WARNING – EXPLICIT CONTENT: The sculptor in Lithuania who created the phallic symbol in the image of Vladimir Putin said he is taking it on tour, and is open to suggests as to what to with it
Lithuanian artist creates a statue of Putin depicting him as a phallus
A statue of Vladimir Putin depicted as a penis has been unveiled to mark the upcoming third anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Artist Martinas Gaubas said the sculpture, which was unveiled in his home country of Lithuania, is a message to the Kremlin dictator that he is not welcome.
He wants Lithuanians – who share a border with Russia – “not to be afraid” of the despot who is depicted in a helmet with his Z-war logo. “That helmet seems to symbolise [Putin’s] presence in the bunker, surrounded by tattoos of a Russian criminal,” he said.
“For example, the ears are very small to show that he does not hear anything, the eyes are small because he does not see anything, the nose is long because he lies a lot, [and] interferes where it is not necessary.
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“A lot of symbolism has been added, which, I think, is easy to read. I want [Russians] to know that….they are not welcome here.” Alluding to the legendary message from guards on Snake Island when they told an approaching naval cruiser Moskva – Black Sea fleet flagship – to “go f*** yourself”, he said: “We speak Russian and we can send it wherever the warship was sent.”
Gaubas is taking the sculpture on tour around Lithuania, and is also conducting a poll on what to do with the Putin phallus. “We decided to ask people [about its fate],” he said. Ideas include “throw it in a slurry pit, shoot it with a tank, give it to a training ground. Something needs to be done with it, but so that the message is clear.”
It comes at a difficult time for Ukraine both on the battlefield and diplomatically between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. What Putin dubbed the “special military operation” has turned into Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.
Tens of thousands have been killed, entire cities have been reduced to smouldering ruins, and millions of Ukrainians have become refugees. Now as senior Russian and US officials are talking again and setting the stage for summit meeting, Putin appears closer than ever to cementing Moscow’s gains of about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and keeping it out of NATO.
