Incident at Galerie L
In the early hours of January 27, unknown individuals vandalized the facade of the Parisian art gallery Galerie L with paint. The gallery is notable as the workplace of Elizaveta Krivonogikh, a woman widely reported in international media to be Vladimir Putin's alleged daughter. The perpetrators left anti-war slogans in English on the walls, including phrases such as:
- Fuck Putin and all russians
- Death to Putin
- Poutine assassin
Elizaveta Krivonogikh also holds a passport under the name Elizaveta Olegivna Rudnova. She studied at the Parisian art and management school ICART, graduating in 2024. Her mother is Svetlana Krivonogikh, a former partner of Vladimir Putin. Oleg Rudnov, the person under whose name Elizaveta's passport is registered, is a businessman known to be close to the Russian president.
Galerie L exhibits works by Russian and Ukrainian artists who oppose the war. Another employee at the gallery is Luiza Rozova. The graffiti also referenced El-Hassane Diarrhi, a 35-year-old man who died in police custody in Paris, highlighting how local and international grievances can converge. This incident underscores the tensions within contemporary art and activism related to the war in Ukraine.
Consequently, the vandalism of the Paris gallery serves as a stark example of protest against the aggression and violence occurring in Ukraine and globally.
This event demonstrates how contemporary artists and activists are using art as a platform to express views on political and social issues. The protest on Galerie L's facade reflects the escalating tensions between Russia and the West, particularly in the context of the ongoing war, which continues to provoke strong international reactions. Such actions can help raise awareness about issues of war and human rights on a global scale, though they also illustrate the deep divisions the conflict has fostered.