsia, the state agency Ukravtodor was also noted, which hung road signs on the subject of where the Russian soldier should go. There were also boards written by hand. After all, when the war began, the planes were empty – there was nothing there, and people wrote motivating words in order to maintain morale.

Road sign to the occupiers/Photo from the official page of the Chestno movement fight. Old compositions that sounded in a new way against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian war became a symbol of this.

Among the most famous are “Stefania” (Kalush Orchestra), which won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022; “Oh, there's red viburnum in the blue” (group “Boombox”, Andrey Khlivnyuk), “How are you?” (“THE HARDKISS”); “Free people” (“Without restrictions”); “Ukrainian rage” (Kristina Soloviy), “City of Mary” (“Elzy's Ocean”), “Good evening, we are from Ukraine” (PROBASS ∆ HARDI).

Exhibition on Podil/Photo by Valentina Polishchuk, channel 24:









Add that visitors to the exhibition, which will last until September 3, can also play darts and get into state traitors Ukraine. Among them, in particular, there are Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Medvedchuk and Ilya Kiva.

It is also interesting – The day has been named when the first results of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are expected: watch the video

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