Portraits of Navalny appeared in Vienna next to the monument to Soviet soldiers

Photo: Austrian graffiti duo Joel Gamnu paints a portrait of Alexei Navalny on a wall in Vienna, Austria, March 27, 2024.

Two large portraits of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appeared on property owned by the family of the former foreign minister Czech Republic, behind the monument to Soviet soldiers in Vienna.

The portraits are painted on a wall that was previously painted in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, reports  Associated Press.

The wall is part of the Palais Schwarzenberg palace complex, owned by the noble family of former Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who died last November.

The monument depicting a Soviet soldier was built after Soviet troops took Vienna in 1945.

Austria, which was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, was divided into occupation zones until the country gained full sovereignty in 1955.

"The monument perpetuates the memory of the victims of the dictatorship, and Navalny – an obvious victim of dictatorship", – Maximillian Schafgotsch, a representative of the Schwarzenberg family foundation, told the Austrian Press Agency.

The portraits were the result of the work of the graffiti artist duo Joel Gamnu.

One of the duo members, Jonathan Gamperl, said that so far they are getting " only positive reviews.”

Prepared by: Sergey Daga