Splatters of paint now dot the mural of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska after an unknown vandal defaced the building at the corner of Western and Montrose avenues.
The mural, which was completed in January, drew complex reactions from neighbors and Chicago-based Ukrainian artists, though they recognize the tragedy of Zarutska’s story. She was fatally stabbed by a man on a Charlotte light rail train in August, and her killing drew national attention.
But some questioned the motives behind the mural. It’s part of a national mural project funded in part by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and tech CEO Eoghan McCabe. Critics say the two were more motivated to showcase a white woman being killed by a Black man than to honor Zarutska. Some were also upset that Republican politicians used Zarutska’s name to attack Democratic-led cities for what they say are “soft-on-crime” policies. President Donald Trump called for Zarutska’s killer to receive the death penalty.
Neil Stratman, a 38-year-old actor and writer who passes the mural a few times each week, said he noticed the paint blots about a week ago. He saw black paint cans underneath the mural, he said, leading him to believe the vandalism was freshly done.
Stratman said he hopes no one feels targeted or unsafe because of the vandalism, and it’s unfortunate to see art ruined. On the other hand, he said he also feels like the vandalism is expected and deserved, given its context and funders.
“You can’t hide a horrible message behind a beautiful thing and expect it to stand,” Stratman said, adding that he views the mural project as a “racist dog whistle.”
Sebastiano Masi, 27, lives in the building where the mural is painted. Masi said that although he understands some of the harm caused by the mural, the visceral reactions of some onlookers surprise him. At the end of the day, what happened to Zarutska is still a tragedy, he said.
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“Ultimately, the mural is going to represent what people think it represents,” Masi said. “At what point does the art separate from the artist? At what point does the art separate from the original intention behind it, and what was the original intention behind it?”
Masi hasn’t seen the current vandalism, he said. He’s been overseas, but Masi’s roommate filled him in on the latest development in what he described as a vandalism saga.
In January, the words “Hang Musk” appeared on the mural, he said, adding that the words were covered within hours. In early February, someone attempted to “paint bomb” the mural to much less success than the most recent attempt. It took longer to cover that one up, Masi said.
Before he left for India in mid-February, Masi said he noticed green paint splattered across his window, a sign that vandals had returned. Masi views what’s occurring at his building as a resource war, with one side buying paint to deface the mural and the other buying paint to cover it up.
“One person who’s fighting the war has billions of dollars, and I’m just going to make a wild assumption that the other person is not the second richest person in the world,” Masi said.
Leadership from Glascott and Associates, the realty company that owns the building on which the mural is painted, didn’t respond to an interview request. Neither did the artist who goes by SAV45, who painted the mural.
Elena Diadenko, a Ukrainian-born Chicago artist, told the Tribune last month that she wished Zarutska’s story was used as a conversation-starter for mental health support, public transit safety and the war in Ukraine, not as a talking point for politicians.
In Diadenko’s opinion, there are three groups the vandals could belong to: people who don’t like Musk and Trump, people who were hurt that Zarutska’s death was turned into a race issue, and people who support Russia and believe Ukraine should be part of its larger neighbor.
“Every vandalism is political,” Diadenko said. “It’s always political.”
In Illinois, vandalism resulting in $500 or less in damage is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $2,500 and imprisonment less than a year. If the damage amounts to more than $500, offenders could be charged with a felony.
Chicago police said they hadn’t received any calls for service or incident reports for 2415 W. Montrose Ave.
Diadenko said she hopes the murals across the country could be removed out of respect for Zarutska’s family. They’re already in pain from their grief, and with the recent vandalism, Diadenko said they’ll be “even more devastated.”
“I just wouldn’t want to be in their shoes,” Diadenko said.