Melbourne mural showing Ukrainian, Russian soldiers hugging ‘utterly offensive’

An Australian artist who painted a mural in Melbourne has “received a barrage of online hate”, including from the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia.

A mural by artist Peter Seaton in Melbourne has been painted over after members of the Ukrainian community labelled it ‘utterly offensive’.

An Australian artist who painted a mural in Melbourne depicting a Russian soldier hugging a Ukrainian soldier says he received a “barrage of online hate” and was forced to paint over it.

The artwork by Peter Seaton on Kings Way was titled Peace Before Pieces. It was, according to Seaton, designed to promote peace in uncertain times, but among the detractors was the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia.

On Twitter, Vasyl Myroshnychenko wrote that the mural was “utterly offensive to all Ukrainians”. He targeted the artist, saying Seaton “has no clue about the [Russian] invasion of Ukraine”.

“​​The mural creates a sense of a false equivalency between the victim and the aggressor. It must be promptly removed,” he said.

1/ A recently unveiled mural in @Melbourne showing a RU and a UA soldier hugging is utterly offensive to all Ukrainians. The painter has no clue about the RU invasion of Ukraine and it is disappointing to see it done without consulting the Ukrainian community in Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/TCG6s7W9SJ

— Vasyl Myroshnychenko (@AmbVasyl) September 3, 2022

Outgoing state Liberal MP Tim Smith joined the pile-on, demanding it “be removed immediately”.

Others expressed similar sentiments.

“Incredibly offensive. Needs to be taken down and any money you have made needs to be donated to a Ukrainian charity,” one person wrote on a social media post made by Seaton.

“Guys. People don’t hug the people who are killing them. Please consult with a Ukrainian person and redo,” another wrote.

The Art for Ukraine Australia community was consulted about the artwork. They say they told the artist not to go ahead with it, but he did anyway.

Seaton told media on Monday morning that he was up until 3am painting over it.

“People feel offended by the work – maybe that’s on them as well,” he told ABC Mornings host Virginia Trioli.

He said the world is “in a hostage situation” because Russia could employ the use of nuclear warheads and “de-escalation and peace need to be talked about more, rather than escalation and more conflict and more people dying on both sides”.

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A mural by artist Peter Seaton in Melbourne has been painted over after members of the Ukrainian community labelled it ‘utterly offensive’.

“Like, thousands of amazing Ukrainian soldiers are dying on the front lines. And vice versa on the Russian side.

“The message of peace was, I mean, it’s kind of self-explanatory. It might be perceived as inflammatory from both sides. We’ve got, you know, ideas and identities around each – around the Russian people and the Ukrainian people. But as a whole, the message is pretty clear. It’s about love versus war.”

Seaton told Trioli that Russians are dehumanising Ukrainians and Ukrainians are dehumanising Russians. When asked to clarify what he meant, he said: “I mean, the message I received was basically that every Russian soldier is a rapist. And I mean, I’m sure there are rapists, that’s horrific. But to say every single Russian soldier is that, I mean, [is unfair].”

He said he was going to reconsider the art he produces moving forward “if I’m gonna just get a barrage of online hate”.

Originally published as Melbourne mural showing Ukrainian, Russian soldiers hugging ‘utterly offensive’