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

Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
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.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
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.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
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.

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