Artists spray portraits of Navalny behind Soviet monument in Vienna

Austrian graffiti duo Joel Gamnou painted the portraits, receiving mostly positive feedback from the public, although criticism arose from certain groups alleging political misuse of the wall. ADVERTISEMENT Two large portraits of the late Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, have been spray-painted onto a property owned by a former Czech foreign minister behind a monument honouring Soviet soldiers in Vienna. Completed on Wednesday (27 March) by Austrian graffiti duo Joel Gamnou, the portraits cover the wall situated behind the monument, which had previously been painted in the blue and yellow national colours of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022.  “It’s nice to give a political statement behind a memorial, to choose the flag of Ukraine, and in addition to that Navalny, who always used to heavily criticise the government in Russia,” says Jonathan Gamperl, one half of the street art duo.  Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption in Russia and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died on 16 February in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. Officials have said only that he died of natural causes. The wall in question belongs to the Palais Schwarzenberg, owned by the noble family...