Ukraine stamp celebrates defiance of Moskva, NFT marks Medvedchuk capture - The...
source link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/15/ukraine-stamp-russian-warship-moskva-meme/
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Ukrainians celebrate Russian setbacks with stamps, memes and an NFT
The sinking Thursday of the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet has boosted Ukrainian morale — and sales of a postage stamp commemorating an earlier incident involving the cruiser — even as the Kremlin readies a fresh assault on the country’s east and south.
And in another instance underscoring continued defiance as the war grinds into an eighth week, an art studio in Lviv in western Ukraine is auctioning a non-fungible token (NFT) based on a mug shot of oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was recaptured by Ukrainian authorities this week.
The sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva came shortly after Ukraine’s national postal service released 1 million stamps depicting a Ukrainian fighter holding up a middle finger in front of the vessel. The “First Day” stamp was an interpretation of a Feb. 24 incident on Snake Island in which Ukrainian border guards reportedly told off the encroaching Moskva with colorful language as Russia launched its invasion.
As news emerged of the sinking of the Moskva — for which Ukrainian officials claimed responsibility — Ukrainians lined up outside a Kyiv post office in hope of snatching up the special stamp. Odessa’s governor and the Ukrainian military said a Ukrainian missile attack sank the Russian warship — an assertion backed by Washington — while Moscow blamed a combination of a fire and bad weather.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media to promote the commemorative stamp and an envelope that bore the same image. He mocked the damaged vessel, telling people using the stamps to remember that the Moskva “always travels only in one direction” — downward.
Images of the disheveled and handcuffed mogul Medvedchuk have also circulated widely since his recapture. Medvedchuk, who has been charged with treason, escaped house arrest shortly after the invasion, according to Kyiv.
Artists from the M81 Studio retooled a post-capture photo of Medvedchuk into what they termed “Warhol-style” pop art. Proceeds from the sale of the “Kremlin agent Medvedchuk for sale” NFT, which was trading at roughly $320, will be used to support Ukraine’s defense efforts, the studio said.
“We are used to Medvedchuk being corrupt, but finally, he is being sold to benefit Ukraine, and not for his own enrichment,” it added.
Bertrand Malmendier, a member of Medvedchuk’s legal team, said in an email to The Washington Post that the oligarch faces political persecution in Ukraine and is now being used as “a scapegoat for the war.” The lawyer added that his team is concerned for Medvedchuk’s well-being and has written to the Ukrainian authorities to demand access.
Peter Bejger contributed to this report.
War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The latest: Russia appeared poised to capture the strategic port city of Mariupol and escalate attacks across Ukraine’s southeast after bruising setbacks, analysts said, including the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet.
The fight: Russian forces continue to mount sporadic attacks on civilian targets in a number of Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian prosecutors have been taking detailed testimony from victims to investigate Russian war crimes.
The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Russia has used an array of weapons against Ukraine, some of which have drawn the attention and concern of analysts.
In Russia: Putin has locked down the flow of information within Russia, where the war isn’t even being called a war. The last independent newsletter in Russia suspended its operations.
Photos: Post photographers have been on the ground from the very beginning of the war — here’s some of their most powerful work.
How you can help: Here are ways those in the U.S. can help support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.
Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.
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